SELF GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS IN THE VALLEY AND HILL AREAS OF MANIPUR: A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

SELF GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS IN THE VALLEY AND HILL AREAS OF MANIPUR:

A COMPARATIVE  STUDY.

Lal Dena

1.Historical background:

 Self governing institutions were well pronounced both in the valley and hill areas of Manipur right from ancient times. In the valley, there emerged a village council (khungjeng) consisting of chief (khullakpa), assistant to the chief (luplakpa), elder of the village (khunjahanba), manger of the beer (yuplakpa), incharge of village (telloihanjaba), vice incharge of village (telloihidang), incharge of peasants (loumilakpa), vice incharge of peasants (loumihidang), commander of lads (nahalakpa), commander of young men (pakhanglakpa), incharge of revenue (selungba), incharge of horse (sagolhanjaba), incharge of boat (hiruhanba), head of a locality of village (gopalhanjaba) and head of a group of residents of a village (gopalhidang). These officers arbitrated petty criminal cases, divorce, adultery and cases of social and religious nature. During the colonial period, these village councils were replaced by panchayats. In 1903, for instance, there were as many as fourteen village panchayats spreading in different parts of the valley. They were reportedly located at Bishupur, irilbung, Kakching, Khongampat, Lamshang, Lilong, Mayang Imphal, Moirang, Nambol, Sagolmang, Wabagai, Waikhong and Wangoi.

In the hill areas, at some point of time in their historical evolution, the tribal people also evolved a machinery of self-governing institution commonly known as the village council (khawtlang roreltu) consisting of chief (lal/hausa), chief councilor (muolkil mitha), councilors (khawnbawl upa),  and messenger (tlangsam). Other important traditional officials were the priest (thiempu), blacksmith (thirsutu) and youth commander (valupa). The village council under the headship of the chief combined in itself both executive and judicial powers and settled all cases within the village according to customary laws. When British colonial rule was formally extended in the hill areas since 1891, the institution of tribal chieftainship and the village council were integrated with the colonial administration; and the chief and his councilors were entrusted with the task of collecting hill house tax and simple administration of justice. When J.Shakespeare was transferred from Mizoram to Manipur as political agent, 1905-1908, he demarcated the village lands and issued boundary papers (ramri lekha) to all the tribal chiefs thereby tending to formalize the chiefs’ right over the village lands. Therefore, each household within village was under obligation to pay a fixed quantity of paddy and hind leg of any animal shot within the chiefdom to the chief annually, a sort of feudal practice which is commonly known as busung sadar/busun saliang.

2.Recent development and Present Position:

Panchayat system of self government continued in the valley till 1955. In 1960, modern panchayat system introduced on experimental basis failed to meet the aspirations of the people in the rural Manipur. After attaining statehood in 1972, the government passed the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1975 which provided for a three tier panchayat system: gram panchayat at the village level, panchayat samiti at the block level and zilla parishad at the district level. The panchayat institutions under this had been functioning for twenty two years. In conformity with the Constitution 73^rd Amendment Act of 1992, the new Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 was again passed on 23 April, 1994 by repealing the earlier one. The basic features of the act are: First, it provided the establishment of gram panchayat at the village level and zilla parishad at the district level. Secondly, gram sabha comprising a population of not less than 3000 and not more than 6000 was established. Thirdly, there were reservation of seats and offices for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women in the gram panchayats and zilla parishads. Fourthly, two statutory bodies, namely, state finance commission and state election commission were constituted. Fifthly, a wide range of functions and powers including the subjects under the 11^th schedule of Indian Constitution was delegated to the gram panchayats and zilla parishad. Sixthly, there was also consolidated fund for the panchayats funded by the state and the central government.

In the hill areas of Manipur soon after India’s independence in 1947, the Manipur Hill People’s (Administration) Regulation of 1947 was passed. The regulation divided the hill territory into villages and circles. Twenty tax-paying houses and above could have a village authority which replaced the traditional village council. Of course the chiefs and elders continued to be nominated in accordance with the customs of the concerned village. Above the village authority, there was circle authority consisting of circle officer and five circle members elected by the village authorities falling within the circle area. But the Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas) Act, 1956 replaced the regulation act of 1947and introduced election system on the basis of adult suffrage. The composition of the village authority was fixed as follows:  first, 20 tax-paying houses but less than 60 = 5 village authority members; secondly, 60 tax-paying houses but less than 100 = 7 village authority members; thirdly, 100 tax-paying houses but less than 150 = 10 village authority members; and, 4thly, 150 houses and above= 12 village authority members. According to this act, chiefs continued as ex-officio chairman and the rest were elected directly by the people. The term of their office was fixed at five years.

In course of time, the Manipur state legislature had amended the village authority act of 1956 in 1983 by adding the formation of circle village court (CVC) comprising a group of villages between a minimum population of 1000 and a maximum of 3000. All the members of the CVC ere nominated by the government  on the recommendation of the deputy commissioner of the concerned circles.

When Manipur attained statehood in 1972, the state government by its own act introduced the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1972. According to the act, each district council had 18 members directly elected by the people on the basis of adult suffrage. Besides the elected members, there were also 2 nominated members. As regards their power and functions, the councils had control over some moveable and unmovable property, construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, channels, buildings, management of dispensaries, primary schools, markets, ani mal ponds, allotment for the purpose of agriculture, grazing or residential, regulation of jhum and shifting cultivation, etc,. The district councils also had the power to collect taxes on professional, trades, animals, vehicles, boats, ferries and entry of goods into a market for sale, etc. The district councils had been functioning till 1988 when they were kept in abeyance for the demand of the Sixth Schedule. In the meantime, the act was amended in 2000 and elections to the district councils were held in 2009 and the councils have now been revived at least in name.

3. Comparison between self-governments in the valley and hills:

What is known as gram sabha in the valley just implies a village in the hill. A gram panchayatin the valley is equivalent to the village authority in the hill.