Recently the Himalaya University, Arunachal Pradesh in collaboration with Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini organised a two day conclave titled, “Transforming North East India,” in Delhi. There were speakers from each of the eight states. A legislator from Nagaland, M Kikon, held forth on the Act East Policy and pointed out the loopholes that hinder this policy from being fully operationalized. He pointed to the unfriendly borders which are viewed by Delhi from a very security-centric perspective. Kikon pointed to Tripura which has a robust trade with Bangladesh because the borders between the two are soft and friendly borders as opposed to the Nagaland-Myanmar and Mizoram-Myanmar border which is not open to trade and commerce. Clearly the policy of Delhi vis-à-vis the international borders on the north eastern frontiers calls for a shift.
The North Eastern region could become an educational hub since the climate in many of the states is congenial for such ventures. Tourism as an industry is now picking up in all the eight states and is a huge revenue earner despite infrastructure constraints. The region would benefit from clean industries such as the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. It is also time to rethink and redesign our power generation technologies. Hydel power is not sustainable for the long term especially as India is a lower riparian country and is impacted by what China does with the rivers in that country. Much has been debated about attempts by China to dam the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) at different stages of the river. Without water treaties with that country India would be at the receiving end.
In recent times the North Eastern region has produced some outstanding sportspersons who have made a mark for themselves. In the performing arts and cinema, the region is now well known. These are positives that should be given a bigger push through creation of better communication links within the region and with the rest of the country. This will also reduce the feeling of isolation that has led to the coining of the word “mainland India” to denote that the Northeast is not part of that mainland.