Jiribam
Jiribam | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 24°48′N 93°07′E / 24.80°N 93.12°E | |
Country | ![]() |
State | Manipur |
District | Jiribam |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 7,343 |
Language(s) | |
• Official | Meitei (officially called Manipuri)[1] |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | MN |
Website | manipur |
Jiribam (Meitei pronunciation:/jee-ree-baam/) is a town governed by a municipal council in the Jiribam district of the state of Manipur, India. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Manipur.
The town is located on the state's westernmost boundary, adjoining the Cachar district of Assam. It is also known as the western gate of Manipur. Jiribam town is inhabited by the Meiteis, Bengalis, and various other communities.[2]
Geography
Jiribam is located in a small valley in the western hill ranges of Manipur, on the bank of the Jiri River, near its confluence with the Barak River. The Jiri River having been defined as the border of Manipur in this area, only the left bank (eastern bank) of the river constitutes the Jiribam town. The right bank (western bank) of the river in the same valley has the town of Jirighat in the Cachar district of Assam.
History
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Jiribam valley appears to have been part of the Cachar kingdom. After annexing the kingdom in 1832, the British made an agreement with Raja Gambhir Singh of Manipur ceding all claims to the territory between the eastern stretch of the Barak River[a] and the Jiri River. Thus the eastern and southern portion of the Jiribam valley came under the control of Manipur, while the rest remained under Cachar which became part of Assam.[3][4]
The Jiribam Valley was at that time forested and uninhabited.[5] The Cachar portion of the valley had a ferry port at Jirighat, which was used by the travellers on the Silchar–Manipur road (called "Cachar Road" in Manipur).[6] The Manipur state government decided to open the valley for agricultural settlement in 1907,[5] and by 1911, 14,346 bighas land is said to have been settled.[7] Rice and sugarcane were cultivated, and betel leaf (pan) in areas unsuitable for rice cultivation.[7]
By 1931, there were 46 villages in the Jiribam settlement, populated by Manipuri (Meitei) Hindus and Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Muslims, a few Kukis and Kabuis.[5] Jiribam also had 5 primary schools, the same number as in the Imphal Valley outside the city of Imphal.[8] Most of the settlers in Jiribam came from the Cachar district, very few from the Imphal Valley (Manipur valley).[5] This meant that the settlers had to be treated as 'British subjects' rather than 'Manipur state subjects' and revenue settlement orders and dispute resolutions had to be carried out by the British Political Agent.[9]
After the independence of India, Manipur elected a legislative assembly under its own constitution. Ten seats in the assembly were allocated to the hill areas, which included Jiribam.[10] Soon afterwards, Manipur merged into India and was governed under the Constitution of India as a union territory.[b] The territory of Manipur was divided into 8 subdivisions, one of which was based at Jiribam. The Jiribam subdivision covered the Vangai range, and stretched up to Tipaimukh in the south.[11] It was designated as a hill subdivision.[12] In 1969, when Manipur was divided into five districts, the southern part of the Jiribam subdivision was separated into the Tipaimukh subdivision of the 'Manipur South' district (now in Pherzawl district), while the northern part was added to the 'Manipur Central' district headquartered at Imphal.[13] [14][15] This also meant that Jiribam became part of the valley area of Manipur, rather than hill area.[10] To avoid the anomaly, the eastern part consisting of the Vangai range was transferred to the Tipaimukh subdivision.[16] With the reorganisation of 'Manipur Central', Jiribam got attached to the Imphal East district. In 2016, Jiribam subdivision became an independent Jiribam district.[17]
In 2017, a Manipur Legislative Assembly election candidate from the Bengali community, Md Ashab Uddin, became the first member of the Jiribam minority community to win an election.[18]
Climate
Jiribam's climate is humid subtropical which is characterised by short winters and long summers with heavy rainfall. Some areas may experience snowfall during the winter months. As are many areas in India, Jiribam is subject to powerful monsoons.
Jiribam lies under the direct influence of southwest monsoon season and rainfall is abundant compared to other places in the state. About twenty to thirty percent of annual rainfall occurs during the pre-monsoon season in the month of May. About sixty to seventy percent of rainfall occurs in the rainy season which runs from the second half of June to September. The average rainfall during the rainy season ranges from 1,000 to 1,600 mm (39.4 to 63.0 in).
Jiribam is humid with a moderately hot temperature. The months of May and June are the hottest. The hottest temperatures are recorded in May at about 40 °C (104 °F). The temperature is very pleasant in autumn, which falls around September to November. The lowest temperatures are recorded from the second half of December to the first half of January where temperatures can fall below 2.78 °C (37.00 °F) at late night. However, days are comfortably warm even in this period.
Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census, Jiribam had a population of 6,426. Males constitute 49 percent of the population and females 51 percent. Jiribam has an average literacy rate of 73 percent, which is higher than the national average of 59.5 percent. Male literacy is 80 percent while female literacy is 66 percent. In Jiribam, 13 percent of the population is less than six years of age.[19]
Politics
Jiribam is part of the Outer Manipur (Lok Sabha constituency).[20]
Economy
The Jiribam town is the administrative headquarters of the subdivision. It is also a growth centre, which provides medical, educational and commercial facilities in and around the region. According to the 2001 census, 80 percent of its working population is engaged in non-agricultural activities and the main function of the town is categorised as "services". About 20 percent of the population are government employees, which provides more income than other sectors.[21]
Transport
Jiribam railway station was the first railway station in Manipur. This station provides connectivity to Silchar. Jiribam will be connected to Imphal through 111 kilometre Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway line. After the commissioning of the line important trains like the Rajdhani Express, superfast trains will pass through it.[22]
Notes
- ^ The Barak River flows south till Tipaimukh and then makes an almost 180°-bend to flow north till Jirimukh. The region between these two stretches might have been contested between Manipur and Kachar prior to 1833.
- ^ In 1950, it was termed a Part 'C' state, later changed to 'union territory' in 1956.
References
- ^ "Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 47th report (July 2008 to June 2010)" (PDF). Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. p. 78. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India".
- ^ Sanjeev, Thingnam (2015), "Recasting Space: Politics of frontier-making", in Arambam Noni; Kangujam Sanatomba (eds.), Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur, Routledge, p. 243, ISBN 978-1-317-27066-9
- ^ Goshwami, Hareshwar (2019). History of the People of Manipur (Revised ed.). YAOL. pp. 24–25, 251. ISBN 978-1-9993057-0-3 – via archive.org.
- ^ a b c d Administration Report for 1931-32 (1932), p. 55.
- ^ Gazetteer of Bengal and North-East India (1979), p. 189; Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol. XIV, pp. 177–178
- ^ a b Higgins, J. C. (1912), Administration Report of The Manipur State For The Year 1911-12, Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co, p. 4 – via archive.org
- ^ Administration Report for 1931-32 (1932), p. 41.
- ^ Administration Report for 1931-32 (1932), pp. 57–58.
- ^ a b Shakum, Rev. Banjamin (18 July 2017), "Hill People of Jiribam-Quo Vadimus (Where are we Going)?", Fox Journal, archived from the original on 10 April 2018
- ^ Manipur Administrative Atlas (2005), pp. 12–15, Map 7.
- ^ Manipur Gazette, No. 10-E-3, 25 May 1951. "The Hill areas of the State of Manipur shall consist of the following: 1. The whole of the Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, and Jiribam Sub-Divisions and the areas formerly comprised in the now-defunct Mao and Tengnoupal Subdivisions which have since been amalgamated with the Sadar and Thoubal Sub-Divisions respectively...."
- ^
- Kshetri, Rajendra (2006), District Councils in Manipur:Formation and Functioning, Akansha, pp. 10–11, ISBN 8183700411
- ^ Census of India, 1971 (1972), p. 1.
- ^ Manipur Administrative Atlas (2005), pp. 16–17, Map 8.
- ^ Manipur Administrative Atlas (2005), pp. 18–19, Map 9.
- ^ Khelen Thokchom, More districts in Manipur, The Telegraph (Kolkata), 9 December 2016. ProQuest 2290178396
- ^ "ASHAB UDDIN Won with 8189 votes - 2017 Jiribam - Manipur Assembly Election Winner, LIVE Results & Latest News: Election Dates, Polling Schedule, Election Results & Live Election Updates". india.com. India WebPortal Private Limited. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Manipur. Election Commission of India.
- ^ http://townplanningmanipur.nic.in/documents/IHSDP_DPR_jiribam[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Imphal-Jiribam Railway Line spearheading infrastructure development in Manipur". 21 January 2011.
Bibliography
- Census of India, Manipur, Part II (PDF), 1972
- Manipur Administrative Atlas (PDF), Census of India, Government of India, 2005
- Allen, B. C.; Gait, E. A.; Allen, C. G. H.; Howard, H. F. (1979) [1857], Gazetteer of Bengal and North-East India, Delhi: Mittal Publications – via archive.org
- Harvey, C. W. L. (1932), Administration Report of The Manipur State For The Year 1931-32, Imphal: The State Printing Press – via archive.org
External links
- Jiribam Valley and Jiri River, OpenStreetMap.