'Centre needs special policy to protect indigenous peoples of NE'
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, November 25 2014:
Tripura people, referred to as Tripuri, an ethnic group were engulfed by influx of migrants and now people of most of the North Eastern states including Assam and Manipur have been seriously threatened by migrants and so the Government of India needs to formulate a special policy for the region to protect its different indigenous peoples, North East Students' Organisation (NESO) advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said here yesterday.
Delivering a speech during a "One-day Discourse on Socio-Economy & Political Affinities "hosted by All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) at the Hotel Nirmala conference hall, Bhattacharya further blamed the Centre for the illegal migration taking place in NE.
He accused the Centre of not seriously taking the issue of migrants in the region and said the issue has raised serious security concerns.
Bhattacharya said identity crisis is evident in the polity of NE though the Government of India has claimed that a political change has been brought in the region.
He said the mainland India still looks down on the people of NE.
The Centre has been taking up big projects in the region, which need scientific discussion, he said and mentioned the controversies caused by exploitation of natural resources by the Government.
He said the Centre has not yet devised a clear-cut policy to solve the exploitation of natural resources in the region.Bhattacharya further said development schemes and policies sponsored by the Centre for the NE are not implemented at the grass-roots level.
Referring to Look East Policy, he said the Centre has still failed to show any concrete change in Manipur which will be the corridor for the policy.
He said only the corporate sector and rich people will get benefit from the India's Look East Policy, and that the people will have to watch the activities without getting any profit from it.