Two-day seminar at Asian Confluence dwells on the pressing issue
SHILLONG: The issue of youths from the region migrating to other parts of India and the inefficiency of border trade were raised during a discussion organized jointly by ICWA (New Delhi) and city based Asian Confluence in the city.
During the two-day Young Scholar’s Forum seminar titled ‘India’s North Eastern States and Eastern Neighbours: The Way Forward’, which concluded on Saturday Director, MAKAIAS (Kolkata), Sreeradha Dutta pointed out that large sections of the youth are leaving the region for other parts of the country for better opportunities.
“If border trade is not working for the region, it can’t be forced. Invest in something with potential to materialize, thus creating an opportunity for the youths to stay and contribute towards the region,” Dutta said.
Taking part in the discussion, former Ambassador to Myanmar, Rajiv Bhatia said that Northeast India is unique as it is bound by certain commonalities yet it also has its individualistic features. “This needs to be kept in mind, when measures are crafted to make this land locked region more linked and connected,” he said.
Prof. Mahendra Lama, former VC Sikkim University remarked, “It is always the people, the institutions and the initiatives which bring about a positive change to any region. It holds true for North East India as well.”
According to P.P. Shrivastav, former Member, NEC, the region is blessed with natural resources and hence there is need to optimize them to ensure that “we do not negate strengths that the Northeast has”.
He also said that since the issue of climate change cannot be sidelined, development that is brought into the states needs to be sustainable.
Founder Director of IIM, Shillong, Prof. Ashoke Dutta said that to understand and work towards problems that the region faces, one cannot be away from the ground realities.
“Understand the people of the Northeast and keep at par with the dynamic atmosphere here. Yesterday’s solutions don’t apply to tomorrow’s problems,” he added.
M.P. Bezbaruah, former Member, NEC said that the Northeast needs to have a common, strong voice which clearly spells out the demands and aspirations of the region. “Even on the economic front, disharmony exists among the states,” he added.
Earlier, Prof. Sajal Nag of Presidency University (Kolkata) pointed out the changes brought about in the region due to climate change.
Following an interaction between professors and young scholars regarding the consequences of constructing dams, Bezbaruah urged the scholars to explore the sustainability aspect of this issue.
Shrivastava added, “Milestones for environmental highways should be created without any environmental pitfalls.”
The young scholars presented their research on natural resources of the Northeast, how climate change affects them and also its political consequences.
Saswati Choudhury, OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, recommended the bolstering of regional economy through a balance between traditional and modern sectors, thus etching out Northeast’s role clearly in the Act East Policy.
During the discussion, the scholars presented their studies on borders, borderlands and the related issue of security.
Bhatia and Prof. B.B Dutta, former M.P. (Rajya Sabha), urged the young scholars to look past the partition trauma and focus on integrating and blending the differences that characterize the people here.
The young scholars from JNU, Sikkim University, IIT Guwahati, Royal Bhutan University, Tezpur University, NEHU, Assam University, National Law University (Assam), Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (Kolkata), OKD Institute of Social Change & Development, Observer Research Foundation and the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences participated in the seminar.