Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s address during the inaugural session of the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav at the
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi was a clarion call to fulfil the vision of making
the Northeast region as the growth engine of the nation. The Mahotsav itself served
as a rich platform for involving the Northeast region with the rest of the
country and the globe as a whole.
Organised by the Ministry of Development of Northeast Region, participants from eight states, viz. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, the Mahotsav provides an unprecedented platform to showcase the strengths and potential of the Northeast region. The region boasts of a vibrant textile industry, artisanal crafts, indigenous processed food products, agricultural and horticultural produces with unique Geographical Indication (GI). The Northeast region contributes significantly to India's cultural, social, and economic fabric. In recent decades the Government of India’s focus has been fixed on strengthening socio-economic status of the region, simultaneously protecting its unique cultural values.
Historical challenges & path to peace
The region has
been known, for many decades after India’s independence, as a disturbed area
with insurgencies making their safe haven in the teeming jungles and porous
international borders.
After decades
of struggle and infighting among the ethnic groups, today, most of the states
in the region have started experiencing peace. A true progress for the region
as peace is the prerequisite for socio-economic development. As argued by Nobel
Laureate Amartya Sen, freedom is both the primary end and the principal means
of development. Freedom is not possible without a certain degree of peace or
the absence of violence.
PM Modi’s call for progress of the Ashtalakshmi, the eight states of the NER, he said, is based on building strong connections in ‘Emotion, Economy and Ecology’ with the rest of the nation. This is indeed a huge step towards inclusive growth of the region.
Even though the
rest of India witnessed development in multiple fronts, the NER experienced
isolation in many fronts for a long period. Modern connectivity, be it roads, railways,
waterways, or telecommunications, was extremely poor and unreliable. The
investment in these sectors stagnated for decades. Because of poor
connectivity, and persisting violence and political uncertainty, major players
in the field of business restrained from investing in this region. However in
last decade we have seen unprecedented growth in the highway and road network
in the region. The total length of National Highways constructed in North
Eastern Region during the last ten years is 9,984 km with an expenditure of
Rs.1,07,504 crore, adding to seamless transportation across the region as well
as to the rest of the country. In addition 265 NH projects are under
implementation at a cost of Rs.1,18,894 crore with a total length of 5,055 km
(Ref: PIB, 26 JUL 2024).
Railway link to the Northeast region has drastically improved and is more reliable. Sikkim is projected to have its first railway line from Sevoke-Rangpo operational by 2026, according to the answer provided in the Lok Sabha this winter session, which will lead to an unprecedented boost in Sikkim’s business and trade. Along with the rail, road and airways, an ambitious project to connect towns along the Brahmaputra through inland waterways shows the commitment of the government towards growth of the region.
Sikkim: A model of peace & development
Among the Ashtalakshmi
states, Sikkim is the smallest in terms of area but a trailblazer of innovation
and development in multiple fronts. Since its merger with the Indian union in
1975, there has been no history of insurgency in the state which shares
international borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan. History does not record any
incidents of major violence in Sikkim in the last five decades. There have been
few political and social uprisings from time to time but in a democratic manner
leading to positive development of the state. The prerequisite for the
development is peace, a batch our state proudly carries. Therefore, the state
has achieved multiple feats during its five decades of journey as the 22nd
state.
Sikkim has been
an example in term of its growth in literacy.
In 1971 it was just 17% when the national average was 34%. Today, the state’s
literacy rate has reached 82%, approximately 10 points higher than the national
average (census 2011). This unprecedented growth can be attributed to strong
policy decisions made in the post-merger decades, strong social cohesion among
various ethnic groups, absence of religious and caste-based discrimination,
community participation and most importantly, the hunger for basic education
among the common populace.
My father still recounts his day as a committee teacher, a teacher in a school run solely by committee without any aid from the state, where he was paid mostly in kind rather than in cash. There are many such examples where the locals came together to start schools in the 70s. The government’s policy to hire teachers from other states till the time we have sufficient locals qualified enough to become teachers was a game changing decision which led to rapid growth in literacy. Today, every individual is able to read not only letters, bills, and newspapers, but also the statements made by their leaders on social media. This shows that our state is now ready for growth story 2.0.
Growth Story 2.0: Embracing change &
modernisation
Our growth
story 2.0 must begin with skill development, entrepreneurship, business and
leaders in the field of administration, judiciary and media. Thousands of
teenagers graduate every year with a hope of future filled with opportunities. However,
the economic and social landscape is changing at an unprecedented pace and
presents a new set of challenges.
The global
digital revolution has completely altered the dynamics of employment. Jobs are
available, but for those who have acquired a specific set of skills. Automation
has created opportunities as well as distress. Creative destruction of
opportunity in the field of administration, transportation, marketing, and
dissemination of information has been an ever growing challenge.
Alas, it cannot
be undone. Economies which tried to resist technology have been left behind, and
history stands as witness to this truth.
We cannot
afford to be left behind just because we are not yet comfortable with the new
reality. We must embrace the opportunities created by technological growth by
accepting the challenges posed by the urgent need of modernisation in every
field, including agriculture.
Sikkim can be
the bright-spot of the Ashtalakshmi in the Indian economy. Socially, we have
set the standard which others aspire to achieve. In terms of ecology, we are
the trailblazers and look ahead to lead the nation by becoming a carbon neutral
State. The green initiatives taken by Sikkim today are the frontrunner in the
country’s policy. However, economically, we are yet to achieve the feat of
being Atmanirbhar in many sectors. Most of the products we use today are not
produced in our state, including the essential commodity items. Our population
is just 6,10,000 (2011 census) which is absolutely manageable. Unfortunately, self-sufficiency
has never been reached. The reasons are valid; small area, scarcity of arable
land, ecologically fragile, unpredictable shift in weather pattern, limited
availability of skilled personnel. It is time that we work on our strengths.
The future of Sikkim: Skilled human resources
We have a young population and nearly all are literate. Skilling them would definitely fetch short-term and well as long-term gains for Sikkim. It makes them employable and will address the problem of unemployment, and also enhance production and hence the wealth of the state. In the long-term, the dynamics of the state’s economy will change by creating new avenues of manufacturing as well as services in the market. High-tech manufacturing is a lucrative opportunity as its demand is ever growing in the global market. Every multinational company would like to hire technically efficient and well trained human resources. If we start today orienting our existing education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), by next decade we might have the potential to become a power house of human resources. Having enough human resources is to have a greater potential for innovation, entrepreneurship, and business. These are ultimately the engine for wealth creation and overall well-being of the society. However, I would like to point out here that the wellbeing of the society also depends on social cohesion and political certainty, democracy and freedom.
In conclusion,
I believe that it is high time that Sikkim actively engages in the global
economy, instead of isolating itself from valuable opportunities. Our State’s
physical area is limited but the human resources we have in Sikkim are much
higher in terms of literacy, innovation and creativity. It is only because that
we have been feeding ourself with the low hanging fruits for so many years, we
have never tasted the sweetness of the ones hanging higher up on the tree. It
is time we help our youngsters explore better opportunities in
entrepreneurship. There are vast opportunities yet to be explored. Even in
Sikkim, the entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of semiconductor based
manufacturing, tourism, and transportation remains unsaturated. Business in
farming sector is still yet to be fully tapped even though it carries an
enormous opportunity in the global market. Let’s all come together and seize
the opportunities available.
