For Manipuris, it doesn’t pay to have a small family

In this part of the country, there is an incentive to have a large family. 

NGOs in Manipur run an annual competition to award the woman with the highest number of children, and there are attractive but undisclosed cash prizes to be won. 

Sobita Mutum, a 44-year old housewife of Keinou in Bishnupur district has won this year’s prize, with 15 healthy children

Sanatombi Ningombam (54) of Khongman in Imphal’s east district is in second place with 13 children

There were 13 other contenders who were given cash rewards. 

The Iramdam Kunba Apunba Lup is among the organisations organising such competitions. 

The entire exercise can be traced to the fear among Manipuris that their land will be swamped by migration. 

An NGO worker said, “Manipur’s population, according to the latest census, is 27.21 lakhs. In the past, the authorities came out with community-wise populations. 

This time, no such disclosure has been made so far.”

Some officials think the population of ‘non-locals’ is more than 10 lakh. After taking into account tribals and Muslims, the population of non-tribal Manipuris in the four valley districts is believed to be less than 10 lakh.

Yet, many sections fear that they may become a minority, like the ethnic Tripuris, who are outnumbered by non-Tripuris mostly from former East Pakistan. 

The government’s critics say it has been dragging its feet on restricting migration, although the State Assembly passed three bills on this last year. 

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is firm that bona fide Indians can stay in Manipur, and the government will come down heavily if Indians are harassed. 

Gunmen have, in the past, shot dead several migrants. Manipur has tried to curb migrants through legislation. Of three bills it passed seeking to restrict land sales and employment, and to protect indigenous people, one was withheld by the President, while two were sent back for reconsideration.