By L Sharat Singh
Development, all over the world, is a contentious issue. Different countries, international organizations, pressure groups etc. are having their own conflicting notions about development. Not surprisingly, development policies throughout the world is deeply influenced by the culture and attitude of the people, social and political situation, global economic environment, vested interest and ideology - progressive or otherwise, of the political and ruling class etc.
Countries devise their own economic policies, not all the time on the basis of economic merits alone but mainly on the basis of its internal and external compulsions. Some countries, despite shortcomings, pursue progressive policies, that aims at benefiting its own people, keeping in view the domestic requirement as well as the global economic environment.
While others steadfastly pursue regressive policies that only aims at retaining the interests of the power elite, that virtually impoverish their respective countries. The repressive, and brutal regimes of Communist North Korea and Military Junta of Myanmar may be considered as classic cases. Some Government forgoes democratic norms while pursuing economic growth, still others pursue the same without sacrificing the same. Individuals, communities and nations tend to see development from the standpoint of their own ideology, political inclination, vested interests and prejudices. However, development is in the top of the agenda of every country - right from the poverty stricken sub-Saharan countries to the most affluent countries of Europe and North America. Despite great advancement in the field of science and technology and phenomenal generation of wealth and income, the world is yet to be able to wipe out poverty and hunger as well as development imbalances. The same is true about India too. Many expected the panacea for all these in further development, the kind that is balance, distributive, sustainable and environment friendly.
The economic situation in India at present is a complex one. Since the country embarked on the path of liberalization by dismantling the license and permit raj that served the interest of few in power but strangulated the economy, the country is on the path of economic recovery and development. It is generally agreed that all vital economic indicators, at the moment, is going strong and experts are of the opinion that by 2025 India will emerge an economic superpower and will be able to eradicate poverty and hunger as well as remove regional imbalances. However, in the case of India too there are a lot more dichotomies that need to be redressed. While the cities are booming post-liberalization, farmers are regularly committing suicide in the countryside due to crop failure and indebtedness. While high income groups are guzzling Pepsi and Coke in the cities rural people are finding it difficult to have even clean drinking water. While the supermarkets in big cities are flooded with international luxury brands millions are suffering hunger and starvation. While on one hand real estate business is booming in cities, millions are wallowing in inhuman slums on the other. While the advanced industrialized States are in the high path of heavy investment and economic growth some other States like Bihar and north eastern states are lagging behind and dangerously going downhill, economically. As far as the benefit of the liberalization is concerned the North Eastern region is missing the bus and far removed from the economic boom situation experiencing elsewhere in the country. At this critical juncture, it is heartening to know that the NEC has prepared a Vision 2020 for the North East which envisages a road map for development of the region. Apart from that, it is also heartening to know that the NEC is planning to hear the views and aspirations of the people so that the same may be incorporated in the final vision document. This goes in-sync with the democratic tradition of India. It may be worthwhile to note that India never deviated from the democratic path while undertaking the colossal task of liberalizing the economy.
The Draft vision document is not the first of its kind. If one remembers right, earlier also, NEC had prepared such documents by engaging private consultancy firms, that must be gathering dust somewhere. However, that does not in any way, diminish the importance of the present document. A vision for development is the most important thing for the people of the North East thoroughly confused by bizarre and fossilized ideology of vicious kind. The document first discusses the present economic situation of the region which is in a precarious state and analyses the reason for the sorry state of the economy. Than the document offers a vision and road map of economic recovery. Most of the recommendations and visions are not new and already in circulation for quite some time now which may be considered a bit worn out too.
The document has made certain startling revelations. The most important and alarming one is that the per capita income as well as the per capita gross domestic product of the region is steadily going down the National average over the recent years. This findings alone may be considered enough to wake up the people of the region from the present economic stupor and realized that all is not well in our presumed paradise. The document also argues that the prevailing situation of insurgency and the culture of ‘roving banditry’ is detrimental to the cause of economic development of the region. It also highlighted the intolerable level of corruption, poor governance, near total breakdown of law and order and gross administrative inefficiency prevalent in almost all the North Eastern States.
