New Delhi's apathy

Yes, I would agree to some degree to what my senior Santosh Kumar has said. When the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a much publicised 75-minute annual press conference at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on May 24, he confidently said that all the northeast states of India would be connected by airlinks. Wow! It’s good development or say a new vision for the poor and landlocked hilly people!? But what Mr Manmohan Singh didn’t know is – Is airlink only viable option for these hilly and poor people? How many people can afford of air travelling? Even after 60 years of India’s independence there are still five days journey in Arunachal Pradesh. Over the last few years, the Central Government has a special attention on Arunachal Pradesh, however, if this state is/was not under the radar of affluent China on the other side of the border, how would New Delhi view – is still a matter of discussion.
Than it took all of two months for New Delhi to react to the 65-day-old blockades of two important national highways leading to Manipur by a few Naga groups shows how important the region is on the radar of national politics. Life in Manipur, ravaged by insurgency and under a controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act has never been easy. The blockade has made it even more hazardous. It was started in April by Nagas in protest against Manipur Government’s announcement of ADC elections in hilly areas of the state. Nagas live in several adjoining states and have been waging a war for a separate Greater Nagaland including chunks of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (although the fight was for an independent state). Whatever be the political motives behind the blockades, it is the people who suffer ultimately. Availability of essential commodities like petrol, cooking gas, life-saving drugs, were dwindling by the day with prices skyrocketing. In fact, Manipur faced one of the most man-made human disasters in recent history. Yet it took more than two months for the Centre to wake up to the reality when Home Secretary GK Pillai announced that central forces would be “rushed” to remove the blockade. Imagine the reaction of the government had such a situation taken place in the Hindi heartland, where the vote banks of most political parties lie.
Successive governments in New Delhi have shown scant respect to the north-eastern region nor has there been any concerted effort to make the hill people join the mainstream. The Seven Sisters (excluding Sikkim) is showcased to the outside world as a symbol of harmony and unity in diversity. But, each time any part of the north-east erupts, it has been quelled by ad hoc measures. At no time was there any sincere effort to find long-standing solutions to the genuine grievances of the people there. Many parts of the area are still inaccessible. There is no infrastructure whatsoever. New Delhi talks of linking the north-east by air, when there are not even motorable roads. Every year the region gets cut-off from the rest of the nation by incessant landslides. Other than making headlines for a day or two it is all forgotten till the next landslide happens. What the north-east needs is not the myopic view of those who matter in Delhi, but breathing space.
Now, it’s the time for New Delhi to wake up and accept the reality that the Northeast is still a part of India but not as its traditional strategic interest point.