Economic development of the North East in general and Manipur in particular has always been an issue hijacked, kicked and pushed around by politicians, social workers, industrialists, bureaucrats and others who play a major role in the affairs of the state.

It has been repeatedly reported how the region, although blessed with vast natural resources have been ignored, thus depriving the flow of economic development in the region.

In fact, successive central governments always neglected the North East since the days of independence. No Government ever cared to exploit the vast rich natural resources for the benefits of the States. Equally, they neglected the rising poverty and unemployment in the region due to lack of initiatives for industrial growth and economic development.

It would not be wrong to say that the prolonged negligence of the North East has given birth to frustration and disillusionment among the youths, forcing them to take up guns and wage a war for secession from the Indian Union.

Now, it would be worthwhile to recollect that the Centre has been facing paucity of funds since Independence. It fell into a debt trap because of the loans it had taken from foreign agencies to implement various developmental policies and plans. The interest on loan, obviously far exceeded the economic growth rate. Moreover, industrially and economic backward States like the North East could hardly contribute to the economy of the country.

The funds sanctioned from the Centre were always exhausted on meeting the States of the region revenue expenditure. Besides, the shady politician-bureaucrat contractor nexus contributed to the rise in corruption and misappropriation of funds meant for development process.

As mentioned before, the long years of neglect by the Centre has given a sort of legitimacy to fight for secession by various insurgent outfits in the region. It can also be safety assumed that the rise of the insurgency movement gained momentum and rose to the peak, which only then brought the attention of the mandarins at the Centre.

However, India made a blunder by sending its troops battalions after battalions without understanding the sentiments of the people. This further added fuel to the already devastating fire stroked by the insurgents. Indeed, the military might unleashed by New Delhi was also seen as a form of suppression by the people of the region, of course through propaganda channel of the outfits.

Though India realized belatedly, nevertheless, it started pumping additional funds into the region of course along with its troops. Instead of providing loans to the fund starved regions, New Delhi started rolling out the funds as grants. However, the funds, which have been sanctioned under various developmental heads, are not without any conditions.

Tenders are floated with much little to offer for the local entrepreneurs, resulting in awarding the same to big players from outside the region. Therefore, some developmental plants as the B.T. Road flyover in Imphal does not contribute significantly to the economic growth of the region nor does it enhance the revenue of the state.

Middlemen and labours may earn something but that fails to rejuvenate the already sick State coffers. It can be best described as outsourcing of economic policy.

In the meantime, the allocation of funds as grants is also making the political heads of the state lethargic, complacent and corrupted, as they know that there are no liabilities involved at all. Therefore, they have the freedom to use the fund as they wish and swindle it without any inhibition.

They know that once they utilize the sanctioned grant, they can always ask for more. The result is little development and more palatial buildings and unaccounted properties in the names of the contractors, bureaucrats and the politicians.

In this context, we may add that the political executives of other States who are given funds as loans have to sweat out and concentrate on using the loan amount to the maximum benefits of the people. Since, they are accountable they know where the shoe pinch unlike their counterparts of the Northeast.

In the final analyzes, it is clear that big developmental projects goes to big companies from outside the State giving little scope to the local. Then the politicians misuse the development funds meant for the region.

Therefore, the public at large do not have access to such funds meant for alleviating their living conditions. On the other hand taking the advantage of the suppressed people, insurgency has become a sort of cottage industry with new outfits being formed at drop of hat.

Now, it would be appropriate to mention that India should change its policy of funding and it should start thinking seriously on investment for which raw materials are abundantly available in the region. Moreover, it should demand accountability and liability from the people running the affairs of the State.

It cannot no longer cherished the lofty dreams that pumping in crores of rupees on one hand for development and sending thousands of troops to quell insurgency movement on the other, will buy development and peace in the region.

For, the funds meant for development do not usually percolate to the grass root and stating about bringing peace through guns - the less said the better.