Dr Neel (Neelanjan) Konwar
Concept note based on former field research studies, unpublished and published articles of the author-Dr Neel (Neelanjan) Konwar, Strategy, policy and training/development.
Overview
In perspective of Act East Policy in NE India and the future ahead, both print and electronic/visual media reaches corners of the world due to satellite communications availability and awareness as well as misinformation has at times created skewed views. Policy needs to mitigate geo-political changes for better information dissemination.
So that Governance and mobilization of Government Policy does not trickle down in contaminated ways and cultures are respected, bringing a fine balance with the globalization process.
Introduction of action agencies to get first hand information on field for long term –
PARADIGM- PEOPLE-PROJECTS-PROSPERITY.
The NE Caravan( as cited from Dr Aküm Longchari conclave deliberations) -
As we travel from the borders of Bangladesh and Meghalaya via the Assam road to the (yet to be decided Asian Highway in Nagaland measuring 80 Kms approximately , to the Nagaland - Manipur border town of Mao and capital Imphal and there on to Moreh and Tamuh in Myanmar.
Mizoram and Manipur is all set to come close to the mainland India South east as the Kaladin Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is a bilateral project between Government of India and Myanmar by sea at Kolkotta with Sittwe seaport at Myanmar via by inland water transport and then from Paletwa-Kaletwa on to Mizoram in India by road transport total of 807 Km long land and sea route to Thailand> (the Mizoram town of Lawngtai will be the international border 100 km from National Highway 54 to be completed by mid of 2016 and 2019 in phases( port to port 539Km, Kaladan to the Western Myanmarese town of Patewa 158Km, Paletwa to Indo-Myanmar border is 110Km) and further to Daboka Karbi Anglong in Assam.
The Lumding junction railway line is also being prepared for the now operational Haflong-Silchar/Jiribam-Imphal corridor (34 tunnels, 84 kms,1263 hectare completed of the 1310 hectare) for the largest ambitious train network in the world Trans-Asian Railway road Bangkok to Budapest.
Poser
We see villages, tiny hamlets and communities who exist in harmony with nature as farmers/hunter gatherers. The questions arises is how aware are our indigenous folks of these massive planning and how much will they benefit out of the development round tables in high powered meetings and development agendas. Will the simple farmer, gram panchayat member, village council head or gaon buras be consulted and age old tribal wisdom be taken into account.
Are we really taking their voice and concerns into account? Who decides their future, are we disseminating knowledge, skilling, making awareness or are we creating a modern slavery and human trafficking opportunity for modern corporate houses and human rights exploiters. So as another South America or Africa is not created in the name of globalization and Asean identity.
The alarming question here arises, are we land-locking states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh within NE India, due to articles and land laws.
“The future ahead and the new world NE India”
Agendas and Advocacy-
1) SECURITY( POLITICAL AND SOCIAL) .
2) RURAL DEVELOPMENT/ ECO TOURISM .ORGANIC FARMING GREEN PROJETCS ,LAND,WATER AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
3) TRIBAL AFFAIRS( ADVOCACY AND EMPOWERMENT)
4) EDUCATION(SKILL DEVELOPMENT)
5) INFRASTUCTURE AND INVESTMENT/BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS (MARKET LINKAGES AND STANDARDS/QUALITY)
Reflections
As the Asean summit was relived in Indonesia. NE or the Seven sister rechristened as Eight sisters with Sikkim (though much of the central Government regional policies are with the eastern Zone headquarter for this new sister).
The Asian highway which will run from Dhaka to Tokyo, via Megahalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Japan.
Bhutan’s southern and eastern borer roads will also be connected via the Assam Highway.
We need to prepare with great convictions of being a skilled human resource and technologically sound community and yet being able to protect the vital indigenous culture ,practices and land which is both agrarian rich and mineral rich.
With a new PM Honorable Modi who has renamed the “Look east policy ,as Act east policy”
The Bandung (Asia/Africa) conference in 1955 in Indonesia called the conference of the colored people by President Sukarno. Former prime minister and reformer of Indian economy Late P.V. Narashimha Rao took the look east policy forward. The Neo-Kantian vision is that economic interdependency, international institutions and liberal democracy will dominate the Asian paradigm. Supported by the Neo-Confucian view is that political stability, strong authoritarian state, directed, economic growth and balance of power dynamics.
The architect of modern Singapore Late PM Lee Kuan Yew (minister mentor) said that only using the word east Asia is a misnomer. The former persecuted minister of Malayasia Anwar Ibrahim quotes that east Asian communities have become Indianized states of S.E. Asia. We need to have a corporate model for modern India.
To overcome global warming, clean air, rising oil prices , energy security and to have better carbon credit -Solar and nuclear energy is the next big challenge with the signing of agreement with USA and clearance by NSG as we cannot depend solely on biofuel as was seen by the food crisis, inflation and crashing stock markets. We need Venture capitalist for social changes in the process of globalization, resource redesign basically to remove the fat and non valuation in our governing and implementation system. Young tech savvy business elites to be encouraged for a fast, flat , and a new entrepreneurial economy. The ITES sector can be a forte in programming, consulting and design. Innovations are required to save and sustain our ecosystems. The national knowledge commission can help in digitalizing (interactive white board, wikepedia and blogjecs) our learning and classrooms e.g. the 100% laptop which has been introduced in Africa for easy knowledge sharing and management
Better transport system (rapid transit system) and non polluting revolutionary transport system.
In education we need to achieve the target of 90% literacy, better government schools and teachers.
The NE communities have to become a doer from a dreamer. Our ecotourism has to be capitalized, which will lead to rural development, with traditional medicine, treatments amalgamated with spas and health care centre (health tourism).
This will target the international market in products and service. With equal sharing by women in village councils our heritage, culture and rich bio diverse system can be panache in the international market.
We need modern hospitals and private hospitals accessible to the common masses with medical/para medical graduates each year like Portugal and Cuba.
In NE, We also need to educate and empower our rural and common masses on financial literacy campaigns with PPP or corporate social responsibility to avoid fiascos like Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal for rehabilitating and sustaining the rural rush. Self help groups, rural banks, microfinance, insurance , low-cost housing , commercial agriculture, biotech intervention and skill impartment for employment and entrepreneurship as seen in Grameen bank model of Nobel laureate Dr Mohammad Yunis of Bangladesh, E-Choupal of ITC(vegetable market linkage of farmers products), Project Shakti and health in your hands projects of Unilever (India) HLL. But all this models will only work if the local culture, religion, gender issues and values are taken into account as India though one is a world by its own, and globalization works as popularly said think “global act local”. As North east India is the face of New India, marking significant moments of change and growth.
Action and Implementation
Policy mobilization in common development goals in Government planning and bureaucracy.
PPP participation----
1) Participation observation research and implementation of projects with the help of private and public partnership-government machinery to function as support.
2) Documentation (both paper and visual media ), feedback, gap analysis and return on investment to be done with proper performance management and competency mapping.
3) Projects to be standardized and sustained for replicating and continuous improvement to meet economic and political shifts.
This will help in removing the mirage, and provide the fortune to the bottom of the pyramids and marginalized communities. Self sustaining, equal opportunity economy which will upgrade the human development factor and standard of living in rural or urban NE India. Enhancing peace and security of the nation as seen in prosperous and high development index nations. Which comes when Governance, culture, environment, education and economy are simultaneously developed where skewed and lopsided anti -social manifestations are avoided.
Civil society, intellects and media can monitor, disseminate, create dialogues with public, present white papers so that Pan India/South Asian public policy is customized based on geography and tribal-customary paradigms.
