'North-east states are the battery of India'-P.D.RAI

The North-East MPs' Forum, a platform for parliamenta-rians from the eight states in the region, recently met in Gangtok to discuss ways to facilitate peace and development. P D Rai , a Sikkim Democratic Front MP and general secretary of the forum, spoke to Amrith Lal :


What is the North-East MPs' Forum about?
It is still a rag-tag group of MPs. But we all realise it's good to have friends, and friends with a common agenda. It's not that the region is ignored. The point is to have focused attention on the region. The region has had a history of insurgency. It began in Nagaland soon after independence. Now we have about 50 to 60 insurgent groups in the region. For a while the government thought this was a security issue, now it wants to treat it as a development issue. They have formed agencies to address it that way. This region, to my mind, is the battery of India. It has a power potential of about 80,000 MW. It is sitting on a colossal amount of hydrocarbons. The region has nearly 33 per cent of India's biodiversity reserves. How much better can it get? So it's important for the country that there is development in the region.

These issues can be effectively addressed through the forum. Let me give you an example. One of the big issues for Sikkim is the National Highway 31A and the state has just one MP in the Lok Sabha. If 10 of us barge into the concerned minister's room and demand that he do something about it, he's likely to act. Numbers matter.

You argue that the Centre must move from a security-centric approach to a people-centric approach.

Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit has opened up an interesting geopolitical opportunity for the region. Tripura would gain the most if we have a trade and transit treaty with Bangladesh. It will cut the distance to Kolkata from the present 1,700 km through difficult terrain to some 350 km. The polity in Meghalaya is insulated from the issue of migrants. Migration from Bangladesh is a political problem in Assam.

Bangladesh and India have an asymmetry in development. Suppose Bangladesh develops faster, a lot of the migration will slow down. So, this gives a chance to develop the subcontinent or rather the sub-region in a more holistic way. If we include Bangladesh into the paradigm it is a large region that we are talking about for development, for new markets.

What are your priorities? Do you have a wish list for the Centre?
Yes, first let's get the trade and transit treaty going. Currently, more than 75 per cent of the border trade in the region is through informal channels. For Sikkim, the biggest challenge is the National Highway 31A. Secure that for us. We would want to increase the number of items that could be traded at Nathula or through Moreh. Could we have more trade across all these posts?

Peace is a great enabler for development. Sikkim is a shining example of what peace can do for development. Maybe the time has come to desecuritise the region and see what happens. You have done it the other way and nothing has happened. Now let's try doing it this way.

SOURCE; TOI