Hill–Valley Divide and Discourse on Crowding Imphal Valley amidst Conflict: Decoding through Internal Migration and Regional Development Disparities
摘要
In the strife-torn Manipur, violence broke out on May 3, 2023. Amidst public debates where the hill–valley dichotomy and migration/infiltration caught mass attention, the discourse on crowding Imphal Valley has surfaced and fuelled the controversy. Imphal Valley, originally comprising four districts and skirted by hills, has witnessed an increase in population (around fourfold since 1951), with density shooting up from 324 population/km2 in 1971 tp 730 in 2011. The present study aims to shed light on the discourse of crowding Imphal Valley through the lens of internal migration, alongside the hill–valley dichotomy. It estimates the hill-to-valley migration volume based on the 2001 and 2011 Censuses, and links it with the growing concentration of tribals in the Imphal Valley. Finally, it delves into the reasons for the crowding of the valley. The study estimates around 38,000 lifetime migrants in the Imphal Valley in the 2011 Census, and the majority, around 60 per cent or 23,000, are from hill districts. The most preferred destinations are Imphal Municipal Corporation and adjoining outgrowths in the valley. Frequent conflicts, the lack of job opportunities and a higher unemployment rate, poor economic conditions, wide regional development disparities, and the absence of comprehensive land regulation induce mass inter-district migration, and many are also leaving the state. Hill–valley integration with peaceful coexistence and decentralised policies should be integral to the state’s development drive.