Unraveling the Complexities of Peace: A Closer Look at the Manipur State

Published on 15th May 2023 on NewsLink

Once upon a time, Manipur was known as the "Land of Jewels" thanks to its stunning beauty and vibrant culture, as celebrated by the great Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. However, over time, the state has become notorious for frequent strikes and protests, earning it the dubious title of the "State of Bandh". The Manipur State spans an area of approximately 22,327 square kilometres, with two distinct terrains dominating its landscape. The central region comprises a flat valley, which only accounts for a mere 10% of the total area, while the remaining 90% is covered by undulating hills and mountains. The valley area is home to five districts, where the Meitei people, belonging to various categories such as General, Other Backward Classes, and Schedule Castes, predominantly follow Hinduism and Islam. In contrast, the 11 districts of the hilly region are inhabited by various ethnic groups, including Nagas, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, and others, who share a Christian faith and are classified as Schedule Tribes.

According to 2011 census, the population of Manipur State stood at a grand total of 27,21,756 souls. The Meitei people, comprising 60% of the population, resided in the lush valley districts, while the remaining 40% of the population belonged to various hill tribes. Back when Manipur joined the Indian Union in 1949, the Meitei folks were showered with a plethora of perks, while the tribal communities were left to fend for themselves. In 1972, out of the 60 assembly seats, the Meitei snagged a staggering 40 seats, while a measly 20% was granted to the Tribals. To make matters worse, the hill districts were only allocated a paltry 26% for education, 25% for health, 22% for public works, 12% for social welfare, and a minuscule 12% for agriculture from the state budget. This grossly unfair distribution of resources left the hill folks far behind in terms of development, with all the fancy infrastructure concentrated in the valley districts.

Incorporated alongside Nepali and Konkani into the 8^th Schedule, the Meitei language became the subject of a fervent campaign by the Meitei people to have it included as a compulsory subject in all schools. Not stopping there, they pushed to have the Meitei Alphabet (Meitei Majek) replace all other languages on office and shop signboards. This initiative caused consternation among the Nagas in Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Senapati, and Chandel districts, who sought to break away from the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BOSEM) and join the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). Unfortunately for them, the Manipur government refused to issue a 'No Object Certificate,' leaving their efforts futile.

The Tribal population is dissatisfied with the state's job reservation policy. Despite comprising 37% of the population, their reservation status only stands at 31%. Adding to the complexity, certain members of the Meitei community from Sekmai, Phayeng, Khurkhul, Koutruk, Laimaram, Kwatha, Laimaram Khunou, and Andro are attempting to attain Tribal status, which was previously offered by the Central Government. It is noteworthy that these Meitei already hold SC and OBC status. Therefore, if Meitei individuals in the General Category seek to change their status, they should consider applying for SC or OBC status. The concern is that if Meitei individuals were to be granted Tribal status, it would significantly hinder the prospects of the current Tribal population in obtaining government jobs.

With a massive population and limited space in their valley, the Meitei people sought to expand their territory in secret by taking over land belonging to the local tribes. While chieftainship had been abolished in many parts of India, it still existed in some parts of Manipur, and the Village Authority Act of 1956 protected tribal land. However, the Meitei despised this act and introduced the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLR & LR) Act of 1960, hoping to seize tribal lands for themselves.

In 2015, three bills - the Protection of Manipur Peoples (PMP) Bill, the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (MLR & LR) 7^th Amendment Bill, and the Manipur Shops and Establishment (MS&E) 2^nd Amendment Bill - were passed by the State Assembly with the main goal of surreptitiously taking over tribal lands. Unsurprisingly, the tribal people fiercely opposed these bills, resulting in the deaths of nine of their own. Despite the Meitei's efforts, the bills ultimately failed.

