The North Eastern States of India have rich resources and in the midst
of rich resources, the people are poor and just depending on nature.
The total population of North Eastern states according to 2001 census is
38,49,5089. The literacy rate of India is 65.4% in 2001 Census and the
literacy rate of seven sisters is 65.85%.
The Arunachal Pradesh has the
lowest literacy rate with 54.7% and second lowest is Assam with 64.3%.
While Mizoram has the highest literacy rate with 88.5% and second
highest is Tripura with 73.7%. Most of the seven sisters states are rural
and the region's literacy rate is more than all India rural literacy
rate, which is 59.4% The Seven Sisters endowed with rich natural resources
and relatively have higher literacy rate as compare to other states of
India.
However in the midst of abundant natural resources, the people
in the region are mostly depending on nature and economically backward.
The literacy rate in all the seven sisters are high and where will all
the educated people in North Eastern States will be heading without any
job opportunity in the region after 10-15 years?
Why there were bomb blast in Assam and Nagaland on 2nd Oct. 2004? When
I learnt about the bomb blast from National Newspaper, I was not
shocked or panic. I just said to my friends, "The time is coming that there
will be many more bomb blast after 10-15 years if the central government
is not taking the initiative to solve the insurgent problem."
According
to newspaper report, about 67 were killed bomb blast in Assam and
Nagaland and more than 100 people were seriously injured. It was indeed sad
that many of our precious brothers and sisters were died and injured in
bomb blast. However after 10-15 years more serious bombs are sure to
blast incase the government of India fails to solve the insurgent problem
in the region.
The recent bomb blast in Assam and Nagaland is just the
seed sprouting, which were earlier sown in the region due to some
reasons. Many insurgents are sowing seed of bomb in the region and it is
likely to sprout more plants after 10-15 years. The U.S. government is
aware of the insurgents' problem in NorthEast India and they want to solve
the problem. However the Indian govt. is still dithering to solve the
problem sincerely.
The North Eastern states are drawing the special attention of the
central government in recent years in many aspects and it is slowly opening
up the heart to understand the Seven Sisters' problem. But the question
is what they were doing in last 50 years for the N.E. people?
The central government is now trying to bring some development in the region.
However they are now helpless to bring any successful development project
due to insurgency problem. The central government blames the insurgency
groups for not successful development project in Seven Sisters States.
North Eastern States before 1990
Do you think the central government is sincerely trying to bring the
development in Northeast? Many people alleged that the N.E. people are
economically suppressed or neglected. The only gifts and development
project in North Eastern States is only Armed Force Special Power Acts in
last 30-40 years.
Human rights are violated in different aspects. The
educated people in the region were become helpless and restless to get
justice in human rights violation by the Indian Armed Forces. The region
has high literacy rate but economically backward due to central
government negligence.
The central government policy of recruiting less people
in Assam Rifles from northeastern states in last 3-4 decades made worst
the situation in northeast. How can the people from other state or
foreign country understand the local people of the NorthEast India? If the
Assam Rifles are the "FRIENDS OF THE HILLS" Why not recruit only the
local people from northeast or at least 60% of Assam Rifles?
As the
central govt. is recruiting mostly from other states in Assam Rifles, the
frustrated young people in the region have not other option but to join
only in their own group set up by their local insurgent groups. Some
people thoughts that only Arms can bring justice in this neglected and
human rights violated region. Thus many insurgency groups were formed for
many reasons or aim and objectives.
Present situation in N.E. Region
The North Eastern States are in the transitional stage wanting to solve
all the problems in the region. It can go worst or better after 10-15
years. The Indian govt. is trying to suppress down the insurgency groups
by sending more forces and many innocent civilians are harassed, raped
and killed. So instead of giving the information and leading to arrest
the insurgents - the people hate the Assam Rifles popularly known as
"Friends of the Hills".
Unless the Friends of the Hills are friends of
the hills- with the word "Friends of the Hills" in paper or mouth and in
heart treating the people as enemy cannot solve the problem in
northeast. "Friends of the Hills" need friends from the civilian who will
support them. But instead of supporting the Friends of the Hills- the
civilian support the insurgents due to harassment and brutal killing by the
Friends of the Hills.
"Friends of the Hills" is commonly known among the
civilian as "Enemy of the Hills" because the Friends of the Hills are
harassing, raping and brutally killing the innocent civilian. The Indian
armies need to deal and treat the N.E. people with love and
understanding.
