Manipur State Population Commission: An antidote
- Part 5 -

Prof RK Narendra Singh *

Ningol Chakkouba Shopping :: A very crowded scene at Ema Keithel in November 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

It might partially be due to the centralization of Family Welfare Programmes implementation and Meitei are more aware the benefits of small family norms towards quality of life. On the other site of the coin, other communities perhaps deliberately exaggerate their population through craft-resist domination. Apart from population, the health of mothers and children of the community with high fertility rate would not be healthy rather prone to have many undesirable health hazards.

The health of those marginalized section affects a lot on their economy and standard of living, in brief on the quality of life. At the same time, through improper education, improper child care and unhealthy brought up; unproductive large individuals in family, in community, and in society at large are the roots to generate economic crisis, social crime, communal tension, etc. Henceforth, the enhancing one's population through high fertility rate or any other forms certainty produces a lot of demographical reverberation not only to the entire society but to the particular community or family also.

Besides, these demographic processes are also the grounds to reshaping the Manipuri society in terms of transforming assimilation and acculturation society. It is really not a good sign. In fact, Manipur has been under craft-resist domination for the last many decades among the diverse communities and as a consequence the state witness high unemployment, dwindling job prospects, tarnishing culture and belief, loss of trust, geopolitical instability, rampant corruption, insurgency, etc. in one hand.

And on the other, social turmoil, conflicts, chaos, communal tensions are hovered over the diverse sections of the society. In contrast, as a human being in this fertile world, the aim of every one of us is to live in peace and harmony with remarkable standard of living in the society and try to contribute something for the human being.

Manipur is entering a new jeopardy phase of assimilation and acculturation due to chain reactions of demographic imbalance. It becomes a big challenge to especially demographers and sociologists. From the sociological perspective it is a natural process by which diverse ethnic, religion, caste groups come to share a common culture and to gain equal access to the opportunity structure of society; that this process consists of gradually deserting old cultural, traditional, belief and behavioral patterns in favor of new ones (dominated); and that, once set in motion, this process moves inevitably and irreversibly toward assimilation.

From this perspective indigenous people are constrained by the ethnic hierarchy that systematically limits their access to social resources, such as opportunities for jobs, housing, and education, resulting in persistent racial-ethnic disparities in levels of income, educational attainment, and occupational achievement. Finally it confronts high rates of unemployment, crime, alcoholism, drug use, and even creates insurgency. Shrinking opportunities and bleak futures by the youths may lead frustrated mind.

When Manipur is sleeping on the faithful night of the day that Trans-Asian Railway Network (TARN) trains arrive, the entire state would be flooded by the outsiders roaming here and there – in roads, market places, schools, hospitals, court yards, homes, latrines, etc. It is not a dream but quite reality, if the present situation continues.

On the rough calculation on an average the most popular short distance as well as long distance train may be carrying anywhere in India between 2300 to 2800 passengers on any given day. Since Manipur is the India's Gateway to South East Asia, the state becomes transit point where all passengers are coming and going through it. By this process of human mobility, incredible astonishing residues, so called migrants will be settling down and it should be accumulated quickly beyond sustainable and uncontrollable limit.

Thus, before the TARN's trains arrive the state should have a very effective Population Policy of its own to protect the indigenous people through managing the situation otherwise fate of ill-fated Manipuri is so grime.

Conclusion:

Manipur is being endangered by two demographic processes viz., influx of migrants and demographic imbalances; and another progression coming up is the arrival of Trans-Asian Railway Network (TARN) trains. The state is tiny in terms of its land and people just like a bubble in the mid of human ocean of the great India, the second populous country in the world.

In very near decades, by the blow of the influx of both migrants, the indigenous people have reduced to a minority in their homeland, making the second state in the country that has been transformed from being a predominantly pluralistic Manipuri society to assimilated and acculturated non Manipuri society, next to Tripura. It is a clear example of vanishing of indigenous people of Manipur.

The migrants both immigrants and in-migrants in the state cause overburden to service providers in terms of enhancing population, occupying service sectors, trades and economies, politics and disrupt prevailing socio-cultural practices, religions, and beliefs of the society. Currently they create a big question of integrity, internal security and terrorism in the state. Further, this human movement process generates conflicts between migrants and indigenous people as well as within and between the indigenous people too.

The need of the hour is to constitute Manipur State Population Commission that is the only hope to save their indigenous people. But, some sections of the people might misconceive or misapprehend to the role and function of MSPC. As citing one example that there is no question of dictating or deporting of migrants as 1951as based year from the state such as they happen to belief and it is beyond the jurisdiction of the MSPC.

The Commission should stick to its Term of Reference and no such objective which may disturb the right and sentiment of any section of the indigenous people is included. Rather, the Commission would work in the interest of people and the fruits will be shared to all the indigenous Manipuri irrespective of all kinds of social milieus.

Through its endeavors of managing migration flow and keeping demographic balance, the state may return back a society of peace, harmony, reconciliation and tranquility amongst the diverse sections of the society as once it had. Further it may maintain population stabilization, and bring sustainable and equitable economic growth, prosperity, healthy, and better quality of life among the ill-fated, unprotected, insecure and endanger indigenous people of Manipur.

Survival is the first and foremost task. Preparedness is the key to survival.

Think and act!

Concluded....