Sadar Hills

Sadar Hills in the state of Manipur (Northeast India) is inhabited by multi-ethnic groups with inherent socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. In spite of being underprivileged with respect to justice, administrative power and economic privileges, Sadar Hills enjoys its fortune glory and its human friendly climatic conditions. The land has a complete and clear demarcated boundary. Sadar Hills is inhabited by heterogeneous communities, such as the indigenous Kukis, the Nepalis and Nagas.

In 1971, during the process for granting full-fledged statehood to Manipur, the government of India promulgated an Act of Parliament, called Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 (vide Section 4 of Sub-Section 3, Bill No. 76 of 26/12/1971) for safeguarding the hill areas and protection of the tribals in Manipur. The Act provides for creation of six Autonomous District Councils in the hill areas of Manipur for ultimate conversion into full-fledged district, viz.:

  1. Manipur North Autonomous District (Senapati)
  2. Sadar Hills Autonomous District (Sadar Hills)
  3. Manipur East Autonomous District (Ukhrul)
  4. Tengnoupal Autonomous District (Chandel)
  5. Manipur South Autonomous District (Churachandpur)
  6. Manipur West Autonomous District (Tamenglong)


Sl/no. Name Of Sub-Division Area (in Sq. km) No. of village as 2011 Census Population as of 2011 Census[1]
1. Kangpokpi-Sadar Hills West 476 150 60945
2. Saitu-Gamphazol 457 295 44130
3. Saikul-Sadar Hills East 765 178 51438
4. Total 1698 623 1,56,513


And as per the Hill House Counting and Grazing Tax assessment of 2012, the total number of villages and population of Sadar Hills in the three sub-divisional wise are shown below:[2]

Sl/no. Name of Sub-Division No. of village Population
1. *Kangpokpi- Sadar Hills West 288 133023
2. Saitu-Gamphazol 399 115870
3. Saikul-Sadar Hills East 335 86003
4. Total : 1022 334896

Sadar Hills Movement

Since Manipur attained statehood in 1972 the people of Sadar Hills demanded district status for Sadar Hills. In 1974 Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) was formed to demand a full-fledged district status for Sadar Hills.[3] During this movement two youths have lost their lives. In 1981, Seikeng Haokip, who was part of a long silent procession from Saparmeina to Kangpokpi demanding Sadar Hill district, was shot dead by state police personnels in an attempt to disperse the crowd. In 2008, a grade VIII student, Lalminlien Sitlhou, was run down by a vehicle of security forces in Keithelmanbi while he was obstructing the highway in support of thedemand for Sadar Hill district. In 2011 a 92 days economic blockade was imposed by SHDDC, resulting in signing a Memorandum of Understand-ing (MoU) on 31 October 2011 between SHDDC and Manipur government in which the government of Manipur had agreed to upgrade Sadar Hills as full-fledged District at the earliest after Committee on Reorganisationof Administrative and Police Boundary submit its report. It also agreed for the creation of three more subdivisions by bifurcating the existing three subdivisions and the new subdivisions to be inaugurated.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sub-Divisional wise population of Manipur is yet to be published
  2. ↑ Hill House Counting and Grazing Tax assessment of Kangpokpi Block/Sub-Division is yet to be updated
  3. ↑ T. Haokip, “District Status for Sadar Hills in Manipur”, Man and Society, Vol. IX, Winter 2012, pp. 92-112.


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