Local Government in Manipur

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. They exercised power in various spheres such as village court, administrative units, civic maintenance, religious function etc. Thus India in spite of being a vast country, the administrative political organisation has been well functioning right from the grass root village level since ancient days and in the political history of India, this local governance system has a distinct place, without which political system in India would have no authenticity in itself.The present work is not a debate on the desirability of the local governance at the tribal hill areas in Manipur state. Rather it is a comparative study of the actual functioning of local government. The book presents the organisation and functioning of the local government in the ancient period among the Naga tribals in Manipur. The study is an effort to underline the importance and potential of the village authority in particular, under various administrative changes since the coming of British to Manipur and the adjacent hill areas. The book analyses the administrative and development role played by the village authority council at the rural village level. It also identifies some of the major difficulties that the Village Authority confronted and measures to strengthen the same in delivering the services at the local level.

Vemai Shozii Sholounii Pou (b. 1985) M.A., Ph.D. He has received MA and Ph.D degree from KSOU and University respectively. He has published various articles in many reputed journals and presented research papers in many seminars and workshops. Presently he is working as a faculty member in RIE, Mysore. This is his first published book.