Northeast India has been and still remains one of the most neglected regions in the country. This neglect is many a time attributed to the geographical distance between Northeast and mainland India. Efforts to bridge this gap have had little success or have simply failed as ground realities of the region were not taken into consideration before formulating policies. Moreover, the Northeast represents a region which is inhabited by multiple unique ethnic groups each with their own history and culture. The geographical distance combined with the region’s diversity lends to the complexity of the situation. Over time the region has been portrayed as a troubled one. As a result, minor problems have snowballed into serious ones and has made it easy for mainlanders to ignore and misunderstand the region.
The region has also suffered from chronic underdevelopment despite being rich in natural resources. Limited efforts have been made to tackle issues like annual floods, erosion and landslides. The distance between ‘mainland’ and Northeast has also resulted in negation of the Northeast in Indian history. This is evident in the fact that the region’s role in the anti-colonial struggle has never been adequately highlighted either in textbooks or journals which has further distanced the Northeast from the rest of India. This distance is reflected in the manner in which the history of the region is remembered and taught all over India. The sacrifice of hundreds of martyrs, who fought against the British during the freedom struggle is rarely highlighted by mainstream educators.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The general disregard for the history of the region is visible in the fact that the late Gopinath Bordoloi, the visionary leader from the region who was instrumental in keeping the region within India, had to wait five decades to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. Even sports persons from the region who have made the nation proud at various international sporting events including Olympics, hardly get due recognition. The disregard for, both the history and the present of Northeast India has undercut India’s roadmap to development. The Northeast represents an important strategic hub for international exchange and the inability of successive governments to economically integrate the Northeast has adversely affected India’s growth.
These issues were notably highlighted by the Vice President in a recent address. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, while addressing the 21st convocation of Dibrugarh University categorically stated that, “without the contribution of the Northeastern region, India’s growth would have remained incomplete.” He has also termed the region as the ‘land of opportunities.’ Such characterisation, especially by the Vice President of the country is a much needed recognition for the region. Moreover this change in approach towards Northeast is essential to ensure the development of the region. It is hoped that the Vice President and other central leaders will ensure the end of such discrimination and neglect towards the region and help the Northeast establish its rightful place by converting words into action.