Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Salman Khurshid paid a one-day visit to Manipur on February 9 and laid the foundation stones of an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and 10 safe drinking water supply projects at Lilong Mairenkhun, in the Muslim concentration area of Lilong, in Manipur. The function was attended by the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and some of his ministers including Ph. Parijat Singh (Labour and Employment), TN Haokip (Public Health and Engineering) and Md. Alauddin Khan (Minority and Other Backward Classes). The function was organised by the Department of Minorities and Other Backward Classes (MOBC).
The projects are taken up under the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), a flagship programme of the UPA government. The 10 water supply projects will be set up in the minority concentration areas of Thoubal district.
In the welcome address MOBC Minister Md. Alauddin Khan said the Central government has sanctioned Rs. 139.10 crores to take up different development programmes in six minority concentration districts of Manipur, namely Thoubal, Senapati, Tamenglong, Churachanpur, Ukhrul and Chandel. Out of the total sanctioned amount Rs. 7.91 crores has been set aside for the construction of the ITI and another Rs. 7.20 crores for the 10 water supply projects, he added.
Speaking at the function, Salman Khurshid said that an amount of Rs. 3,700 crore has been earmarked for MsDP in the current 5-year plan. The programmes are being taken up in the 90 minority concentration districts which have socio-economic and basic amenities parameters below the national average. Manipur has six such districts in the list. The ITI, which will be constructed in Lilong within a year, is also a part of the MsDP, he added.
Khurshid also said the ITI, which will has 10 different trades, will help in giving employment-oriented skills to the students of minority communities. Khurshid also stressed the importance of giving proper education to Muslim girls for their participation in the development activities of the community. He said that he would like to open a branch of Delhi Public School in Manipur. He also assured that he would come back again with more development packages for the minorities.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi said the state government had proposed the establishment of the ITI at Lilong as it is the most highly Muslim concentration area in Manipur with almost 90% Muslim population.
He said that the institute will benefit not only the minority communities but other communities too. The water supply schemes, which will provide potable water for 22,000 people in its initial stage, would further be upgraded so that it could provide drinking water to nearly 32,000 people by 2024, Ibobi added. He also appealed to the people of Lilong to co-operate with the government and tackle collectively any sort of disturbance that may come up in construction of the institute. Ibobi also mentioned that the state government has already taken up housing scheme in the minority concentration areas of Thoubal district under the Indra Awas Yojana.
According to the guidelines of MsDP, Thoubal district is included in the Category A of the minority concentration districts which have both socio-economic and basic amenities parameters below national average. Thoubal district has the highest concentration of Muslim population in the state. Around 45% of the total Muslim population is in Thoubal district. The other 5 Christian majority districts – Senapati, Churachanpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul and Chandel – are included in the sub-category B2 of the list, which have basic amenities parameters below the national average. These districts are inhabited by Christian population.
As per the guidelines of the MsDP, socio-economic indicators include literacy rate, female literacy rate, work participation rate and female work participation rate, while basic amenities indicators include percentage of households with pucca walls, safe drinking water, electricity and water closet latrines.
Socio-Economic Conditions of Manipuri Muslims
As per a state government survey done in 2004 Manipur has more than more than 20 lakh Muslims, thereby accounting around 9% of the total population. Muslims lag behind other communities in all the socio-economic indicators cited above.
Compared to that of other communities in the state, the educational standard of the Muslims is very low. Just 58.6% Muslims (male 75.0% and female 41.6%) are literate. Total literacy rate of the State is 70.5% (male 80.3% and female 60.5%). Enrolment rate of Muslim children is still very low, while drop-out rate is high. Enrolment of Muslim students in colleges and universities is exceedingly low. Poverty can be cited as the main cause for the low educational attainment of the Muslims in the state.
But there are other factors which also keep the Muslims educationally backward. They are lack of good quality schools in Muslim localities, social custom of early marriage of girls, lack of government’s attention, etc. The poor quality of teaching, absentee teachers, poor school infrastructures of the government schools deter Muslim parents from sending their children for education. And they could not afford the costly private schools. Besides the low representation of Muslims in government employment sector and the perception of discrimination in securing jobs make them attach less importance to education.
However, in the last few years under the PM’s 15-Point Programme the state government through the Department of MOBC has started scholarship and coaching schemes for Muslim students. Schemes for infrastructural development of schools like construction of school building, hostels, toilets, etc. has also been taken up.
The work participation rate of the Muslims is 36.8% (male 43.7% and female 29.6%). The state’s average is 43.6% (male 48.1% and female 39%). More than 50% of the Muslims are engaged in agricultural activities, while just 7.6% Muslims take up household industrial activities for livelihood. Large percentage of Muslims are engaged in various categories of unorganised economic activities like shop and hotel-keeping, business, slaughtering and selling of red meat, assembling and repairing of cycles, tricycles and motor vehicles, rickshaw-pulling, carpentry, motor-transport, leather-tanning, etc.
Muslim women, like the womenfolk of other communities, are a big economic asset. They engage in various agricultural activities, including commercial cultivation of vegetables. Muslim women are also seen in large numbers in the markets selling vegetables, fish and other merchandise.
Most of the Muslim households fall in the low income group. About 41.23% Muslim households are in the monthly income group of Rs. 2000 and below, while a mere 3.06% have monthly income of 10,000 and above. The average monthly household saving is only Rs. 845.
There are just two Muslim representatives in the state assembly. Manipur has a Haj Committee, a Wakf Board and a Minority Commission.
NCM Vice-Chairman Pays 5-day Visit to Manipur
National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Vice-Chairman H.T. Sangliana also paid a 5-day visit to Manipur from February 5-9 to investigate the reported incidences of burning down of Meitei Christian churches. He along with the Manipur State Minority Commission Chairman Abdul Halim Choudhury and Secretary Md. Riyajuddin Sheikh visited Phayeng, Taothong and Phumlou villages where incidences of burning down of Meitei Christian churches were reported.
Sangliana met the Chief Minister, Governor and other top officials of the state and discussed problems of the minorities. He also met the representatives of various minority communities of the State, including the Muslims. The representatives appraised him about their problems. A number of memoranda were also submitted to the Vice-Chairman. During the interaction with the minority leaders, he said Manipur can have peace and development only when there is harmony and cordial relationship among the different communities.