Guwahati: The ‘Northeast’ as a common entity is more of a myth than a reality given the prevailing ground reality that all the states of the region which are usually referred to as ‘Seven Sisters’ hardly pursue a regional agenda.
Delivering Harendra Nath Barua Memorial Lecture before a select gathering here on Sunday evening, former Editor of The Shillong Times, Manas Chaudhuri said, ” Seven Sisters’, the term used rather euphemistically for describing the Northeast, seems to have lost currency.
To the world beyond, ‘Seven Sisters’ sounds euphonious and often creates a misleading image of a diverse and variegated region of being embraced in sisterly love and united in a common pursuit for a place in the sun. But the inescapable truth is that there is little sisterly about the Seven States – now eight with the addition of an “adopted-sister” called Sikkim – and there is nothing regional about the entire region’s psyche!”
He pointed out Assam in spite of her size, population, geographical advantage and leadership capacity, had chosen not to be the regional leader and added “There is a curious air of indifference in Assam about the need for forging a strong regional identity. Bedeviled as it is with burning internal problems, Assam has shown no inclination whatsoever for looking beyond its own boundary. The state ( Assam) that could have been the Mother (of Seven Sisters) has its own share of paranoia, foibles and follies. The bottom line is: Assam has to be patient for some more time and surely requires huge helping hands from her neighbours. Only then can the Seven Sisters see heightened actions on regional cooperation,” Chaudhuri said.
“There are at least two major existing platforms for fostering regional solidarity – North Eastern Council (NEC) and North Eastern MPs’ Forum. None of them have lived up to their billing. The role of Assam in these fora has been anything but sisterly. As the largest state, Assam arrogates itself to claim the lion’s share of funds.
“For all practical purposes, the Northeastern MPs’ Forum is a non-starter. Our 25 MPs meet only when there is a pressing need – may not be even once in 356 days! If our 25 MPs cannot sink their political differences and meet purposefully and with a vision, little can be expected from the Forum,” he quipped.
He suggested that NEC should be remodelled as ” Northeastern Parliament” a la European Union giving space for the indigenous peoples of the region to have their own say when it comes to hotly pursuing the region’s dream of catching up with the rest of the world.
As a package to solve the insurgency problems of the region, the Centre should amend the Constitution for making this possible. The voices of the 25 MPs from the region, who constitute a mere 4% of the strength of Parliament , are usually drowned in the national capital, he felt.
THE MEDIA MYOPIA
Talking about the role played by the media in the region, Chaudhuri said, ” There is none, I dare say, which can be called a truly regional media. The well-entrenched print and electronic variety operating from Guwahati, the de facto capital of the region, are guilty of being cent per cent Assam-centric. The popular Assamese channels have carefully avoided going regional.
All their programmes, by and large, are by the Assamese, of the Assamese and for the Assamese. Could it just be that the media houses lack in necessary wherewithal to bring the remaining sisters in the loop? Or is it simply a flat race for earning higher TRP in the home state?”
“The Prasar Bharati-operated DDK Programme Production Centre (PPC) at Guwahati is officially mandated for covering the entire Northeast and not just the state where it is located. Sadly, PPC of DDK Guwahati has been rendered into another state channel completely overlooking its official mandate. So much for regional identity!,” Chaudhuri lamented.
Regarding sluggish pace of development in the region compared to other parts of the country and the general tendency among the N-E states is to blame it on the ‘step-motherly treatment of the Centre’ for it, Chaudhuri said, ” While, there is no denying the fact that Delhi has been found wanting (and still is), the Northeast with its low aspirations and lack of vision and will has been caught napping. A large share of blemish should squarely lie with the peoples of the region themselves.
“Clearly, corruption is the life sucking cancer in the region. The funds meant for development from the Central coffers are swindled without let or hindrance. Corruption has become an easy way out. Come to think of it, we seem to have started to live with corruption. These days the media, too, is devoid of investigative stories exposing corruption in high places. I don’t remember to have read one story (in regional English dailies) bringing out skeletons in the cupboards of people in authority. It will be churlish to believe that that corruption has evaporated from the system.
“The DNA of the Northeasterners has made them anything but pushy, hugely efficient and productively hard working. At least in the pre-AASU movement days Assam was the self-proclaimed “Land of lahe lahe”. A sea-change has occurred post-AASU movement. The epoch-making Assam Accord may not have actually made flutters in banishing the “foreigners” but it sure has brought an honourable end to the long stand-off. The Movement was a watershed not just for Assam but also opened new windows of opportunities for the rest of the region. The Centre suddenly woke up to its responsibility towards this distant cousin called the Northeast. Funds and schemes started to roll out with gay abundance.
“While Assam and her people are on their way, the same cannot be said for the rest of the region. Barring the Left-ruled Tripura, none of the other languishing “sisters” can stand a comparison. Viewed from this angle, life in the rest of the Region is still devoid of the bare minimum support system. The effect is for everyone to see. There is a beeline for Delhi and other Indian metros,” he said.
SETTING AGENDA FOR NE
“But the critical question is: Who should set the agenda for the Seven Sisters? The politico-bureaucracy combine has been a disaster so far. The intellectuals and thinkers have been too sporadic and feeble. The media have their own preoccupation and priorities. Thinking regional is passe today. The one way out would be to invite ideas from across the board. The region has never applied its mind in setting its own wish-list,” Chaudhuri observed.
Other suggestions put forward by Chaudhuri are: Creation of Infrastructure Development Agency under the Central aegies; creation of job opportunities within the region by utilising the local raw materials; tapping of excessive rain waters of the sub-Himalayan belt for protecting the region from the fury of annual floods; set up a high class research centre dedicated to the NE; Constitutional and legal mechanism to protect the identities of the indigenous peoples across the board with adequate safety valve for protection of the minorities etc.