This may appear outlandish to a mother in China, but in Manipur, young mothers are winning prizes for having the most number of children. On September 7, Jamuna Khwairakpam of Bishnupur district, a mother of nine, won the first prize in a competition that drew enthusiastic crowds. The second prize went to Jina Elangbam, who has eight children, in Thoubal district. Memma Longjam of Imphal West took the third prize; she has six children. Consolation prizes were given away to 32 other young mothers.
The contest was part of the fourth ‘foundation day’ celebration of the Indigenous Peoples Association of Kangleipak (IPAK).
Losing numbers
The population of Manipur numbered less than 28 lakh in the 2011 census. Activists say the indigenous people constitute barely 8.5 lakh. So, in contrast with efforts at slowing population growth are initiatives by organisations such as the IPAK and the Iramdam Kunba Apunba Lup, which rewarded three mothers for bearing 10 children each with ₹10,000 in cash, and a shawl and certificate in June 2017.
The State government has not intervened in the campaign, but has focussed on public health goals. The Department of Health and Family Welfare has stopped launching birth control initiatives.
Campaigner M. Bikram says, “Manipuri women ought to be encouraged to have more children so that [the indigenous] population, identity and culture remain intact.”
Also linked to this is the demand for the reintroduction of the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS), which was abolished in Manipur in 1950 (it went by a different name then). The ILPS is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, in which the entry and stay of non-locals is strictly regulated.
The IPAK’s third anniversary contest saw Akutpi Salam of Andro in Imphal East district, a mother of 13, stand first. The second prize went to Sorojini Huidrom of Imphal West district (nine children). The youngest participant was Pakpi Waikhom, 37, with seven children. Some women expect her to stand first in the coming years.
IPAK's president M.B. Khuman told The Hindu, “The fate of the indigenous peoples of Manipur is uncertain. Manipur has always been a destination for migrants as livelihood is easy to find. For example, one rumour goes that men in Bihar can easily find a bride if they go to work in Manipur.”
There have been instances of non-locals entering Manipur without any resistance and being caught with forged or non-existent documents.
Recently, Home Minister Rajnath Singh instructed the Manipur government to step-up patrolling along the Manipur-Assam border as people rejected by the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) could move into Manipur. M. Mobi, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jiribam district, which borders Assam, said that patrolling resulted in several arrests.
Childcare centres have mushroomed to meet the needs of skilled and unskilled working mothers, but their services come at high cost. A doctor says there's better awareness of family planning among the educated sections of Manipur society.
Sarita Laishram, an office-goer, says, “Today, having more children is unaffordable. Gone are the days when parents could spend less on education or childcare. That was a time when almost all homes stored paddy and firewood, and kitchen gardens were full of vegetables.”
