Relevance: GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various Areas and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key phrases: North east, Strategic, China factor, ASEAN, DoNER, Kaladan project, linguistically distinct,

Why in News?

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday that a new scheme, Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East (PM-DevINE) will be implemented through the North-Eastern Council.

North East region of India:

• The Northeast (NE) region of India is of great strategic significance. The region comprising Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya encompasses all territory east of theSiliguri Corridor, a 22km wide rail and road link wedged in between Tibet in the north and Bangladesh in the south. Sandwiched between Bangladesh to the west, Myanmar to the east and Bhutan and China to the north, the northeastern states of India remain geographically isolated from the rest of the country.
• They are also ethnically, culturally and linguistically distinct, predominantly speaking Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic languages (around 220 of them), rather than the Indo-Aryan languages of northern India, also with a strong Christian presence.
• However, the region has seen major unrest, especially in Nagaland and Manipur, for years now. The Naga insurgency, the ‘mother of all insurgencies’ has festered since Independence. It has given impetus to other insurgent movements. India’s hostile neighbours took advantage of tribal misgivings and wanton neglect of these areas.

Reasons for Isolation and Underdeveloped of North East:

• Historical Legacy: The region never got the warranted focus and attention because of its isolation. Communication during pre-Independence era was primarily through East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The British permitted a large deal of autonomy to the tribal regions. On seeing the birth of an independent India, the tribal populations wanted to retain their independence. The whole area, except for Sikkim, was under the State of Assam which was progressively hived to create new states and now comprises one third of its former territory.
• Human issues: The Nagas are not a homogenous collective. There are 17 major and 20 sub tribes amongst them. Each Naga tribe has its own dialect, traditions, culture and region of influence. The multitude of tribes with conflicting interests makes negotiation difficult.
• Economic Neglect. The states are under-developed with poor communication. There are no railway lines, although a line is now being laid up to Imphal, the capital of Manipur. Road connectivity is also poor and prone to disruption due to inclement weather, land-slides and human intervention. The economic aid being funnelled into NE states is also diverted to the coffers of a few powerful politicians and do not benefit the common citizens. A large part ends up as ‘taxes’ to insurgent organisations. So, in effect the central funds are bank-rolling insurgency. Insurgency has become an industry.
• Separatist Movements: To push the agenda of Naga separatists, the ‘Naga Club’ was formed in 1918. This demand was totally unacceptable as it would have fanned similar demands in other regions. The government of India launched counter insurgency operations to quell this demand.
• Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Infrastructural development in the NER lags behind that in other states. For example, although Sikkim and Tripura have gradually caught up and surpassed the national average, they are still behind Maharashtra. Poor infrastructure and lack of investment are mutually reinforcing, and hamper economic development in the region.
• Predominance of the Informal Economy: There are several reasons why official border trade between the NER and India’s neighbouring countries is limited. The primary one being the dominance of the informal economy in the NER. There is rampant narcotics trading, as well as other illegal activities like weaponry trading and trafficking of rare animals and poaching.

Why North East Region is Important for India?

• Strategic Location: Sandwiched between Bangladesh to the west, Myanmar to the east and Bhutan and China to the north, the north-eastern states of India remain geographically isolated from the rest of the country.
• Gateway and Links with Southeast Asia: With ASEAN engagement becoming a central pillar of India’s foreign policy direction, NE states play an important role as the physical bridge between India and Southeast Asia.
• India's Act East Policy: The India's Act East Policy places the north-eastern states on the territorial frontier of India's eastward engagement.
• Economic Significance: The North East region is well endowed with natural resources, like oil and gas, agro- horticultural resources, s mineral deposits , immense hydroelectric potential and significant forest resources. The Government of India has been making concerted efforts for economic development of the North East. The NER has immense natural resources, accounting for around 34% of the country’s water resources and almost 40% of India’s hydropower potential.
• Tourism Potential: North Eastern Region (NER) of India has immense resource potential to develop tourism. The study reveals that Assam is the leading state in terms of overall inflow of tourists' in the region while Sikkim proves to be preferred destination of foreign tourists among NESs. Northeast of India is home to many wildlife sanctuaries like Kaziranga National Park famous for the one horned rhinoceros, Manas National Park, Nameri, Orange and Dibru Saikhowa in Assam.
• Cultural Significance: They are also ethnically, culturally and linguistically distinct, predominantly speaking Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic languages (around 220 of them), rather than the Indo-Aryan languages of northern India, also with a strong Christian presence. Tribes in NER have their own culture.

Way Forward:

• Rail and air connectivity are no longer a dream for the people of the Northeast; they are now able to experience them. It is a matter of pride for the country that all the capitals of the North-eastern states are now being brought on the railway map.
• The government is dedicated to providing better infrastructure and connectivity in the North-Eastern states. The states slated to benefit include Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. “After 75 year of independence the North-east Region of India still underdeveloped and Isolated.” Critically analyse the Statement.