Rush for NE region

In the early part of last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the Union Cabinet “to accord special focus to the North-East region of the country and explored methods as to how the region could be integrated with the rest of India.” As such, the Prime Minister stated that the “Union ministers must visit the region and should spend a reasonable amount of time there.” The North-East must figure as a priority in each and every ministry, Mr. Modi further said.A month later, we witness Union ministers making a beeline for the region. But we do not know for how long this trend will last. We have reasons to be skeptical on the redressing measures by the Centre for the NE region.

It has been for the past several years now the Central government has been assuring that measures are being taken up for the safety of the North East people in the national capital and elsewhere mainland India. However, attacks on the North East people continue unabated. Every time news pertaining to the attack on the North East people is brought to the public domain Central leaders both from the ruling and the opposition parties give running commentaries highlighting long lists of their respective safety measures for the North East community. The safety lists are stashed away in their shelves once the issue shrivelled.

For instance, when Richard Loitongbam from Manipur was murdered in Bangalore in April, 2012 both the BJP and the Congress parties competed in displaying their best safety programmes for the North East people. Promises and safety measures for the North East people were left to the cold storage two weeks after the incident (Richard Loitongbam murder).

Came the Nido Tania murder incident (a student from Arunachal Pradesh) in January 2014, the same old dramas were displayed again by the central political stalwarts from both ruling and the opposition parties.

We are tired of these stereotype dramas of the politicians. We are not going to believe you anymore. The trust deficit is already there. Get down to business and start the spade work to make the North East people feel more dignified.