The government of India is aware that the northeast region
needs a major push in almost all sectors – infrastructure, education,
manufacturing, services, technology, tourism, agriculture, health, and more –
to bear some semblance of parity, if not on par, with the rest of the country
in terms of development. The incumbent government’s policy of engaging its
ministers and lawmakers with the region not only through the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region but also through their regular visits to
these states could have opened their eyes and brought about a better
understanding of the region’s unique needs. To see the existing wide gap
between the northeast and the rest on the developmental front, you just need to
visit; you don’t need rocket science to see the marked difference. Narrowing
the gap may take years, thanks to decades of negligence and the indifferent attitude
of successive governments. The Modi-government has substantially increased the
fund allocation for the northeast, and the same has been reminded every time
its ministers and officials visit the region. The Centre’s initiative towards
addressing regional disparity and promoting holistic development is laudable.
However, the same can’t be said about the implementation and success of its
projects. For instance, the people of Nagaland have been reeling from
deplorable road conditions, but a closer look at the issue reveals that most of
the projects in the state are under the centrally-owned National Highways and
Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). The state government
is at loggerheads with this construction agency over poor workmanship and delay
in completion of National Highway 29 and NH-2, the lifelines of people from
Nagaland and Manipur. Complaints and appeals to the concerned ministry have
fallen on deaf ears. This needs to be looked into. Central leaders who visit
the region should do what they are intended to do – monitoring developmental
projects on the ground. Failing to do so will amount to wastage of public
money.
The Centre is also aware that peace, social harmony, and
political stability are prerequisites for economic development in Northeast
India, which was badly affected by decades of insurgency and ethnic conflicts.
Its peace initiative in the region is commendable. The significant decline in
insurgency incidents and casualties over the years is a result of peace accords
the Modi-government has signed with several insurgency groups spread across the
region. However, there is a catch here. The government has failed to take these
much-hyped accords, including the Framework Agreement with the NSCN (IM) and
Agreed Position with the WC-NNPG, to a logical conclusion. Prolonged delay,
false promises, and deception can cause irreparable mistrust and subsequently
trigger resurgence of insurgency in the region. The Centre can’t afford to do
that for the simple reason that its ambitious plans for the region will fail
without ‘peace’. For instance, the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur has put
the much-publicised Act East Policy in a limbo, besides affecting several
sectors, including tourism. No investors in their right mind will invest in a
conflict-torn state. So, the government of India should invest in ‘peace’ for
sustainable growth in the northeast.
