Burma: Census of India 1901 Vol. I - Khamkoo

APPENDICES.
lXXV
From E. O. Fowler, Esq., Officiating Superintendent, Chin Hills, to the Superintendent, Census Operations,
Burma,— No. 49-18C., dated Camp Champhai, the 20th March 1901.
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith a report on the Census operations in the Chin
Hills as directed in your Circular Mo, 24 of 1901.
The operations were confined to the area defined in Political Department Notification
No. 10, dated the 1st May 1897.
With the exception of the stations and outposts, the Census of the district was nonsynchronous.
All arrangements for carrying out the work were completed during the rains
of 1900.
The work was commenced on the 23rd November 1900 and completed on the 25th
March 1901.
The district was divided into three subdivisions, and for Census purposes each subdivision
was treated as a Census charge, and the Assistant "Superintendents in charge of the
subdivisions as' Charge Superintendents. Each charge was divided into circles.
Five special clerks were entertained and distributed as follows, one to the Tiddim subdivision,
two to Falam, and two to Haka. Of these clerks, one, Maung Shwe Zin U, proved
useless, as owing to extremely bad health he was unable to undertake any work whatever.
His services were dispensed with and the staff reduced to four. These clerks, with the exception
of one, were furnished by the Census Superintendent. The period for which they
were sanctioned was four months only and their rate of pay was Rs. 50 per mensem.
The staff of Enumerators consisted of Chins, half-bred Chins, Political interpreters (Burmans),
and sepoys.
In the Tiddim subdivision none but Chins were employed as Enumerators. Curiously
enough these men, eight in number, belonged to the Siyin tribe, the members of which are
undoubtedly the most savage and lawless in the hills. These Enumerators had a knowledge
of Burmese, and during the rains of igoo were taught to read and write. They proved a
great success.*****
*****
In the Falam subdivision the Enumerators were comprised of Shunshi Chins. These
men had a good knowledge of Burmese and were able to read and write well.
In the Haka subdivision four Chin-speaking sepoys, two Political interpreters, and two
Chin-speaking Burmans were employed as Enumerators.
The Enumerators were paid at the rate of Re. 1 for every forty houses correctly enumerated.
The work of enumeration commenced almost simultaneously in all three charges and
was carried out circle by circle. Political interpreters and, in some cases, clerks were placed
in charge of a certain number of Enumerators and made responsible that they performed
their work correctly. The Enumerators visited every house in the charge and entered the
name of the ordinary inhabitants of the house and not the number actually found present.
Their work was then carefully checked by the interpreter in charge. The Charge Superintendent
(Assistant Superintendent) in turn checked personally as many villages as possible
in each circle. Any strangers who were found present at the time of enumeration and
who were not likely to have been enumerated elsewhere, were duly entered in the schedules,
and slips of paper bearing the word ''enumerated'' were furnished them. These slips they
were told to produce in case it was desired to enumerate them again. The Enumerators
were furnished with white flags fastened on sticks. A flag was placed on each house as it
was enumerated, and so a glance at the village from some spot above it disclosed at once
whether any houses had been omitted. A good check was by this means kept over the work.
Another good means of checking was also employed. Each interpreter would collect the
Chiefs and headmen of the villages enumerated by the Enumerators in his charge, and by
causing each headman to produce a stick or a stone for each inhabitant of his village, was
able to check the returns shown in the schedules. A headman is supposed to know the
name of each man, woman and child in his village, and curiously enough with a little help
from an elder or two of the village, he generally does, his memory but seldom failing him. '
A little difficulty was experienced in the Falam subdivision. Mr. Street, en first checking
the Falam
*****
group of villages, found that many names had been omitted to be given in, and
that in consequence the average number of inhabitants per house was absurdly small. The
Falam Chiefs were called into Falam and warned by me that any more such tactics would
be met with exemplary punishment. The villages, five in number, which included the
head village of Falam, were re-enumerated and a great increase in the number of names obtained.
The average per bouse as compared with other villages showed that the correct
number had now been given in. All five villages were fined in small sums.
Prosecution and attitude ofpeople.—There were no prosecutions under the Census Act.
Five villages were prosecuted under the Chin Hills Regulation for disobeying orders in failing
to give up names to Enumerators. In each case the entire village was fined, and the
aggregate fines amounted to Rs. 95.