Local Self-Government in Manipur: A Case Study of Phayeng Gram Panchayat

Abstract

The institutions of local government have been functioning in India since time immemorial. The village elder’s council or village panchayat as they were popularly called, were, ancient institutions and were themselves functioning like a republic system of government. This local governance system has a distinct place, without which political system in India would have no authenticity. In Manipur also, since the early period, there was village level administration for every Loi (outcasted and low caste section of Manipuri society during the native rule in Manipur) village under the leadership of village Chief locally known as Khullakpa. He was assisted by other village officials. They were under the subjection of the King of Manipur. In the traditional village level administration, the Loi villages (especially of the Chakpa Loi origin villages like Sekmai, Phayeng, Andro etc.), the number of officers and their assignments were different from one Chakpa Loi village to another Chakpa Loi village mainly due to the different in nature and occupation of each of the Chakpa Loi village. Since the institution of the Panchayati Raj system was introduced in Manipur from early 1960s, under the United Provinces Panchayati Raj Act, 1947, the Phayeng Gram Panchayat was created as one of the Gram Panchayats under the extension of this Act in Manipur. And in Manipur, panchayat election was held in 1964. Since then, like other Gram Panchayats of Manipur, the Phayeng Gram Panchayat is also has been conducting elections till date. The present paper is an attempt mainly to analyse the participation of the electorate in the panchayat elections of this Gram Panchayat. Keywords: Chakpas, Gram Panchayat, Local Self Government, Loi, Phayeng Gram Panchayat and Pradhan.