Indian Defence Review

Models for Development

A model of development with difference is required to be adopted for the NER. What the masses need is the removal of “deficiencies first and development later”.

Development Paradigms. Chiapas, a southern state of Mexico is suffering from the same problem of development versus deficiencies, conflict of perception, land reforms, development in the name of forfeiting of land rights and cultural practices. The community has embraced an alternative model of development, cantered on sustainable economic and social practices. The community has developed its own unique market structures and agro-ecological systems. Students in Guaquitepec’s community-based schools are trained in the traditional method of farming, families-given agricultural land to practice the traditional and hybrid method of farming; skill-related education is imparted in Tzeltal, their mother tongue. This is yielding results and Chiapas has cast away the top down development model.

Hybrid Infrastructure Development. “Hybrid infrastructure is the future of inclusive development; it is a method of creating a whole new platform for jobs, economic growth and empowerment of people.” It is about integration of IT/ technology with traditional physical infrastructure to deliver more efficient and effective mechanism to integrate development with the people. The North East is the most suitable region for hybrid infrastructure development; it will open avenues for development which will be in line with the tribal culture and way of life.

Interface of Traditional Knowledge with Modern Developmental Model. Dependence on the forest, the traditional medical system, retaining organic methods of farming, traditional handlooms and breeding of animals needs to be preserved with some modification. ‘Jhumkheti’ is ideal when commercial wood farming is combined with the organic crops such as brown rice, vegetables and cash crops.

Development can take place when “deficiencies of subsistence” are made up.

Top Down Development. Curse of top down development is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the holistic development of NER. Most of the development programmes have failed in the NER. Education, healthcare, PDS, MNREGA, multipurpose dams, reorganisation of land records and consolidation of forest wealth have either collapsed or are on the verge of doing so, because people have rejected them or due to extreme levels of corruption.

Geography and Integrated Development. The NER is interlinked by topography thus the uneven development of a region will be costly. Although the Brahmaputra Valley has the potential to develop into a prosperous region, it cannot be separated or isolated from the rest of the NER. Prosperity and vulnerabilities will flow from the Brahmaputra Valley to the hill states and vice versa. The Brahmaputra Valley is where the bulk of the population lives, and paradoxically, the Brahmaputra Valley for the last three decades has become a “Valley of Despondency” instead of a “Valley of Hope and Prosperity”. Guwahati has the potential of becoming the Manchester of India; it has access to raw materials, communications, human resources and proximity to domestic and international markets. Some of the measures which need to be taken to devleop the NER are:

Regional Integration. Development is the only path to conflict resolution. People must be made stakeholders. Today, every single tribe or family is fighting to survive all by itself and collectively, they have nothing to lose. The NER is integrated by geography and so should its destiny. Access and exit to all states is through the Brahmaputra Valley. Therefore, the region has to be integrated in all aspects – economically, socially culturally, educationally and institutionally. Assets must be created for common development and the process of integration should be monitored by a nodal agency under DONER.

Power Generation. There are two options for power generation – hydroelectric and gas turbine. The NER, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal are deficient in power. Arunachal and Sikkim should be exploited for hydroelectric power generation whereas Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura should import gas from Myanmar and Bangladesh, convert gas into electricity and make up for the deficiency in the region first. Surplus electricity may be exported to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. Bringing gas into Manipur from Myanmar is far easier than taking it across Bangladesh to Bengal.11 Should this option be exercised, the NER will become the energy hub of India and South East Asia.

North East – Green Gold. The NER is sitting on green gold with immense unexplored agro potential that has the prospects of making the NER the fruit, vegetable and flower basket of South Asia and ASEAN. Agro industry, if developed in the right manner will generate employment not only for the locals but also for migrants from other parts of the country.

The NER has potential in the following:-

• Commercial wood farming – as part of Jhumkheti.
• Climatic conditions make it most suitable for vegetable cultivation. Markets for consumption of vegetables is within the NER, mainland India, Bangladesh and South East Asia.
• Floriculture – The NER could compete with Thailand as an exporter of flowers, especially Orchids, traditional and other varities of exotic flowers.
• Cultivation of medicinal plants has huge potential. Such activities will preserve the environment and also encourage the development of the medicine industry in the region.
• Retail and supply chain of agro product is completely absent in the NER. As a result, even if there are farmers growing commercial crops they are neither getting access to markets, nor getting the right price for their produce. As a result, there is reverse flow of agro products despite the huge potential.

Educational Centres for Excellence. A national institute for forestry, horticulture and medicinal plants should be established in the North East. It will be the ideal place to establish Advanced Study Centre of Forests and Environmental Studies for India and South East Asia. It will enhance environmental awareness and will provide an opportunity to scholars of regional countries to undertake research work collectively.

Small Scale Industries. Mega industries are not a substitute for small scale industries. The NER has the culture of small scale industries to meet domestic needs, most prominent among these being the handlooms and handicraft industry. It is estimated that there are close to 18,21,172 looms in the NER, of which 1,32,343 are idle and 60 per cent of total idle looms are in Assam.12 This has a serious impact on employment generation, especially among the women (60 per cent of these are women). Industries for handlooms, fish farming, art and craft, tea processing and bamboo goods have skills and markets within the region.

Regional Integration of NER

South Asia and ASEAN. “The power that saves is greater than the power that destroys.” Rejection of empathy towards fellow humans is a rejection of divinity. Projection of power should not only be for military deterrence, but also for collective development and greater good of humanity. The time is ripe to integrate the economies of South East Asia and neighboring countries with the NER. The engine for development should be NER-centric and initiatives should be taken in the following fields:

• Import of gas and export of electricity which could be one of the most profitable exercises.
• Trade. Import of jade and gems, rice, pulses, timber, oil, gas, raw rubber from Myanmar and Thailand and export of electricity, consumer goods, electronic goods, medicines, processed food, infrastructure development and education.
• Develop the NER especially Manipur for education and sports excellence in India and South Asia. Institutes of higher education, sports centres, tourism training institutes and Buddhist Educational Centres will give impetus and provide a platform for higher education for regional states and neighbouring countries.
• Establishment of dry docks for export and import one each in Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and Bengal. These dry docks will serve the purpose if they are linked to communication highways for speedy transportation of goods.

Conclusion

Capacity building for sustaining peace and management of conflict can best be done through economic empowerment of the people. What hurts most is economic deprivation. Social scientists have concluded that people will definitely choose “peace and prosperity” over “conflict and uncertainty”. Economically empowered regions are less likely to have security deficit whereas the economically deprived regions are likely to exist in a state of anarchy. The successful termination of insurgency is rarely attributed to security forces because the cause of insecurity and instability is lack of governance and uneven distribution of opportunities and resources. The bottom line for termination of insurgency in the NER is creation and equitable distribution of wealth, people as stakeholders in the prosperity of the region, integration of the region with the mainland through communication and connectivity.

The endeavour should be to win through actions rather than argument. The prosperity of the NER is more important for India as a pivot for projection of national power. To sum up, “it is pointless to have the greatest dream in the world, if others reap the glory at your cost”. It is unwise to ponder over the past and missed opportunities. Plan all the way till end. The NER is an opportunity for India and the people of NER should be made to realise that they are strategic partners in India’s rise to the next level. Let NER be the Land of the Rising Sun and of Hope.

“Just as the money, which once out of your pocket, never returns, anarchy, once set in an unregulated and ill-disciplined state, cannot be prevented.”     —Chanakya

N.B. The views expressed in this article are those of the author in his personal capacity and do not carry any official endorsement.