Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• Yes. There should be a separate North East Region Time Zone. This will make things more practical and productive.
• Yes. Sun rise and sun set is earlier at NE than the rest parts of India. Secondly, living and work culture reasons, NE people love to get up by the dawn and love to work early in the morning by average time from 4:00 am or 5:00 am and people used to sleep at 8:30 pm or 9:30 pm mostly while people of the other parts of the country used to get up at 6:00 am to 7:00 am and they used to work till late; 8:pm to 10:00 pm mostly and sleep at 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm
• Yes. Free time zone helps us to do our work more perfectly and with high volume
• YES!! The whole northeast region (especially the political class) needs to come together and relentlessly push this agenda before the centre. Nagaland Legislators needs to be seriously enlightened and educated on this matter. Even the bureaucracy is as usual obsolete. No doubt Northeast region is conveniently ahead of IST by 1-1 ½ hour. Following one IST kills productivity and energy. Assam seems to be the only serious state so far; all other states are still entrapped in the status quo. It needs to be collectively pursued. We save energy, increase trade and economic productivity, boost tourism, improve government efficiency, improve South East Asian trade productivity etc. There is no cessation agenda as the Centre prejudicially perceives. It’s all business, nothing personal!
• Yes because it has 1 and hours difference between NE and Mainland. supposedly our working time should start by 8:00 a.m NE IST in winter and 8:30 NEIST in summer. by changing this we NE will be 1hour ahead in time. we are wasting 2 hours time in the morning and during winter we worked 2 hours after sun set which women folk find difficult traveling in public transport after dark.
• Northeast shud have own time zone which will create convenient working hours to go ahead
• Yes, it is suppose to have separate time since there is difference of time zone between mainland India and north east India. Bangladesh and Myanmar follows as per the time zone of latitude and longitude of earth; similarly north east India should follow the time based on the time zone, but government of India is not agreed to do so; may be due to inconvenience of administrative level or some other purpose.
• Yes! We are losing precious daylight and energy. If a country can have 4 time zones (US e.g.) or different summer and winter times (UK). India surely can have 2/3 times zones. Unfortunately only Assam seems to be serious about this.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• No. But India should have 2 time zones.
• No. There is logic in having a time zone of our own in the North East region. My only doubt is are we ready to implement it. Our system is so disorganised and laidback that I feel it will only lead to more complication and confusion. Just because it is the right thing does not means that it is the best thing for the NE.
• No. Its better not to change the time zone at this moment. Lets wait for the right time.
• Nothing will change by changing the time zone unless we change our work culture and attitude first. We Nagas need to develop a good working culture. The clock is only there to guide the passing minutes of the day. But actual work depends on the attitude of the people.
• No. That will make the region more distance from main land
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• India is not prepared to make such a progressive step. Indian leaders are very insecure and look at the northeast in a very suspicious manner. They dont have the guts to make this decision.
• Nagas are not prepared to have such arrangements at this time.
