Manipur News

By Kalpana Thaoroijam

Indigenous peoples`™ co-existence with Nature or forest depends on access to land, territory and natural resources. Right to land is regarded as an integral aspect of identity, which is predominant source of income, providing traditional livelihoods.

Remnants of Sacred Groves are existing witness to conservation effort of communities – at fringe forest areas. Land being primary source of sustenance; government or any private party cannot acquire community land and forest areas. Instead, a symbiotic relation must be enhanced. Lately, tourism industry has been the buzzword for economic growth in North East India, Manipur in particular!

The government of Manipur in its endeavor to provide job opportunities, overall progress in the State, has been pushing tourism industry as the key source of economic growth. In the process, infrastructure development has been given prime attention. In order to facilitate the boost of tourism, the Manipur Tourism Policy 2014, claims that Manipur with its inherent tourism potential, rich cultural heritage and vibrant pool of youth, with excellent grip over English language as an ideal place.

This is true that tourism is still at nascent stage in Manipur, and its potentials can be tapped for the benefit of local communities. However, it must involve long-term planning that will foster overall sustainable development. Resources must be used but not to the extent that our future generation will be deprived of any.

In the process of the so called development that is often not gradual but random, people in power play games for their own benefits. In such situation question may be posed: what are the stakes of local inhabitants?

Money will be an important aspect of tourism industry, but profit will mostly go into the pockets of a few private parties in the current given scenario of corruption and nepotism ruling the roost. In the lure of making quick money, resources have to be shared with tourists that will lead to over-dependency on natural resources, which will eventually shrink if not given enough time for regeneration. Thus there is fear that tourism industry will be responsible for massive deforestation, construction of tourism based infrastructures will also use a good amount of our water resources and forest products. Alongside, resource consumption by the tourists is bound to increase, which would in turn threaten the needs of the local people. This would further disturb optimal sharing of the resources. And thereby, there will be increased level of social injustice, which will have adverse impact on social and cultural way of life among the local populace.

In this backdrop, the role of Women as an important support system will be pushed at the periphery of development. Serious concern lies when the roles of women are limited to entertainment (song and dance), cooking and serving and at the same time stereotyped as the torchbearers of cultural identity.

Enormous traditional resources can be tapped but preservation and integrating traditional livelihood is a must.

Manipur Tourism Policy 2014 is incomprehensible and unedited compilation of every kind of tourism practiced elsewhere. It is a mix-match of several tried and failed concepts; not in anyway, suitable in our local context. The Policy mentions focus on Community Participation, involvement of private entrepreneurs for comprehensive development of tourism industry in Manipur. It reflects assigned participation, and not pro-active role of community workforce. The scopes of employment for locals are mostly confined to low- income activities, and menial jobs that will provide meager remuneration. Additionally, an assessment of the loss of current livelihoods to make way for tourism is required.

During recent visits to Thanga, Shirui and Nongmaiching to understand current tourism scenario and the progress of development, one could easily capture that majority of the communities had conflicting views with the government concerning benefits, participation, acquisition of land and the idea of tourism itself. Local communities expressed that they will be better host than others.

Communities have very less or no idea on upcoming projects in their areas, and their interests are sidelined in the process of tourism development while at same time they do not see how they can take part and benefit from the project. While people are not averse to the idea of promoting tourism, they wanted more transparency and would like to be party to the initiatives.

Tourism will come and go, as an alternative source of income. But we cannot depend solely on tourism activities for economic sustenance. People dependent on traditional occupations like farming, fishing, weaving and other activities will be able to entertain visitors only during their lean periods or seasons.

Way-forward:

Equitable benefit-sharing must be the guiding principle, if tourism has to flourish in Manipur. The trickle-down effect of `tourism economy`™ will create internal problem.

Manipur is home to 33 ethnic groups, and their cultural heritage, folk song and dance, traditional festival and indigenous game cannot be ignored. The policy is very Imphal-centric ignoring the highlights of other districts. Understanding current tourism developmental trends in Manipur and its brunt of consequences on communities living around project areas must not be overlooked.

For development to be effective, we need to look into the communities`™ mindset, without whom, the process will be incomplete. Community participation can only bring sustainable development. At village set-up communities have the rights to choose the kind of visitors that will be allowed in their villages, depending on the kind of tourism offered at hand. District-wise planning with local populace participating right from decision-making task, and incorporating them wherever possible is a prerequisite.

Manipur`™s unique advantage is that we are going to be a late participant in tourism industry when compared with other high profile tourism destinations of the world and country in particular. Therefore, lessons can be learned from those established tourist destinations concerning their challenges and negative impact on society and environment that they have to faced, or still facing.