Since the ascension of Mr. N Biren Singh as Chief Minister, the rift between the Meitei Community and the Tribal has deepened. He has seized the opportunity to lay claim to tribal land by designating certain areas as Forest Reserves, Protected Areas, Wetlands, Sanctuaries, and Parks, making feeble excuses to do so. This has caused great offense to both the Christian community and the Manipur tribals, who were left reeling when, on April 11^th, 2023, JCBs were used to demolish three Christian Churches in the early morning hours.

The BJP-led Chief Minister of the Manipur State, Mr. N Biren Singh has been notorious for branding the tribals as illegal immigrants and poppy cultivators, and has shown a marked bias against them. To make matters worse, the big Meitei media outlet, ISTV, has referred to the tribal language as a "foreign language," further highlighting the extent of the discrimination they face. The situation is appalling.

The peaceful 'Tribal Solidarity March' organized by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSUM) in Manipur on May 3^rd, 2023, was a response to the Manipur Government's actions against them. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) also extended their support to the cause. However, on their way back from the rally, the marchers were confronted by the Meitei Leepun, who not only vandalized the 'Anglo Kuki War Memorial Gate' but also set ablaze nearby villages. This sparked off escalating tensions, with both sides trading accusations. The Meitei's false allegations blaming illegal migrants for the riots were proven baseless, as migrants from Myanmar usually head to Mizoram due to Manipur's strict migrant policies. This triggered the current wave of inter-ethnic riots in the Manipur State, displacing many and claiming lives, with tribals suffering the most, according to several media reports and social media posts.

To restore peace, the central government deployed troops to the affected region, but there have been reports and viral videos on social media that suggest these troops are helping the Meitei faction. In one such video, young Meitei individuals were seen burning the Indian national flag. With Christian churches, structures and buildings being the primary targets of these disturbances, it raises concerns over the BJP's ambition to establish a Hindu state in the country. The people of Northeast India have been grappling with numerous challenges since the BJP-led party's ascent in certain states of the Northeast.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION UAR ANG U

 

Published on Vanglaini 3 May 2023

Vocational Education (VE) chungchang leh a pawimawhna hi ram changkang leh hmasawnna lama thang mek ram te-ah enge a dinhmun tiin Mr Google kan keu ve a, ziak a lo tam hle mai a. Chutihrualin Zotawnga ziak chhiar tur erawh a tam lem lo viau a. Ngaih pawimawhna chang hre turin kan la changkang tawk lo emaw a hlutna kan la hrethiam tawk lo deuh te pawh a ni mah na le. Mahni tawn hriat leh educational institution lian te thuziak rawn chung leh miin eng ang takin nge an kalpui tih te thlir chungin VE chungchang tlem kan thailang ve dawn a ni.

Vocational Education hi sawifiah dan mawlmang berah chuan hriatna (knowledge) leh thiamna (skills) nena thawh ngai thawh dan inzirtirna; chhawr tlaka hna leh eizawnna hnathawh dan inzirtirna tiin a sawi theih bawk ang. Ram industry hmasawnnain thawhtur a neih mila kut themthiam inzirtirna; a thu ringawt ni lo, kut leh ke leh hriatna hmanga hlawk leh tha zawka thawh ngai te thawk thei tura inzirtirna a ni. Hun vawn dik dan te, midang nena thawhho dan te, midang biangbiak leh kawm thiamna te, mahni invawn thianghlimna te leh kan thawh tur kaihnawiha hriat ngai te inzirtirna thlengin VE hian huam vek a ni.

