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Manipur (General Background)
The Land from Kingly State to Statehood.
Manipur is a small State of Republic of India.It was previously a Kingly State under the British Government of India.On the 15 of August 1947 India become free and the dominion of the British crown over the Native State also come to an end.After 56 years,the Maharajah(King) of Manipur regained full control over the Administration of the State.Prior to the attainment of India's Independence the current Home Minister,Sardar Vallavbhai Patel,had been working for the Integration of the Native States with the Indian Union.Maharajah Budhachandra Singh,in accordance with the people of Manipur,agrred to the proposal of Sardar V.Patel.
Thus,on the 15th October 1949 the integration of Manipur with the Indian Union took place Officially at Shillong by the Maharajah(King).According to the Constitution of India which come into force on January 26,1950 Manipur was given the status of "Part C State" and was ruled by a Chief Commissioner and an Elected Territorial Council.
The Council was abolished in 1969 and Manipur was placed under the Presidential Rule.In the meantime the people of Manipur from all political parties,including the Manipur Congress Party,Strongly demanded for full-fledged Statehood,On the 3rd of September 1970 the Prime Minister Srimati Indira Gandhi announced in the "Lok-Sabha"(Lower House)the acceptance by her Government of the principle of granting Statehood to Manipur,Meghalaya and Tripura.In 1971 "Reorganization of the North East India Bill"was framed and passed into law in 1972.On the 21st of January 1972 Manipur State was officially Inaugurated by the Prime Minister Srimati Indira Gandhi at Imphal.
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The Origins of Chin
The origins of the Chin people - a mongoloid stock - can be traced back to China and Tibet. They decended southwards and initially settled between Chindwin and Irrawady rivers of today Burma before the 9th. century A.D. Since time immemorial they lived independently under their traditional rulers and throughout their history no part of Chinland has ever had been subjugated by any outside power until the British annexation in the late 19th. century. They have their own distinctive culture and language, related to that of the Tibeto-Chinese.
Salient Geographical Features and Landscape
Manipur is bordered by the state of Nagaland to the North,and the Cachar District of Assam on the West,by the Mizoram on the South-West,and Burma to the South East and East.The State lies on the longtitude 94 47' East of Greenwich and Latitude 23 50'-25 50' North.The Sate consists of the wide Valley of the Manipur River,a tributary of the Chindwin,and a large surrounding tract of Mountainous Country.The valley extends from North to South covering an area about 650 square milesa and lies at an altitude of 2,600 feet above sea level.The main physical feature of the valley is the reedy Lake Loktak which cover an area about the 25 sqaure miles,but recently has been reduced because of the Hydro Electric Project.
The Hill ranges have a general North-South trend,connecting spurs and ridges run from West to East between them.The ranges include the Naga hils to the North,the Tangkhul hills (commonly called Manipur hills)along the Eastern Burmese border,and the Mizo and Chin hills to the South.The average elevation lies between 5,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level.The highest hill is Shiroi Kashung (Siroi peak)8,427 feet near Ukhrul District.
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