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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 195
Development of Higher Education in the Hill Areas of Manipur
Thenkhogin Haokip
Research Scholar, Department of Education
Assam University, Silchar; India
Email: ginneo@rediffmail.com / ginneo2011@gmail.com
Contact No. +919402995158
Abstract
This article attempt to briefly narrate
the development of higher education in hill
areas of Manipur which was started only from
1964 with the initiative of the local
educationists. Thereafter, it was a slow pace of
development. By 2013, there were still only 18
colleges. The share of contribution of private
colleges is far bigger than the government
colleges as there are more of them with better
output in the form of university results. The
strength of enrolment look promising only
after2000. In terms of result too much
improvement have been observed after 2000 in
the government colleges, bringing the overall
average of output to a very promising standard.
However, in the midst of such development,
women colleges and professional colleges find
no place yet in these areas despite the need for
such institutions in development of the regions.
Keywords: Higher education; colleges;
tribals; hill areas, Manipur, India
Introduction
The state of Manipur lies in the eastern
most part of the North-East India between
longitude 93.20o E and 94.47o E and latitude
23.50o
N and 25.4o
N bordering Myanmar.
Geographically, Manipur can be divided into
the hills and the Valley. The Valley has an
average elevation of about 790 meters above
sea level and that of the hills is between 1500
meters and 1800 meters. It has a total land area
of 22,327 square kilometers of which 92% is
hill area and the valley covers only 8% of the
total geographical area. It has a total population
of 25,70,390.1
The erstwhile princely kingdom
of Manipur was for several years under the
British colonial powers, freed only when India
got its independence in 1947. Then, Manipur
merged to the Indian union on 15th October,
1949. It became one of the union territories of
India in 1957, which again became a full- fledged state of India on 21st January, 1972.
Manipur has a recorded history of its existence
as an independent princely kingdom ruled by
its kings for centuries. However, the hill areas
surrounding the Imphal valley was the domain
Page 2 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
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e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 196
of the head hunting tribes, who were mostly the
allies of the kings of Manipur rather than being
loyal subjects. Therefore, the king had to
occasionally suppress and crushed any
potential threat thereby exercising his control
over the vast ‘un-administered’ hill ranges.
The Tribals living in the hill areas of
Manipur had a very exciting history before the
coming of modern education and Christianity
through the colonial agents. Safe the occasional
expedition and suppression of the Maharaja of
Manipur, the hill areas of Manipur was
virtually independent as the free loving tribal
resided without any external disturbances for
centuries. It was an area dominated and ruled
by the tribal chiefs. Despite the inter village
feuds, inter clan fights and inter tribe wars, the
hill areas of Manipur was virtually the tribal
territory which the nearby Maharajas also do
not want them disturbed. They were for long
time left to themselves. The hills surrounding
the Imphal valley was considered the domain
and head- hunting ground of the Thadou Kukis
until they were subjugated and controlled by
the British in the 1917-19 Anglo-Kuki War.2
For these tribals, learning in the past was very
closely associated with Agro-economic culture
and survival. The most developed system for
learning was the dormitory system. The
institution of youth dormitory was known by
different names in different tribal societies. It is
Zawlbuk in Lusai, Arichu in Ao-Naga, Kichuki
in Angami, Som or Sawm in Thadou-Kuki,
Longshim in Tangkhul and Buonzawl in
Hmar.3
Education in the Non-Literate Tribal
Society
The Dormitory system was the only
learning institution for the tribals although it
was not solely devoted to learning alone. It has
been rightly termed by Shimray as ‘the Naga
School’ in his book, ‘Origin and Culture of
Nagas’.4
It was also a socializing institution,
where the youths especially the young boys in
most cases were trained to make life out of their
living. The practice of majority of cases among
the tribals in Manipur was that of a separate
building where the young boys of certain age
sleep together for the night. When a boy
reached the age of puberty, he is required to
come to the dormitory after every dinner to
sleep with the village boys in a group. It is
between dinner and lunch in the morning that
these boys stays in group and the elder ones
among the group leads the younger ones in
learning many things from stories telling to
courting girls, craft making to wood cutting,
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e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 197
agricultural activities to wild animal hunting
and social life to warfare. In most cases, some
of the village elders also plays a big role in the
organization and activities of the Dormitory
lodgers. Their activities also extends to the
philanthropic acts of helping villagers in need
and maintaining order in the village.
The village Dormitory building was
built on the highest elevated place of the village
to ensure visibility of all the corners of the
village. Not only does this serve to help in
times of war but also in other emergency like
fire, feuds etc.
The young boys in the dormitory
learned the culture and traditions of the village
and practice the same. In a way, they were
indoctrinated with the beliefs, culture and
traditions of the society. It is in this institution
that they started learning and practicing what
their parents had taught them at home and
continues to learn apart from their home. When
a young man is of a good number of years and
can’t go hunting by himself or couldn’t make
any craft work, he is considered good for
nothing fellow. Such was the concept of life for
every young man that they should indulge in
something worthwhile.
While most of these dormitory
practices were similar in the basic concept,
structure and practice, the Thadou-Kukis had a
slightly different practice of the same, among
the tribals in Manipur. They did not have a
separate building to name the Dormitory
House. Instead, few boys will gather in one of
the house of the villagers, where a girl who is
caring and hardworking to be able to care for
the boys is there. The young boys sleep in the
girl’s house and help the family also while in
need. The man of the house became SOMPA
(Elder of the Dormitory) who is responsible in
passing down the oral knowledge apart from
the knowledge shared among the young boys.
This unique development of Dormitory system
among the Thadou-Kukis was more of recent
development as compared to other practices
although the time and period could not be
established accurately. It is believed that this
practice come as a war strategy during the inter
village feuds and head hunting era. It is
believed that this sort of strategies had made
the adopting community or village more
successful in defending themselves against any
attack.
Coming of formal education among the Tribal
