Peace and Development in Northeast: A Virtuous Spiral

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The book is the outcome of a multidisciplinary study undertaken jointly by the Indian Institute of Public Administration and the North-Eastern Council.

The study provides a comprehensive interface between a violence-free milieu and socio- economic development. The remote location of the North-East from the rest of the country and certain contingencies of history and geography have led to a sense of deprivation and alienation among the people who feel that the region has not gained the fruits of development proportional to the resources available.

The responses from the Police departments have brought out a very unique fact that over 71% of the villages in the region have not reported any incidence of crime for the last couple of years. While focusing on crimes of a violent nature in this region, the book underscores several admirable features obtaining here which are worthy of emulation. The social fabric is still intact. Respect for elders and consideration for women are very much in vogue. Democratic institutions at the grassroots level are very vibrant.

The book brings out that the people of the region expect greater transparency, accountability and monitoring in governance, strict control on corruption and freedom to determine the developmental priorities since they know the local needs better. The key to improving the quality of life of the people of the region lies in shifting the focus from charity to promoting creativity and fostering confidence and capacity building.

The book outlines several strategies which can help foster a holistic development of the region. The key message coming out of the exercise is that not only is the North-East tranquil and beautiful but also most of it is safe and secure.

P.L. SANJEEV REDDY, IAS (R) is Director, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, since April 2002.

A Ph.D in Industrial Management and an outstanding practitioner with robust research background, Dr. Sanjeev Reddy has had a distinguished career as Member of the Indian Administrative Service. Some of the important assignments held by him include DGFT, Secretary (Rural Development) and Secretary (Company Affairs). He has written extensively on corporate governance, poverty alleviation, rural housing and excellence in service delivery.

Widely travelled, Dr. Sanjeev Reddy has visited a number of countries like USA, UK, Canada, China, Malaysia and South Korea. He was the Project Director of the study on the North-East- Developmental Strategies and Violence Free Villages, jointly undertaken by IIPA and the NEC. This study is now being issued in the form of a book.

P.C. SHEKAR REDDY, B.Tech, from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Hyderabad, is associated with a number of socio- cultural organisations. He is on the Board of Governors of Vaastu Kala Academy, College of Architecture and Vice Chairman, Institute for Media Communication. He was also Consultant, CAPART (Ministry of Rural Development) and Coordinator of Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre (a premier national youth organisation).

Shekar Reddy is the author of a number of monographs/articles like Report of the Working Group on Rural Cluster Development (International Angle, China TVES, etc.), and Blueprints for Holistic Development of Andhra Pradesh and Uttaranchal. He is at present Project Coordinator of the study on 'Impact of Restructuring of State Electricity Boards', jointly undertaken by IIPA and Ministry of Power. He had earlier functioned as the Project Coordinator of the study Ion which this book is based.

Holistic development is possible only when there is a pervasive atmosphere of peace and tranquility. In a strife torn area, the administrative machinery has perforce to divert a significant slice of its resources towards peacekeeping and maintenance of law and order. Also, in a crime prone region, the residents are overly concerned about their personal safety rather than on improving their quality of life and wealth generation which calls for focused and sustained efforts. Turbulent areas are the last destinations for potential investors. Capital being timid, it gravitates to safer and more secure destinations. Thus, the causes, determinants and consequences of crime impact the economy and society. The relatively high proportion of young persons should normally have a positive impact on the economic growth of any region. However, if the youth are not gainfully employed, it may lead to increase in crime incidence.

Crime and violence are inescapable concomitants of a dynamic society. As new life styles evolve, socio-economic convulsions trigger class conflicts and generate manifestations of violence. The increasing materialism and consumerism have widened the gap between the haves and have-nots and added to social tensions. Modern society is experiencing several upheavals leading to frictions, tensions and distortions in societal harmony and equilibrium.

Since crime and violence have become an integral part of any society, social scientists have necessarily to distinguish between exogenous and endogenous factors and those that are controllable and those, which need special interventions to control and contain them to manageable limits. It is being increasingly realized that the public and the civil society have to play a more positive and proactive role in crime prevention since the law enforcement agencies alone cannot address this issue. Only when there are shared concerns and goals and more harmonious police-public interface, would it be possible to significantly reduce the incidence of crime and violence and improve the quality of life.

Against this backdrop, the Northeast Region merits a special study. This Region has experienced much violence in the past few decades, which has misled many to form erroneous perceptions about the residents of this Region. It is sad that such flawed mindsets, which refuse to see facts in the eye, are allowed to persist.

Despite being rich in natural resources with fertile land, rich forest, water resources and considerable mineral deposits, including hydrocarbons, development in the NER has lagged behind the rest of the country due to historical reasons and geographical location. The challenge of development of the NER arising from its unique situation has been engaging the attention of the Central leadership. Socio-economic development of the Region and connectivity have been accorded the highest priority.

The Government of India has been making concerted efforts towards accelerated and holistic development of the Region. Today, there is an exclusive Ministry dealing with issues relating to the entire Region. The North Eastern Council (constituted by Smt Indira Gandhi in 1971) has now been assigned a designated role as a Regional Planning Body and also a clear and cogent mandate, which inter-alia includes security, etc, since it is felt that genuine progress is possible only when there is an atmosphere of security, peace and tranquility.

Unfortunately, there has been a lot of mis-conception about NER. The problem of insurgency in the Region is confined to a few pockets only and does not affect the Northeast in its entirety. You cannot paint the entire North East Region with a single brush. There is need to look at this becutiful and resource rich Region in a correct perspective. Economic and social compulsions have rendered some parts of the Region vulnerable to rising ethnicity, insurgency, crime and political instability.

The States of the Region may have a number of variations but they share a number of common features. Most of them are basically agrarian and industrially backward; they have poor infrastructure and a very high unemployment rate. Nevertheless, the literacy rates are high, thanks to the efforts of Christian missionaries. Transport linkages, both within the Region and with the rest of the country, are still woefully inadequate. Being landlocked and having inhospitable terrain has also limited the expansion of marketing avenues.

The Government is aware that special attention needs to be paid to the Region to remove the feeling of alienation and neglect that has been festering for long. We have, therefore, adopted a two-pronged strategy of ensuring peace and promoting development.