Important recommendations made in the draft vision document are improving the tottering infrastructures to international standard, modernization of agriculture and allied activities, integrating the economy of the north eastern region with the mainland economy in one hand and with the fast growing economies of the south-Asian countries on the other, effort to gain trade and transit facilities through Bangladesh and gaining access to the sea port of Chittagong, creating conducive environment for private investment, requirement of corruption free efficient and responsive administration, maintenance of law and order etc. The concept of decentralization of development, process abandoned in the wake of controversy and enthusiasm of liberalization has been dusted off and put forward. However, all these cannot be achieved easily. In fact many policy initiatives fell flat in the region, in the face of heavy odds, in the past.
It is true that level of infrastructural development in the region is depressingly low and that alone is considered as one of the leading factor of under-development. However, this is also a convenient excuse for the successive non-performing and irresponsible Governments in the region. Various initiatives for development of infrastructures had been taken up in the region in the past that failed to achieve the desired results. At present also various infrastructural development projects fully funded by the Central Government are not properly implemented at all. It will be helpful if strong democratic initiatives of the people force the hands of the powers that be in this vital effort.
The draft report agonizes over the loss of land route through the present day Bangladesh for shorter land route to mainland India due to the momentous and tragic event of partition of India, but various groups in the region are regretting the age old connection with the same.
The isolationist mindset of the people in this region who wants to live in blissful isolation enjoying the natural bounty for themselves, far away from outside interference, loathes the idea of integrating with the outside world. One respected intellectual from Nagaland once wrote that God has given everything for the need of the people of Nagaland. Such statement precludes the idea of economic interdependence and global economic integration. Many people share such ideas in the north eastern region. The fear, real or perceived, of starving millions of mainland India swarming into the idyllic paradise of the north east still rankles in the mind of the people. On the other hand, diplomatic overtures by India for gaining trade and transit facilities through Bangladesh often hit the wall due to intransigence of the successive regimes in Bangladesh. Competitive India baiting seems to be an important agenda of politicians across party line in Bangladesh. The alarming growth of fundamentalism in the country will further frustrate future efforts. The backward and modern day dark country of Myanmar will come in the way of integrating the economy of the north east with that of South-East Asia. The brutal and neurotic military junta is always suspicious of outside influences and only flourishes in keeping their own country insulated from the outside world. While the junta is ruling in Rangoon with an iron hand, warlords who are waging vicious war against the regime is establishing their own authorities in the hinterlands thereby rendering the country virtually ungoverned. Such environment may not be considered propitious for economic integration.
Good governance and peaceful environment are the most important prerequisites for socio economic development. Anarchic and violent situation has its own dynamics of hampering development and wrecking social harmony. North eastern region has a long history of mis-governance, where self serving politicians first forfeited the mandate of the people through means fair and foul and then surrendering their constitutional power and privileges to extra constitutional authorities. At present also, the region can boast of some of the worst Government in the country. Strong, effective governance and efficient administration does not emerge overnight. It has to be nurtured and evolved over a period of time through cultivating the democratic consciousness of the people. Only God knows whether such system is evolving in the region or getting extinct for ever.
The Vision Document envisages massive private investment for funding development activities in the region for Government investment alone will not be sufficient for the onerous task of bridging the development gap in the region. Private investment is a key factor in economic development throughout the world at present. Every country is in the race to attract private investment. Even the erstwhile communist regimes and the present regimes like communist China are working hard to attract private investment by creating conducive environment for investment. Capital is no more the means of exploitation only, as seen by Marx. However, it is well known that capital is very sensitive to law and order situation and incentive structure. The violent situation in the region and the mindset of the people that always look profit oriented activities with suspicion just do not make conducive environment for private investment.
However, such considerations should not deter the people from having a progressive vision and pursue the same single mindedly. The odds are heavily against the development effort but these are only to be overcome. People of the region needs to cast off unfounded fears and fossilized ideology to pursue fearlessly the new dawn of peace and development. Visions will remain meaningless if the people fail to pursue it through democratic and institutional approach keeping in view the changing global environment. Economic considerations never come up in the forefront of public discourse and consciousness in the region, where territorial disputes, ethnic politics, zenophobic and jingoistic cries have always dominated and overwhelmed the thinking of the people. One can hope that the Vision document through wide circulation could change for the better the self-defeating mindset of the people of the region and place the issue of economic development in its rightful place as top priority.— Concluded
[The Sangai Express]
Development, all over the world, is a contentious issue. Different countries, international organizations, pressure groups etc. are having their own conflicting notions about development. Not surprisingly, development policies throughout the world is deeply influenced by the culture and attitude of the people, social and political situation, global economic environment, vested interest and ideology - progressive or otherwise, of the political and ruling class etc.