What is required is collective engagement of the communities right from the decision making process to implementation in a wider encompassing framework.

(Kalpana Thaoroijam is with the Indigenous Perspective)

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/tourism-a-boon-or-bane/

By Paonam Thoibi

`The ban on hitting a child for disciplining is resolved after much study by social scientist that derived that this kind of violent disciplining does more harm than good to children`

Q.1. Dear Counselor, you have answered in the last Saturday`™s column that disciplining children involving beating them is not good. I think parents scold their children; beat them at times for changing their bad behavior when they would not listen or pay heed to just anything. Will you tell us how we will adopt a different method of dealing with children when we still have a common saying- `spare the rod and spoil the child`? A parent

Ans: Dear parent, I understand the concern you are showing when it comes to parenting, which everyone will agree is the most challenging task. We are brought up in a society which have always believed that hitting a child, using a rod is not only alright and harmless but also compulsory. It is believed that a parent is negligent if he/she does not do the same. Especially when a child did something unpleasant in front of many people, the parents are obliged to correct it immediately then and there. The ban on hitting a child for disciplining is resolved after much study by social scientist that derived that this kind of violent disciplining does more harm than good to children. We all know and agree the Manipuri saying `thoubankhong chafu bu kainaba yeibara?` which means we don`™t hit our child to break them, hurt them or do irreversible harm to them. But we should also know that there`™s a phenomena of `chei khaangba` with children which means they adapt to the pain and unpleasant treatment and never changes their bad behavior. Some parents immediately get to know that the strict and violent disciplining style is not working. Therefore, they feel they should beat them more, talk with them harsher and not be enough by just talking. Unfortunately, the child gets used to it and is not affected by any harsh treatment anymore after a while. Adversely, it may also become an ingredient to lose trust and confidence with their parents.

Most of children`™s behavior is predictive in nature and sometimes parents can predict when a child will behave to a certain situation, command or advice. Parents can use that predictability to improve children`s behavior without shouting or hitting and by treating them nicely, carefully so as not to give them an opportunity to misbehave and allowing them to respond in a specific desirable manner. This can particularly happen successfully if the parents can keep a check on their own stress and avoid misdirecting their anger to their child, who is not at fault most of the time.

Often times, parents overlook small good deeds a child had performed during the day and is easily provoked by a single misconduct and react to it in a manner which looks threatening to a child. Simple punishment- brief and sparingly used is also considered effective and implementable. However, it is said that promptly praising a child for good behavior is much more effective in improving behavior than punishment Children also misbehaves most of the times as they imitate elders who more or else displays similar attitudes at home. Therefore, to be a parent is to abide by a commitment wherein you will prepare yourself to display the best kind of behavior as it is what your child will get to see immediately, copy and give back to you in no time.

The tips I have shared above is not the only ones which can be used. Having a child demands that a person be at his/her creative best, be intuitive, innovate and try parenting styles which deem fit for a particular child.

Q.2. Dear counselor, the streets of Imphal has become extremely dangerous with too many vehicles. On top of that there is rash driving. The autoes, VIP and their security vehicles, security forces convoy. They do not care for others on the road. Youngsters on motorbike are so reckless. I can understand the kind of thrill they enjoy. It is because of their age. But I failed to understand the parents and the thrill of buying such vehicles for their children. – A daily commuter, Sega Road.

Ans: Youngsters, especially the young adolescents are adventure seeking by nature. To them, speed is adventure and is necessary when they try to create a self-identity in front of their peers. They enjoy the attention they get out of their behavior which gets noticed and invites a comment or critique from people around them. They also want to take up mature activities apart from driving, like smoking etc and often ignore rational judgment. They need to be educated about the link between rash driving and chances of accidents, also which are likely to increase under the influence of drugs, with their peers when they race for thrill and excitement, reckless night driving etc

When we first comply with the demand of a child wanting a vehicle, the first and foremost duty of a parent is to make sure that the children has attained the legal age to drive, knows the safety rules of the road and that the child is properly trained to drive efficiently. As parents, one should be confident enough that their child who is growing up knows the purpose of why he/she wants a bike. Sometimes, when we object to a child`™s wish to have a bike can lead to adverse effects if the child take it as a challenge from the parents and obviously they rebel, drive reckless, try to break free from the emotional trap and confines of the home. Therefore, emotional immaturity from the parents can give a negative impact to any new task the child takes up. It is for this reason, I will say that instead of flatly refusing to buy them a bike, try to talk with them on how they see themselves with a bike, how important it is, what they will do with it- not as a possession of luxury or trophy but more as a utility which comes with an amount of responsibility etc.

Readers are requested to send in their queries at mindmifp@gmail.com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/mind-matters/