Khawvela mihring tam uchuakna rama cheng kan ni a. A tam zawk hi thawh tur hre lo, mahni theihna zawng pawh hre fumfe lo kan ni a; kut themthiamna lam (VE) aia zirna pangai (General Education) uarna hmuna cheng kan ni miau a. Chhawrtlak tak tak si loh BA, MA, B.Tech., etc. hna nei lo pawh kum tinin kan pung thur thur zel a. Thawk thei tura ngaih leh thawk thiam te inkar khi a zau em em mai a ni. Mihring chhawrtlak kan tlem miau chuan ram hmasawnna pawhin a tuar lo thei lo va. Thawk thei ngawr ngawr aiin thawk thiam hian an thawk chak zawk a. Mihring kan pung chak si a, zir sang chhawr tlak loh tam thur thur ai chuan thawk thiam leh thei tam hi a pawimawh a ni tih hriain Buai hma daih 1952 khan thawk thei leh thawk thiam nghal tura inzirtirna VE hi sorkar laipui chuan NCVT (National Council of Vocational Training) tiin a lokal pui tan tawh a. 1959-a NVTS (National Vocational Training Scheme) te, 1976-a DGET (Directorate General of Employment Training) te, 1986-a Vocationalisation of Secondary Education (VSE) te leh 2013-a National Skill Development Mission te hi an lokal pui tawh a. A thil tum ber chu industry hrang hranga chhawrtlak tura zirtirna pek te, thawk thei tura ngaih leh thawk thiam tak tak te inkar zau lutuk tih zim te, mi hnuaihnung zawk te chawikan, entrepreneurship lam uar tura inzirtir leh ram hmasawn nana thawhchhuah tam zawk mimal tinin kan neih theihna tura VE hmanga hmalak te a ni.

VE hi ram changkang chho ve bek bek aiin ram changkang tawh (developed countries)ah an kalpui nasa zawk a. A chhan pawh hnathawk thei tura ngaih (BA, MA satliah) aiin thawk thiam mamawhna a sang zawk tlat a ni. A thawk thiamin an thawh chuan thawhchhuah a tam nge nge tih hi an hrechiang em em mai a ni. Ramchang kang tawha kan ngaih thenkhata Vocational Education enrollment percentage tlem lo tarlang ve ila. USA-ah khuan chawhrualin General Education enrollment 70% niin 30% VE enrollment an tling a, Japan-ah 35% VE Enrollment, UK-ah 28%, Germany-ah 52%, South Korea-ah 45%, France-ah 33%, Switzerland-ah 70% a ni. Hmasawnna lama kan el em em China chuan 58% ngawt VE enrollment a neih laiin keini India 3.3% lek VE enrollment kan nei a ni. Vocational Institution ngah lamah pawh China hi kan khan lo hle a, 27,000 ngawt an neih laiin keini chuan China neih zahve pel awrhin 14,648 vel kan nei a ni.

Hmasawnna thang duang tur chuan sawt taka hnathawk thei leh thawk thiam tam hi a pawimawh em em mai a. Thawk thiam leh thei tura kan inchherna pawimawh ber chu VE hi a ni. Retheihna tihtlemna hmanrua, hna hmu lo (unemployed) leh chhawrtlak loh (underemployed) kan tihtlemna hmanrua ber chu VE hi a ni a. VE pawimawhna nasa taka vawrh lartu Padma Shri Dr. Koshy chuan VE kan ngaih pawimawh hunah chauh Zirna quality kan siamtha thei ang tiin a sawi a. Indian Scientist lar Dr. R.A. Mashelkar pawh khan thil thar hmuchhuak thei tur leh ram hmasawntir thei tur chuan VE kan uar a pawimawh thu a lo sawi bawk a. Biocon hotu, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw te, Anand Mahindra te leh Dr. K.K. Narayanan te hi India rama VE pawimawhna chungchanga thawm lian tak tak nei te an ni bawk. Billionare entrepreneur hlawhtling Elon Musk hi VE pawimawhna uar taka sawi thintu a ni a.  Kum 2017-a Rolling Magazine-in an interview khan ‘electricians, mechanics, welders, machinists kan tam tawk lo va, indopui pahnihna hnu lawka piang te an kut a chawl tan tawh a. Hnathawk thiam (skilled labours) indaihlohna US leh Europe-ah a nasa chho hle a, General Education-a college kal kher hi a tulna a awm lo va, Vocational Schools tam zawk kan neih a pawimawh hle a ni,’ tiin a sawi a. A sawi mai duh tawk lovin Musk Foundation kal tlangin Vocational Education hi a kalpui bawk a ni. Khawvel huapa pa hausa leh lar bawk Facebook neitupa Mark Zuckerberg te, Microsoft founder Bill Gates te pawh hian VE pawimawhzia hi an lo auchhuahpui fo tawh a. Sum pawh tam tham tak an invest bawk a ni. Apple Co-founder Steve Job kha college kal tluan lo (drop-out) a ni a. A mimal tui zawng tak calligraphy trade (VE) a zir avanga Macintosh Computer a design chhuah thu leh a hnua product design thlenga influence tu a nih thu uar takin 2005 khan Stanford University zirlai te hmaah a lo sawi a ni. Mihring hmantlak inchher nana khawvel huapa mi ngaihsanawm leh hlawhtling tak tak te pawhina an tuipui leh pawimawh an tih chu VE hi a ni tih kan hrethiam mai awm e.

