Reflecting the Hills-Valley Deep Divide: Separate Administration a Necessity for the Hills

The recent allocation of 57 roads construction, a notification issued on October 8, 2024, solely for the Meiteis’ valley of Manipur has sparked wide concerns about uneven distribution of developmental projects between the Hills and Valley regions.

The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Government of India, has recently approved construction of 57 roads in Manipur, for which funds have been sanctioned under Central Roads and Infrastructure Fund. Unfortunately, all of these roads are only confined to the valley; not even one for the hill districts. A total of 317.49 Km has been approved for road construction with Rs. 217.50 Crore sanctioned for the same by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways under the CRIF.

On October 22, the Ministry, however, stated that it has approved 50 National Highway projects of 1026 km length in Manipur. Out of this, 44 projects of 902 km length lie in the hills of the State so far. In hills, 8 projects for 125 km have been completed and balance 36 projects of Rs 12000 cr for 777 km are in progress.

In the Annual Plan 2024-25 of the Ministry, there are 2 National Highway projects of Rs 1350 cr for a total length of 90 km which lies in hills.

Under CRIF Ministry approves the list of work on State roads as prioritised by the State Government. Out of total 111 Nos. of works in the priority list given by the State Government, depending on the BOS ratio Ministry has approved 57 Nos. of works in the order of priority.

Here, all 57 road building projects are only for the Meiteis’ valley districts; none is allocated for the hills. This reflects N. Biren Singh’s mischievous plan under his  “Go To Hills or Go To Village” campaign. It is also a poor attempt at justifying 100% state roads development prioritisation by a communal state government under the narcissistic regime of N. Biren Singh.

National Highway development is a welcome step but, nowhere else is it used to neglect state roads in the same area.
The farcical programme  of Go To Hills, Go To Village are all cosmetic in nature. Where were the funds meant for the hills to develop this kind of road? The Hill and Valley divide was always there, historical discrimination was always there. The deep divide of Manipur administration under hills and valleys can truly be traced.

Notably, Manipur’s road network spans approximately 8,648 kilometers, connecting key towns and villages. However, the focus on valley districts has led to disparities in infrastructure development.

The government’s decision to concentrate road projects in valley districts has reignited demands for greater autonomy and representation for hill areas. Proponents of a UT with a legislature argue that this would enable targeted development and address the unique needs of hill communities.

The people of the Hills, particularly the Kukis, have been bearing all kinds of negligence or mistreatment in all sectors. They are marginalized for decades in spite of demanding equal budgetary allocation for both the hills and valleys. However, their demands have been heard with a deaf ear. This is why Union Territory with legislature for the hills is a necessity, which can guarantee fair development and representation.

The Union Ministry should either review the orders or bring up another list for the Hill areas under separate sanction for UT category by obtaining priority from hill MLAs.

In the wake of the ongoing state-sponsored ethnic persecution against the Kukis, world-class roads may be built in the valley. But, road conditions in the Kukis regions are still pathetic, prompting bamboo stretchers to carry patients towards district hospitals.

The government must prioritize the development of roads in the hill areas of Manipur too. Failure to do so will result in blatant discrimination and more division between the hill and valley regions of Manipur.

It may be recalled that at the heart of this conflict is the long-standing hill-valley identity divide. The Meiteis have all of the best infrastructures in their ancestral valley areas. They have better access to good quality drinking water, clean cooking fuel, and hospitals. The population in the valley dominates public sector jobs, and the economy of the region is propped up by tourists, who, for the most part, stay in the valley. A higher share of industries, which provide better employment opportunities, can also be found in the valley.

On the other hand, the relatively less educated tribal people live in the rural areas. They live in hilly regions, which are covered mostly by forests and have relatively poor access to basic facilities. This population is poorly represented in public sector jobs. Very few of them work in industries and don’t earn a sufficient income from tourism.

The hill-valley divide is more pronounced when access to basic facilities is compared. In the valley, 73-90% of households had access to better quality water compared to 51-69% in the hill districts. In the valley, 70-90% of households had access to clean cooking fuel, compared to 23-62% in the hills. In the valley, 67-76% of births were institutional, compared to 39-67% in the hills.

The answer as to why there is uneven development between the hills and valley in Manipur is due to non-implementation of the tribals’ Constitutional rights for the past 50 years in hill areas. It is a cumulative product of decades of administrative apathy as well as discriminatory policy making by those who have been controlling the affairs of the state.

With such a deep divide, the best permanent solution to these disparities is the Government of India to grant separate administration in the form of Union Territory with Legislature for the Hill people.