ON October 15, last IIM Shillong, the Ministry of DoNER and the North Eastern Council (NEC) signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for setting up the APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis in the IIM-Shillong. This Centre gives IIM Shillong a new mandate to engage in policy research and analysis to help address the gaps in policy making within state governments in the region and within the NEC and DoNER and help build a more robust link between the three. NEC has the mandate to establish centres of excellence in the region to look at development from a more nuanced perspective and to address the specific needs of the eight north eastern states and thereby get out of the trap of following the stereotyped national guidelines in project implementation. The north eastern region requires different interventions and timelines for project completion considering the heavy monsoon showers which prevent road construction works for nearly six months in a year. The Chief Minister of Meghalaya pointed out that the NEC has failed to capture the specific challenges of the eight states while enunciating policies. Perhaps the newly established Centre for Policy Research will be able to give a new direction in policy planning both for the NEC and DoNER and would also critique the policies of each state and test them against the norms of participatory governance.
It bears mention that the people of the north eastern region are gifted with unique skill sets such as weaving, handicrafts, hospitality and other soft skills. The region is a horticultural hub and a paradise for medicinal plants. The scenic beauty here is equal to some of the best locales abroad. These natural gifts need to be used in a manner that they do not become extractive. Weaving skills must be leveraged within their natural habitats without uprooting those who practice this skill from their hearths and homes. Weaving which is a women-centric activity is usually a home-based livelihood. Hence any attempt to upscale such livelihoods should take into account the fact that women are also home makers and attempts to institutionalise or centralize the activities could result in loss of livelihoods for them. Understanding these cultural constraints is what is important in any development activity. Unfortunately this nuanced policy making has been missing mainly due to the insensitivity of policy planners and implementers.The IIM-Shillong Centre for Policy Research and Analysis will have to come up with radical policy suggestions based on well-grounded field research. This will perhaps help to answer the much flogged question – ‘What has IIM Shillong done for the region?’