Kan VE institution leh VE zirtirna kalpuina tam zawk te a nih tur angin kan kalpui lo nasa hle a. Chhan hrang hrang a awm thei ang. General Education kan ngai ropui lutuk te, sorkar hna lâk leh mimal hna lakah General Education degree lam kan la awn nasat vang te, General Education nena VE kan kalkawp tir thiam loh vang te, VE kalpui nana tul facility leh infrastructre hrang hrang te kan ngaih pawimawh tawk loh vang leh tlakchham vang te, General Education anga kalpui a nih chiah loh vang te, Fund duh khawp hmuh loh vang te etc. a ni thei ang.

VE hi a tam zawk chuan chhehchhawl (second class option) ang deuhvin kan hmu tlat mai bawk a. Hei vang hian a zirtu tur zirlai rilruah chhawrtlaka inchherchhuahna tha tak a nihna kan hmuh kan tir tlat a ni. General Education kan lak vung em avangin a pawimawhna hi kan hmuh kan fo a ni. Hei hi sorkar laipui pawhin a hriatchian em avangin National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) kal tlangin campaign hrang hrang Skill India Campaign tih te pawh an kalpui fo reng a. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) tih te, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) te, Skill Loan Scheme te, Sector Skill Councils, etc. kalpui a ni a. Heng campaign hrang hrang te hi a tam zawk chuan a awm tih pawh kan hre lo mai thei. Kan ngaihsak lo hle tih hi a dik a. Germany Education ang deuh khuan Dual Education System angin kalpui ni ta se, a sawt zawk mai thei.

Quality taka VE kalpui tur chuan facility leh infrastructure ṭha neih a pawimawh em em a. Hemi atan hian Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship lam pawhin nasa takin hma an la teh meuh mai a. Maherawh chu hetiang lam chawilarna a tam tawk loh vang te, a nihna tur taka fund kan hmuh ang ang te hman kan la harsat avang tein hmasawnna langsar hmuh tur a tlem hle a. A thawktu lamah pawh a tui tak zet te hian enkawl ta se, Workshop leh Lab lamah pawh hmasawn zawka kal theih dan hi a awm em emin a rinawm a. State sorkar ang pawhin Industry linkage, Government linkage mumal taka ngaihtuah theih ni se tun ai hian kan sawt pui zawkin a rinawm a. VE Trade leh Syllabus tha tak tak Central lamin an duan te hi kan state chhunga mimal leh sorkar hna awm hrang hrang ngaihtuah chungin thuneitute hian thlang chhuakin a zirtirtu tur lamah pawh zir sang satliah ringawt lo deuh, tawnhriat nei leh thiam, tui tak tak te hi thlanchhuah an harsat a rinawm loh va, a hna leh hlawh pawh hi tun aia stable leh chhungkaw nghahfak tling zawk turin ruahmanna siam thei se, a duhawm hle ang.