‘Viewing districts on ethnic lines is unfortunate’

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday criticised the mindset of communities which view district boundaries through an ethnic lens, calling it “most unfortunate and detrimental to peace and harmony”.

Singh emphasised the need for “reorganisation of districts” and suggested that it should involve thorough discussions with legislators and civil society.

“It is crucial to revise district boundaries based on administrative convenience rather than ethnic lines,” Singh told the Assembly. He acknowledged complaints that some villages were incorrectly assigned to new districts and called for a statewide survey involving village authorities, community leaders, and legislators to address these issues. Singh added that there are also calls for the rollback of some newly created districts.

Addressing concerns raised by Naga People’s Front legislator Leishiyo Keishing about the creation of new districts in 2016, Singh acknowledged that while the stated purpose was administrative convenience, it often served political interests.

“While it is clearly mentioned that creation of districts is for administrative conveniences, it served as political conveniences as regards to some districts,” the CM said.

Keishing had highlighted how the formation of the Kangpokpi district in 2016 had affected the political aspirations and other opportunities of many Tangkhul and Rongmei Nagas. Singh noted that Naga residents in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur have alleged lack of essential services and illegal taxation, leading them to petition the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reassignment to more suitable districts.

Singh argued that these issues arose because the new districts were not properly addressing the needs of

local communities.