The kaleidoscope of eight (Sikkim included) Northeastern states in their rich art and culture, exclusive species of flora and fauna and climate complements the diversity that is mainland India. Its importance for the rest of the nation state lies in the fact that it is the hub of international borders with China, Bhutan, Myanmar (former Burma) and Bangladesh. It must, thus, be the heart of India’s new “Look East” policy of reaching out to the other former outposts of culture and commerce that range from Thailand, the Indochina states of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and Indonesia that lie on the rim of the Pacific Ocean. Borrowing from a Chinese phrase, they are as integral and close to the rest of India as “lips and teeth”.
It was, for it’s geopolitical importance, that all the previous central governments had tried their best to bring normalcy after the attainment of independence in a region that has been in a constant state of flux. It is so unfortunate that not much could be done for the overall development of the region. Although a special ministry in the central government was formed a few years back to give all the best support to the region but that could only make some meagre contribution in the socio-economic conditions of the people of the eight states of Northeastern India. There could be many reasons for the deficiencies but instead of discussing all that we need to now focus on the solutions to improve the situation. Still, in most of the states the feeling of pride is missing, education and health facilities are not up to the mark as compared to the other states in the country.
We all are witness to the Chinese strategy to destablise the situation along the Line of Actual Control which extends from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir in the west. The intrusion in Chumar highlighted the complexity of Chinese policy towards India and the different power centres that are operating in Beijing. India’s foreign policy will have to be moulded to deal with the dichotomy. Our other neighbour Bangladesh, though small in size and resources, has tremendous potential for destabilisation of India because of the very porous borders it shares with Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, West Bengal and Mizoram through which human trafficking, drugs, counterfeit currency, terrorism and, worst, migrants flow into India. The nexus between the black economy and terrorism was illustrated recently by the bomb explosions in West Bengal.
The current government is very serious in tackling the situation at the internal as well as the external level on the defence and security matters in the Northeastern region and that’s the reason that our Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister have given a very clear message to both China and Bangladesh. Our Security Forces and National Investigating Agency are working day and night to investigate and nab the culprits and fix the problems for the safety and security of the people in this region.
Jai Hind!
No comments:
Post a Comment