The more the central government send army and rise the number of
army to suppress down the N.E insurgents and killed the civilian, the
more insurgency group will become stronger and all the people will only
support the insurgent instead of supporting the Indian army.
If we go to North East region and take personal interviews or survey to
all the educated people and common people, more than 90% of the
educated people will respond that the region is Neglected Region of India. If
we go to central government and ask them - they will respond that we
are always ready to bring peace and development in the region.
However
due to insurgents, we cannot bring any successful development project. If
we go to insurgency groups and ask them about the problem - they will
say that we had formed the insurgency groups because the central
government is injustice to our people and neglected our people. Now the
problem is how to solve the problem in Northeast India? What will be the best
solution now?
What will be the situation after 10-15 years?
Will the North Eastern region remain the same like last 3-4 decades
after 10 years? I am sure it won't remains perpetually. The literacy rate
in the region is becoming very high in all the states. After 10 years
the entire insurgents group will be well equipped with sophisticated
weapons. If there is fire in the house, we need to put it off or let it
burn the house. If the seed is sown, it will be sprouted automatically.
Today many educated and frustrated job seekers in the region are
attracted to join in different insurgency groups and after 10-15 years, more
educated people will join and attracted to take up arms due to
frustration and to get justice of human right violation. The literacy rate in
North East is high as 65.8% but after 10-15 years, more than 70% of the
total population will be literate but possibly only 10%-15% will hardly
get proper job.
When people are educated, they want to live a happy live doing
something good for themselves and for the societies. However if such educated
people are not given the justice to get the job to survive. What will be
the reaction? Where will they heading to? Especially in Northeast,
there is a very attractive job for the educated people.
Arms are always
ready for the educated people. Money is no problem for the educated people
in all the insurgency groups. Instead of dying out of frustration and
hunger, many will join the insurgency groups. So will the educated
people after 10-15 years continue to suffer due to absent of justice and
negligence from the central government?
The people from other states will find difficult to join in insurgency
group and they may not understand the inner feeling of the northeast
people. But the people in N.E. will always attracted to join in
insurgency group than dying out of frustration due to absent of job opportunity
and human right violation in the region.
There is very good environment
for the N.E. people to join in insurgency group. Every thing is ready
there, it doesn't need to form new group or new route to go anywhere in
the world. More serious than job is the violation of human rights in
the region, which can never bear by any human being.
Another good reason
to join the insurgency group is the human rights violation in the
region. If your parents are harassed and killed without any reason, what
will be your reaction to the armed personnel? When women are forced to
deliver their babies in open ground, men anus is penetrated with stick,
women are molested and raped infront of their kin, loved ones are shot
dead mercilessly - how can the people tolerate and bear the situation?
N.E. Iraq of India or Switzerland of India
After 10-15 years the North Eastern States will be like the present
situation in Iraq bomb blasting almost everyday incase the state and
central government do not bring any development project and take the
initiative to solve the insurgent problem. It may be known as "Iraq of India"
However the North East region can be also known as "Switzerland of
India" after 10-15 years if the central government takes the initiative to
solve the entire insurgency problem and bring development and peace in
the region. It is high time for the central government and the people
of North East to decide. If the central govt. is not taking the
initiative to solve the insurgency problem there will be lots of bomb blast in
North East and in some cities in India after 10-15 years.
The last
bomb blast in Assam and Nagaland will be nothing comparing the bomb blast
to blast after 10-15 years. However the future of N.E. is totally
depend on central government and the people of North East especially the
insurgency groups. If the people have good job and enough food to eat, who
would want to go to jungle with empty stomach?
When we observe the
present scenario, it seems there is no chances to bring any development
project in the region unless the insurgency problem is solved. However
there is means to bring any kinds of development project for the
northeastern people from different channel if the central govt. is sincere
enough to bring development in the region.
It is high time for the central government to bring some successful
development project in the region so that North East India will be another
Switzerland of India but not the Iraq of India after 10 years.
It is also high time for the northeastern people to accept the entire
development project from the central or state government. Let us hope and pray
with our fingers crossed that North East India will be called the
Switzerland of India after 10-15 years.
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*R.B. Thohe Pou contributes regularly to E-pao.net
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on May 27th, 2006
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