Countries devise their own economic policies, not all the time on the basis of economic merits alone but mainly on the basis of its internal and external compulsions. Some countries, despite shortcomings, pursue progressive policies, that aims at benefiting its own people, keeping in view the domestic requirement as well as the global economic environment.
While others steadfastly pursue regressive policies that only aims at retaining the interests of the power elite, that virtually impoverish their respective countries. The repressive, and brutal regimes of Communist North Korea and Military Junta of Myanmar may be considered as classic cases. Some Government forgoes democratic norms while pursuing economic growth, still others pursue the same without sacrificing the same. Individuals, communities and nations tend to see development from the standpoint of their own ideology, political inclination, vested interests and prejudices. However, development is in the top of the agenda of every country - right from the poverty stricken sub-Saharan countries to the most affluent countries of Europe and North America. Despite great advancement in the field of science and technology and phenomenal generation of wealth and income, the world is yet to be able to wipe out poverty and hunger as well as development imbalances. The same is true about India too. Many expected the panacea for all these in further development, the kind that is balance, distributive, sustainable and environment friendly.
The economic situation in India at present is a complex one. Since the country embarked on the path of liberalization by dismantling the license and permit raj that served the interest of few in power but strangulated the economy, the country is on the path of economic recovery and development. It is generally agreed that all vital economic indicators, at the moment, is going strong and experts are of the opinion that by 2025 India will emerge an economic superpower and will be able to eradicate poverty and hunger as well as remove regional imbalances. However, in the case of India too there are a lot more dichotomies that need to be redressed. While the cities are booming post-liberalization, farmers are regularly committing suicide in the countryside due to crop failure and indebtedness. While high income groups are guzzling Pepsi and Coke in the cities rural people are finding it difficult to have even clean drinking water. While the supermarkets in big cities are flooded with international luxury brands millions are suffering hunger and starvation. While on one hand real estate business is booming in cities, millions are wallowing in inhuman slums on the other. While the advanced industrialized States are in the high path of heavy investment and economic growth some other States like Bihar and north eastern states are lagging behind and dangerously going downhill, economically. As far as the benefit of the liberalization is concerned the North Eastern region is missing the bus and far removed from the economic boom situation experiencing elsewhere in the country. At this critical juncture, it is heartening to know that the NEC has prepared a Vision 2020 for the North East which envisages a road map for development of the region. Apart from that, it is also heartening to know that the NEC is planning to hear the views and aspirations of the people so that the same may be incorporated in the final vision document. This goes in-sync with the democratic tradition of India. It may be worthwhile to note that India never deviated from the democratic path while undertaking the colossal task of liberalizing the economy.
The Draft vision document is not the first of its kind. If one remembers right, earlier also, NEC had prepared such documents by engaging private consultancy firms, that must be gathering dust somewhere. However, that does not in any way, diminish the importance of the present document. A vision for development is the most important thing for the people of the North East thoroughly confused by bizarre and fossilized ideology of vicious kind. The document first discusses the present economic situation of the region which is in a precarious state and analyses the reason for the sorry state of the economy. Than the document offers a vision and road map of economic recovery. Most of the recommendations and visions are not new and already in circulation for quite some time now which may be considered a bit worn out too.
The document has made certain startling revelations. The most important and alarming one is that the per capita income as well as the per capita gross domestic product of the region is steadily going down the National average over the recent years. This findings alone may be considered enough to wake up the people of the region from the present economic stupor and realized that all is not well in our presumed paradise. The document also argues that the prevailing situation of insurgency and the culture of ‘roving banditry’ is detrimental to the cause of economic development of the region. It also highlighted the intolerable level of corruption, poor governance, near total breakdown of law and order and gross administrative inefficiency prevalent in almost all the North Eastern States.
