Manipur 2022: Understanding the Hill-Valley divide

The 2022 Manipur elections are almost upon us. It is clear that beyond the usual BJP vs Congress debates, there are far deeper issues that will have a big impact on state politics. Manipur, more specifically the Imphal Valley, may have been an erstwhile princely state, but the present Manipur is much more than that; it is a mix of the Imphal Valley surrounded by hill region: a region that stands in stark contrast to the Valley. The Valley is mostly Hindu, the Hills are almost entirely Christian. The Valley occupies almost 90% of the state area, but the Valley, with just 10% land, is home to almost 60% of the people.
What are the origins of this Hill-Valley divide? How did the present Manipur state take shape? Why do Hill people believe they have been unfairly treated? Watch this special documentary to understand the issue as Manipur goes to polls next month.
The Hills residents claim they have been denied development. Take something as basic as hospitals, for example. The hill districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl, combined, do not have even one government-owned multispecialty hospital.
“We have the district hospital here in Hungpung village. However, due to lack of manpower, including specialists and infrastructure, whenever we have an emergency we are referred to Imphal. But due to financial constraints, most of us in the hills face difficulties for further treatment,” says 70-year-old M Vincent from the Ukhrul district.
This is where the proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill recommended by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) comes into the picture.
On November 22, 2021, more than 800 goods laden trucks and other vehicles, coming from neighbouring Nagaland, were stranded at Mao Gate along National Highway 2 due to an indefinite economic blockade in Manipur.
The economic blockade was imposed by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM), the All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) following the failure of the state government to table and discuss the proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill recommended by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC). The controversial bill, if passed, could be a turning point in the history of Manipur but also intensify the already glaring hill-valley divide in the state.
“The HAC has every privilege and right to table this bill in the assembly. But the government outrightly rejected it. So, the All Tribals Students’ Union Manipur considers this unacceptable,” said ATSUM president Paotinthang Lupheng.
According to Dhiren A Sadokpam, Editor-in-Chief, The Frontier Manipur, the hill-valley divide in terms of development and social relationship is caused more by emerging dominant class-interest of the primarily pretentious elites and not the people in general.
“The people, in general, do not have much of a difference but those who have a stake or vested interest in the parliamentary politics that we understand as of now. I mean, primarily because of this, as of now, I think we have the issue or the presumed issue of ‘hill-valley divide,” said Sadokpam.
**Corrigendum: In the documentary ‘Manipur 2022: Understanding the Hill-Valley divide’, the region of Tengnoupal is erroneously shown as a Valley district. The error is regretted. Tengnoupal is a Hill district carved out of Chandel district. **
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**Corrigendum: In the documentary ‘Manipur 2022: Understanding the Hill-Valley divide’, the region of Tengnoupal is erroneously shown as a Valley district. The error is regretted. Tengnoupal is a Hill district carved out of Chandel district. **

[@bikrammayanglambam1776]

Tamenglong is not a valley district and neither manipur was ever a part of Assam how can you say that manipur was separated from Assam...from these two wrong details we can clearly know the information researched is baseless...with fake information it will create more conflicts...its like putting fuel in fire

[@malsawmkipgen8139]

Kangpokpi district map is a complete mess from your side. If you want to know the exact size of Kangpokpi district, refer to three Assembly Constituencies of Kangpokpi district (ie Kangpokpi AC, Saitu Gamphazol AC and Saikul AC) or Sadar Hills ADC. And when did Tengnoupal become a valley district?

[@adi.m68]

Hope the goverment does something for our hill brothers

[@thinglhanggamkuki4803]

Tengnoupal is hill dist.

[@42069TV]

As someone from the same state, I ought to shed some light. The people there have don't have the money for making quality hospitals or schools but have shit ton of cash ready to just give up to churches and individual tribe unions, and yet cry about the lack of development from the government but pay absolutely no tax.

[@robertson2688]

Delete this video or make the necessary corrections. Do your homework properly before uploading such sensitive information. A little misinformation here and there might not concern you, but it hurts the sentiments of the people of Manipur. Who said we were part of Assam? Did you skip high school? Delete or make the necessary corrections. What if i told you Nagaland was a part of China or Arunachal? How would you feel? My humble suggestion would be to completely avoid making such videos in the future if you are too lazy to do a thorough research.

[@Apple_12406]

It's a myth and this myth is always used by politicians in Hills for election propaganda...how said Valley are more developed than hills...yes valley is the centre of the state most businesses and administrative unit are there in Imphal but this doesn't mean Imphal is more developed... those who live in Imphal will know. Drainage system, the road are bad...the infrastructure in hills are private... like private complex, private hotels and ironically 70% of the ownership of this building and infrastructure are Tribals from the hills if they think hill need to be developed go and put all the building there in hills Hippocrates of this what they called themselves leader are dividing Manipur for their own benifit

[@MsHerojit]

Current government is doing the best for hill district past 5years... Ccpur medical college is going to function very soon... Road infrastructure has been improve alot..

[@malsawmkipgen8139]

I know some of the EM team are from Naga community. They tried to include Bungte Chiru, Ichom Kom Keirap and other Chirus and Kom villages adjacent to Bishnupur district as Senapati district. Mind you, Sadu Chiru Waterfall's signboard read Kangpokpi district. These villages fall under Saitu Gamphazol AC and they have already written Kangpokpi district. No need of fooling the public.

[@hangmikhaiminsei8338]

The nagas want's to be part of nagaland and the kuki chin mizo people of manipur want's Kukiland or want's to be part of mizoram because kukis and mizo are the same ZO people and do not have any similarly to the meiteis

[@seipukips5950]

Tengnoupal is not a valley district

[@riichobamin7612]

At 6:06, it should be "stake" and not "steak".

[@hangmikhaiminsei8338]

It's so fake about the district for your information tengnoupal is a kuki dominated place and tamenlong is a naga dominated place it's not a vally