Shillong, June 8: A National Seminar on ‘Inclusive development-bridging the gap’ was organised by the Department of Social Work of St Edmund’s College at the college auditorium here on Friday.
Giving the ianugural address Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary talks about the reasons behind the emergence of insurgent groups.
Elaborating further on this, the governor observed that lack of focus and attention on the needs and deficiencies of the tribal communities and marginalised section of the society is one of the reasons of constant disturbances and turmoil in the country resulting in the emergence of insurgent groups or terrorist outfits.
“For peace to prevail and inclusive development to take place in the country, the government needs to focus more attention on the cause of restlessness and deficiency faced by the minority groups and deal with this problem at the grassroot level”, Mooshahary said.
Terming the Indian society as a ‘society of contradictions’, Mooshahary said there are contradictions in every aspects of the society while highlighting the main contradiction in the 21st century, i.e. between technological science and superstitions. “Despite the fact that literacy rate in on the increase yet, people especially in the rural areas are yet to come out of their superstitious beliefs,” he observed.
“We have to harmonise all these contradictions in order to bring about an inclusive society,” he said adding that it is up to the working class people with passion and fervour, especially the youth to bring about a needed change in the midst of the rural populace.
Member of the Planning Commission, Government of India, BK Chaturvedi in his address said that inclusive development is an important connotation in terms of equity and justice while informing that the 12th five year plan reflects on faster and more inclusive and sustainable growth.
Chaturvedi said that in the last two decades, there has been an increase in the per capita income of the country and as far as North East is concerned, there is an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 5.3 percent in the 8th plan to 9.5 in the 11th plan, similarly, in Meghalaya, the GDP has risen to 8.1 percent in the 11th plan from 3.8 in the 8th plan and in 2011-2012, the growth rate went up to 9.1 percent.
However, despite the increase in the per capita income, yet the country still runs at a slower pace in terms of Human Value Index. “Much is needed to be done in the field of education, food distribution, health care centres, reduction in the infant mortality rate, maternal maternity rate, besides others,” he added.
Meanwhile, Director of NESRC, Dr Walter Fernandes said today the country is at a cross-road as it has failed to bring about modernisation in an equal society and invested more on industrial development. “We need to invest more on social sectors but only 6-7 percent of GDP is spend on it,” he added.
Dr Fernandes stressed on the need to look at the cause of inequality, ethnic conflicts in North East, cause of naxalism and many other forms of inequality. “The cause of naxalism is not a law and order situation but the path of development and land acquisition,” adding that there is a need to solve this problem by going back to the basic cause. (SP News)
governor g ! please first sort one case and then look these things! All 5000 futures are in your hand and i guess at the time of calamity disaster managent has to be done first n then the development!!!!
we need your help for our life . All this has happened under you so i guess you should look into our CMJ matter very closely !