Vicious Circle of Insurgency and Underdevelopment in North East India

Bhattacharjee, PR and Nayak, Purusottam (2013): Vicious Circle of Insurgency and Underdevelopment in North East India.

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to assess the nexus between insurgency and underdevelopment in North East India. To achieve this end first various dimensions of insurgencies towards achievement of different goals in different states in the region are narrated. The impact of insurgency on infrastructure, industry including petroleum and tea, and environment are then analyzed. The origin and persistent existence of ethnic separatism in the form of insurgency is explained through the theory of Cooperative Conflicts. The authors state that it is not easy to break the vicious circle of insurgency and underdevelopment. The problem cannot be tackled solely by administrative, political or economic measures in isolation. It requires a holistic approach and a great deal of patience and understanding of the specific problems of different socio-cultural-ethnic groups. Since conflict between equity and efficiency is very sharp in the region, development projects must have social approval at the grass-root level given the diversities of population. Besides, projects must be ecologically sustainable. Centrally allocated fund to the region need to be matched by significant amount of resource generation at local levels in order to make the ethnic groups realize the hazards of wasteful expenditure and the sense of responsibility towards nation building.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Insurgency, separatism, cooperative conflict, equity-efficiency conflict, ethnic groups, North East India, underdevelopment.
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development

References

Bhattacharjee, P.R. (1993). Economic Transition in Tripura, New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

Datta Ray, B. (1999). Autonomous District Councils and the Strategy of Development in North- East India. In A. Bannerjee and B. Kar (Eds.) Economic Planning and Development of North-Eastern States. New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers & Distributors.

Dréze, Jean & Sen, Amartya. (1999). Hunger and Public Action. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Ganguly, J.B. (1983). Benign Hills. Agartala: The Tripura Darpan Prakasani.

Ganguly, J.B. (1996). Sustainable Human Development in the North Eastern Region. Shillong: ICSSR, North Eastern Regional Centre.

Ganguly, J.B. (1999). Peace and Development in Tripura: Problems and Prospects. Guwahati: Nagaland Gandhi Ashram.

Goswami, P.C. (1988). The Economic Development of Assam. New Delhi: Kalyani Publishers.

Singh, P. (2000). North-East: The Frontier in Ferment. Dialogue, 1(4), April-June, New Delhi.