Seminar on Act East Policy held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 16 2016 :
A two-day National seminar on "India's Act East Policy : Problems and Prospects in North East India" was inaugurated today at the conference hall of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Regional Campus, Manipur.
The seminar is being organised by the Department of Political Science and Human Rights, IGNTU and sponsored by Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.
Dr Sohiamlung Dangmei, Head, Department of Tribal Studies, IGNTU-RCM, Dr N Surjitkumar, Head, Department of Political Science and Human Rights and Dr H Shukhdeba Sharma, Head, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology attended the inaugural session of the seminar as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Dr Ng Ngalengnam, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Human Rights and coordinator of the seminar in his key note address said, the vision of India's Act East Policy is praiseworthy in terms of its political, cultural and economic prospect.
He recalled the initiatives taken up by the Narasimharao's Government in the 1990s under the "Look East Policy", which is continued actively by the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The name "Look East Policy" was changed to 'Act East Policy' with principles for stronger ties in trade and commerce, culture and connectivity commonly known as the 3Cs and various others areas with the South East Asian countries.
In spite of the prospects, the North Eastern States of India has the apprehension that their land will be a dumping place of other country's products.
The objectives of the proposed seminar is to make people understand what the policy actually stands for, to sensitise the importance of the policy, to make sure that the policy do not ignore the possible submersion the North Eastern States under a negative wave of the Act East Policy, to frame a systematic phase wise or stage wise plan target of the policy and strengthen the vision of the Government of India on the policy, Dr Ng Ngalengnam added.
The first session of the seminar was held on the topic, "Challenges and the possibilities of India's Act East Policy".
The session was chaired by Dr Sohiamlung Dangei.
Three papers were presented in the first session.
The second session on "A threat to culture of North East India" was chaired by Dr H Shukhdeba Sharma.
Three papers were presented in the session.