Ethics of ethnic crisis in North East India An unchanging phenomenon in contemporary Manipur, its solutions
- Part 1 -

Dr Priyadarshni M Gangte *

Map of North East region, India :: Pix - TSE

The North – Eastern territory of India is a geopolitical strategic region. It comprises eight states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Naga-land, Sikkim and Tripura). It was curved out from originally Province of Assam of British India with the inclusion of Sikkim and the princely states of Manipur and Tripura. It has been termed as the 'Land of eight sisters'. The region covers an area of 261,179 square kilometres (101,201 square miles) with a population of 39 million as per census of India, 2011 of which 22,327 square kilometers and 2,570,390 populations are of Manipur. (Directorate, Census Operation, Government of Manipur).

The region is connected with five countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (formerly Myanmar), China and Nepal i.e. by the 4500 kilometers (2,796 miles) of international border. It is populated by variegated groups of people. Migration of people from Bangladesh, Burma and Nepal to these areas was very common, and as such, we find people of Mongoloid strains in respect of their physical features, cultures, tradition, language, etc. the autochthones who settled in the hill tracts were subsequently identified and differentiated one from the other based on various historical process of stress and strains, communication difficulties to a great degree, had contributed to their being in isolation for a number of generations.

Their adjust-mental process, in course of time alienated some groups from the bigger ones, while the other found themselves in aligned or aggregate. Such alienation and alignment of different groups came to bear various ethnic appellations identifying themselves as distinct tribes. This is a common feature in many places, which is however, significant to this tract of land.

It is true that they are not a permanent crystalline structure in the stage of historical and social development and all the time due to interaction and adjustment, these groups of people are found to accommodate themselves in different degrees to varied situation. It is also expected that their society has less and less hierarchy in economic specialization. Thus, we find Bhowmick, to have said, "In course of travels and shifting for security, following clashes with other groups italic have been transformed to a considerable extent or blended according to the demands of the situation or circumstantial exigencies. As a result, present day cultures of these groups bear such mark of incorporative, into the core of their cultural matrix".

And, in order to be eligible for constitutional benefits which have been declared after independence, these groups have been capsulized as "weaker section" and listed separately as "scheduled". In this part of India, there are all together 160 Scheduled Tribes with identifiable characteristic and traits, distributed in different areas of this region. Our country has 179 languages and 544 dialects according to Linguistic Survey of India.

Out of this, 116 belonging to Tibeto-Chinese family group are found in this region and over 4007 distinct tribal and sub-tribal as well concentrated mainly in Assam, Manipur and Tripura. The entire region is inhabited by three distinct groups of people: the hill tribes, the plain tribes and non-tribal population of the plains. An in Manipur, there are more than 40(forty) tribes out of which 36(thirty-six) are recognized with as many dialects as there are tribes, if not more.

Furthermore, Gangte has maintained that it is true that the enchanting land known as the North-East region of India attracted waves of diverse racial groups through ages. It has come to stay as the confluence of the most colourful mosaic of ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. The Culture and tradition of the people often overlap the man made political unit of the region. Political loyalty mostly transcends the boundary of each political unit.

These groups of people came to region at different periods of history some of them came in the prehistoric days and other came at different point of time in history. Thus, even though some of the belong to the same ethnic group, time – gap in the waves of migration between different groups contributed greatly to their present wide – range of divergence and multiplicity, ultimately resorted to a multiple cause for destabilizing political economic, ethnic and communal tensions in the region. Moreover, at present, the swelling migrant population in the region has also loosened the grip of indigenous settler over their land, economy and sense of freedom.

Total area of Manipur is one and nine-tenths Valley and Hills. It is a state of economic backward but a land of nature bounty with natural resources of all kinds including human resources and a rich cultural heritages belonging to indigenous ethnic groups who have been living together in the State since time immemorial in particular. Yet, in spite of its vast natural resources and human potentialities it has ever produced from its own soil, the State and the citizens of different Stratas including weaker sections, backward classes and destitute children and women have remained underdeveloped and finding themselves with lagging behind all infrastructure facilities in all fronts. This might have happened for the failure of authorities to adequately harness and utilize resources available in a manner that can give sustainable to socio-economic development of the people as well as planning development of the State.

A prolong negligence and lack of concrete initiatives for development over decades has now resulted in plaguing the State with manifold problems on various issues ranging from land dispute, administration conflict, ethnic issue and lack of effective governance in different parts of the State and even to drag a petty case unnecessarily on communal line whenever it is raised up. In addition, the ever increasing population without multiculturalism and lack of generating adequate employment and actualization of work culture and not to depend on others have also further worsened the complexities, thereby creating anarchy and chaotic in all walks of life, and with no sign of getting a relief from such critical issues in a near future are in fact do not bide for the socio-cultural transformation of all the weaker section is not in the tune of social reality.

Moreover, population in the lower stratum of society comprising mostly of distributes whose basic needs of food, shelter (due to displacement as a result of developments and construction of dams, project etc.) medical care, education etc. still remain unfulfilled. We all know the prevailing situation and emerging trend or shall we term as culture of drugs mafia and human trafficking inter alia. The population – largely illiterate, property less and jobless – lives through queer ways: parent selling or pleading their progeny for money, individuals selling their blood or organs, children of tender age working under dehumanizing and exploitative condition, is part of their life story.

Besides, the Government of India, following the legacy of British Colonial administration, in its Constitution (Scheduled Tribes, Part (State) Orders 1957) notified the Scheduled Tribe. List of Manipur as (I) Any Kuki Tribe (II) Any Naga Tribe and (III) Any Lushai Tribes without making any mention of ethnic names of the different tribes. This has again resulted in the polarization of the tribes into the Nagas and the Kukis, for the constitutional compulsion made the tribes to identify themselves as either the Naga or Kuki so that the could get the constitutional safeguard. Manipur, despite its different names such as the 'Paradise on earth,' 'Switzerland of the East' 'Land of Jewels' etc inhabited by different ethnic communities who are basically Mongoloids is now turning into a land of Self-inflicted mayhem, wayward- ness and confusion.

People are of the utmost ethnic divides ranging from remote villagers to the urban elites, the weak and the mighty all live in a state of perpetual fear and uncertainty. Majority in community and tribe asserted its dominance over the areas of their stronghold whereas the minor communities, tribes needy and poors are hopelessly suppressed, marginalized, socially excluded and deprived of their natural rights in different ways. Political and budding young leaders stoke communal passion for their personal benefits and political exigencies. The spirit of honesty and belongingness to the land is hardly respected and is no longer considered as "Individual Interest" rather than "Common Interest" has completely overpowered the public psyche.

Instead of having or adopting a right way of economically secured environment, people look for the easiest and shortest way of making money and most luxurious style of living without slightest concern of the fairness of the reasons and means they landed to and to bring to complete stop. The Manipur State Mental Health Authority in one of its reports in 2012 stated that about 50 percent of the population is suffering from depression due to law and order related problems. The State like her neighbouring sister is also haunted by the severe degradation of environment, deforestation and displacement of people without proper rehabilitation and resettlement and their source of livelihood in the name of modern development projects such as the Loktak Project, Khuga Dam, Mapithel Dam, Khoupum Dam, etc.

To be continued....