India’s Northeast region comprises the seven sister states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Manipur, and Sikkim.
Measures taken for the integration of the North-East:
● Sixth Schedule: for undivided Assam’s tribal belt. It mandated the formation of Autonomous District Councils in which, the Northeast’s tribals were encouraged to live by their own geniuses and local customs.
● State Reorganization: Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya were upgraded to States, while Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were made UTs to meet the aspirations of the local people and tribals in the North-eastern region.
● North Eastern Council (NEC): An advisory body comprising Governors, later it became an infrastructure planning body. Sikkim was included and the composition expanded to include Chief Ministers.
● Department of North-East Region (DoNER): Created by the Union Government in 2001, and in 2004 it was upgraded to a full-fledged Ministry.
● Look East Policy: with the stated objective of linking the Northeast with the vibrant economies of South East Asia.
CHALLENGES FACED:
● Limited Connectivity: The North Eastern Region is landlocked. Therefore, it has limited access to the sea.Similarly, a difficult terrain renders expressways and wider roads infeasible.
● Lack of Physical and Social Infrastructure: NER has complained of stepmotherly treatment from the mainland, especially in the context of development projects in the region. This is complicated by the absence of railway infrastructure in the region.
● Insurgency: One of the major regions for the lack of development in the region is the lack of political and social stability in the country. The region is still caught in the vicious circle of violence due to political reasons and the diversion of youth towards the insurgent groups, which leads to a lack of skill enhancement and consequent lack of opportunity.
● Backward Areas: Unlike the mainland, people of the North East Region are still content with a simple lifestyle and lack of technology in their day-to-day lives. Farmers practice primitive methods of agriculture, with the tribals still practicing Shifting agriculture in the country.
● Difficult Terrain: North Eastern Region is majorly a mountainous region, except the state of Assam, which has plains as a major part of its area. This makes it difficult for the government schemes to be implemented in the area, because of the problem of access to the remote areas.
Future strategy:
There needs to be a comprehensive stock-taking of the internal challenges and an identification of regions and sectors where there is potential. Development of socio-economic infrastructure, maximum utilization of natural resources, development of entrepreneurial culture, and above all extending transnational ties will determine the future of the Northeast shortly is need of the hour.
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