Meitei Alliance tears apart WKZIC’s memo

IMPHAL, Oct 19
By categorically stating that there were no six districts in Manipur in 1972 nor was there Sadar Hills or Tengnoupal district, the Meitei Alliance has literally torn apart a memorandum submitted by the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu on October 13, 2024.
Pointing out the WKZIC’s memorandum contains several factual inaccuracies including the number of districts that existed in 1972 and the names of the districts listed, the Meitei Alliance today submitted a representation to the President.
Giving the chronology of Manipur’s administrative districts, divisions and names, the Meitei Alliance said that three sub-divisions viz; South-West Area with headquarters at Chura-chandpur, North-West Area with temporary headquarters at Tamenglong and North-East Area with headquarters at Ukhrul  were created in 1919.
The three sub-divisions  were abolished in 1929.
Tamenglong sub-division was created in 1932 followed by Sadar and Ukhrul sub-divisions in 1933.
The then Chief Commissioner’s order No 18 of 1950 designated the whole State of Manipur as a single district with  eight sub-divisions; Sadar, Thoubal, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Mao, Tengnoupal and Jiribam.
The Sadar sub-division comprised the whole area of Imphal West and East Tehsils, some villages of Thoubal Tehsil, Mayang Imphal Tehsil and most of the villages of Hill Sadar Circle.
The Chief Commissioner’s order no 20/39/69-D, dated November 12, 1969 divided Manipur into five districts.
The five districts were Manipur Central District (with headquarters at Imphal), Manipur West District (with headquarters at Tamenglong), Manipur North District (with headquarters at Karong), Mani- pur South District (with headquarters at Chura-chandpur) and Manipur East District (with headquarters at Ukhrul).
Tengnoupal district was created on May 11, 1974 by carving out three sub-divisions of Tengnoupal, Chak- pikarong and Chandel from the Manipur Central district.
The number of districts rose to eight with the creation of Thoubal and Bishenpur districts on May 24, 1983 out of the Manipur        Central District.
On August 5, 1983, North District was renamed as Senapati, Bishenpur as Bishnupur, Tengnoupal as Chandel, Manipur East District as Ukhrul, Manipur South District as Chura-chandpur and Manipur West District as Tamenglong.
The number of districts rose to nine on August 30, 1996 with the creation of Imphal East and Imphal West districts by bifurcating Imphal district.
The number of districts further rose to 16 on December 8, 2016 following the creation of Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Pherzawl and Noney districts.
While Imphal East, Senapati, Thoubal, Chandel, Ukhrul, Churachandpur and Tamenglong were bifurcated to give birth to Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Pherzawl and Noney districts respectively, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts remained intact.
The Meitei Alliance asserted that no district or sub-division were created on community or tribal or ethnic lines but for administrative convenience. Any attempt to identify any district with any community is a misrepresentation, it added.