Manipur polls: Hill-valley disparity takes centre stage in political debate

The development inequality of the hill and valley divide is the grist of political debate in the poll-bound Manipur hill areas that account for one-third of the 60-member state assembly.

The BJP-led government in 2017 promised to cement the divide and Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh launched “go to hills” and “go to villages” campaigns to expedite development measures in the hills that accounts for 90 percent of the state’s area and 10 percent of the population, while the Valley with just 10percent land, is home to almost 60 percent of the people. Out of the 60 seats, the valley accounts for 40 assembly seats.

In the valley, there are Hindu, non-tribal Meitei communities while the hills are inhabited by the largely Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities.

Last year, the Hill Area Committee Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill. On November 22, 2021, vehicles were stranded along National Highway 2 due to an indefinite economic blockade in Manipur. Tribal student bodies had called for a 12-hour total shutdown in the hill districts of Manipur from December 18, 2021, seeking the introduction of the bill in the assembly.

The bill aimed was to bring equal development in the hill districts. The committee argued that the bill will correct disproportionate development between the hill and valley and will repeal Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971. The proposed legislation will provide more autonomy to ADC. However, the state government argued that the bill needed to be addressed and scrutinised legally before tabling in the House. The hill districts combine Churachandpur, Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl. Chief Minister Singh, in an interview to ET last month said, “Some questions were asked by the elected members from the hill areas. We gave a white paper and in five years, at least 45% of the budget allocation was spent on the hill areas.”

Not everybody agrees with the chief minister. “We have not had proper medical facilities for decades and to get medical facilities we have to go to Imphal, which becomes very troublesome during emergency cases,” A Vincent, a resident of the Senapati in the hills told ET.

National People’s Party (NPP) in its manifesto illustrating this divide that “For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the grim and stark socioeconomic inequalities that persist in Manipur, the developmental differences and injustices among communities, and the asymmetry of access to basic necessities like quality healthcare and education between the hills and valley. NPP is very clear that to address these issues there is a pressing need for understanding the diverse perspectives, needs, and concerns of its citizenry.

Manipur being a multi-ethnic and pluralistic society, these issues and concerns can only be rectified by formulating and implementing a strong coherent state policy on different thematic sectors through embracing the support and suggestions from various stakeholders, civil societies and grassroots movements. NPP is also keenly aware that key issues such as indigenous rights, AFSPA, universal access to quality health care and education, climate change and environment need to be urgently addressed”. Hills have been a Congress party’s stronghold and in 2017 Congress won 9 seats, BJP wrested five, while Naga People’s Front (NPF) won four seats and NPP bagged two.

NPP and NPF are partners in the BJP led government. However, both of them are contesting the polls on their own. In Manipur, the first phase of voting is on February 28 and the second on March 5. The counting of votes is scheduled for March 10.



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