Important recommendations made in the draft vision document are improving the tottering infrastructures to international standard, modernization of agriculture and allied activities, integrating the economy of the north eastern region with the mainland economy in one hand and with the fast growing economies of the south-Asian countries on the other, effort to gain trade and transit facilities through Bangladesh and gaining access to the sea port of Chittagong, creating conducive environment for private investment, requirement of corruption free efficient and responsive administration, maintenance of law and order etc. The concept of decentralization of development, process abandoned in the wake of controversy and enthusiasm of liberalization has been dusted off and put forward. However, all these cannot be achieved easily. In fact many policy initiatives fell flat in the region, in the face of heavy odds, in the past.
It is true that level of infrastructural development in the region is depressingly low and that alone is considered as one of the leading factor of under-development. However, this is also a convenient excuse for the successive non-performing and irresponsible Governments in the region. Various initiatives for development of infrastructures had been taken up in the region in the past that failed to achieve the desired results. At present also various infrastructural development projects fully funded by the Central Government are not properly implemented at all. It will be helpful if strong democratic initiatives of the people force the hands of the powers that be in this vital effort.
The draft report agonizes over the loss of land route through the present day Bangladesh for shorter land route to mainland India due to the momentous and tragic event of partition of India, but various groups in the region are regretting the age old connection with the same.
The isolationist mindset of the people in this region who wants to live in blissful isolation enjoying the natural bounty for themselves, far away from outside interference, loathes the idea of integrating with the outside world. One respected intellectual from Nagaland once wrote that God has given everything for the need of the people of Nagaland. Such statement precludes the idea of economic interdependence and global economic integration. Many people share such ideas in the north eastern region. The fear, real or perceived, of starving millions of mainland India swarming into the idyllic paradise of the north east still rankles in the mind of the people. On the other hand, diplomatic overtures by India for gaining trade and transit facilities through Bangladesh often hit the wall due to intransigence of the successive regimes in Bangladesh. Competitive India baiting seems to be an important agenda of politicians across party line in Bangladesh. The alarming growth of fundamentalism in the country will further frustrate future efforts. The backward and modern day dark country of Myanmar will come in the way of integrating the economy of the north east with that of South-East Asia. The brutal and neurotic military junta is always suspicious of outside influences and only flourishes in keeping their own country insulated from the outside world. While the junta is ruling in Rangoon with an iron hand, warlords who are waging vicious war against the regime is establishing their own authorities in the hinterlands thereby rendering the country virtually ungoverned. Such environment may not be considered propitious for economic integration.
Good governance and peaceful environment are the most important prerequisites for socio economic development. Anarchic and violent situation has its own dynamics of hampering development and wrecking social harmony. North eastern region has a long history of mis-governance, where self serving politicians first forfeited the mandate of the people through means fair and foul and then surrendering their constitutional power and privileges to extra constitutional authorities. At present also, the region can boast of some of the worst Government in the country. Strong, effective governance and efficient administration does not emerge overnight. It has to be nurtured and evolved over a period of time through cultivating the democratic consciousness of the people. Only God knows whether such system is evolving in the region or getting extinct for ever.
The Vision Document envisages massive private investment for funding development activities in the region for Government investment alone will not be sufficient for the onerous task of bridging the development gap in the region. Private investment is a key factor in economic development throughout the world at present. Every country is in the race to attract private investment. Even the erstwhile communist regimes and the present regimes like communist China are working hard to attract private investment by creating conducive environment for investment. Capital is no more the means of exploitation only, as seen by Marx. However, it is well known that capital is very sensitive to law and order situation and incentive structure. The violent situation in the region and the mindset of the people that always look profit oriented activities with suspicion just do not make conducive environment for private investment.
However, such considerations should not deter the people from having a progressive vision and pursue the same single mindedly. The odds are heavily against the development effort but these are only to be overcome. People of the region needs to cast off unfounded fears and fossilized ideology to pursue fearlessly the new dawn of peace and development. Visions will remain meaningless if the people fail to pursue it through democratic and institutional approach keeping in view the changing global environment. Economic considerations never come up in the forefront of public discourse and consciousness in the region, where territorial disputes, ethnic politics, zenophobic and jingoistic cries have always dominated and overwhelmed the thinking of the people. One can hope that the Vision document through wide circulation could change for the better the self-defeating mindset of the people of the region and place the issue of economic development in its rightful place as top priority.— Concluded
[The Sangai Express]
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