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The Northeast suffers from a serious weakness — the great distance from Delhi. This disadvantage is found in other peripheral regions of the country including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Orissa. However, these regions have overcome this in different ways: by leveraging their political weight opportunistically to good effect, by looking outward to the rest of the world and globalisation as a strategy for growth, and by aggressively courting investment in industry. These states have been enabled to pursue their distinctive strategies thanks to a stable security environment, and a clear-headed focus on their priorities.
The Northeast, on the other hand, has been handicapped by the adverse security environment within the region as well as in its immediate neighbourhood. This has made the Indian government nervous about every incident there, and prone to over-reaction to the slightest perceived threat.
Legitimate civil disobedience movements born out of neglect of core issues such as economic development, control over migration into the region, sensitivity over perceived changes to electoral equations as a result of such migration, and widespread corruption, have been countered with a heavy hand. This involves indiscriminate use of the military, and draconian powers conferred by odious statutes such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
The space for civil society has shrunk, leaving few options for discourse and debate, and possibly pushing more young people into violent means as a way of ventilating their grievances. That only leads to a spiral of violence, with the heaviest price paid by the ordinary citizen.
The neglect of the Northeast is puzzling, given the economic and geopolitical significance of the region. A comparison with Kashmir is instructive: Kashmir (including Azad Kashmir and Aksai Chin) has an area of about 2,20,000 sq km and a population of 15 million; the Northeast region has an area of over 2,50,000 sq km and a population of 30 million. Kashmir abuts a troubled part of Central Asia, with several serious wars and insurgencies in adjacent areas.
Resource rich The Northeast, if viewed from a satellite about 100 km over Guwahati, is the centre of a region rich in natural resources, landlocked, with several giant river systems flowing through it, watering vast areas downstream that are among the richest parts of China, SoutheastAsia, and the eastern part of India.
The region encompassed by a circle with a radius of 2,000 km with the centre at Guwahati is among the fastest growing part of China, Souteast Asia and India. This region needs better road and rail links to enable trade and commerce to grow, and the countries involved are already in serious talks on the subject. India has declared a “Look East” policy with precisely this intention.
India’s Northeast is rich in hydel potential and can meet the power needs of the eastern region if this potential is properly harnessed. The giant river systems create a natural bond that binds the countries of the region and current indications are that there is movement in that direction.
Sharp contrast Contrast this with the still dismal prospects of Kashmir, even if peace breaks out there by some miracle.
We need to discard the Pakistan-centric foreign policy that has driven strategic thinking these past decades, and replace it with a more nuanced view taking into account the realities that call for a reappraisal of India's foreign policy interests and priorities.
Policy in the Northeast should not be driven by perceptions of armchair warriors thirsting for a second round with China to avenge the humiliation of 1962. We need to move on, and work at developing a balanced approach to relations with China that will work to our mutual advantage.
Both countries have a huge stake in the region and this should reflect in our policies. It is ridiculous if road development in the border areas is impeded by a fear in certain circles that this will only help Chinese troops after they cross the border!
The writer is a former IAS officer turned entrepreneur, and author of ‘On a clear day you can see India’
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