Shillong, Dec 01: The North East Dialogue Forum NEDF) has written to the Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi urging him to explain what will be the impact of the Act East Policy both the advantage and the disadvantage to the people of North east with the implementation of this policy.
The NEDF in the memorandum sent to the prime minister said that they have learn that the Government of India have taken several initiatives and action to implement the Act East Policy, which include business, trade, etc., with South East Asian countries including China, Japan and others as per the plan and programme of action.
The question put by the NEDF before the Prime Minister seeking his clarification, that they would like to know, what will be the impact – positive and negative of such undertakings on the peoples of the North East region, that is Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura in term of social, economic and political.
The NEDF also asked how will they contribute, to a sustainable development of the region and people’s; sustainable livelihoods of the peoples now and for incoming generations; to mitigating climate change or would they, instead, produce counter effects through land degradation and land damage, water and air pollution, destruction and loss of biodiversity, enhancing human induced disasters such as floods, earthquake, mudslides, soil erosion.
The NEDF also foreseen, carrying out extractive industries by way of mining of mineral resources including atomic minerals like uranium, plutonium, thorium thereby accelerating radiation hazards beyond the natural permissible limit, construction of mega dams for hydel power projects to generate electricity beyond the needs of the people of the region.
How will implementation of this policy usher in lasting holistic and integral development of the peoples of the region or will we simply be pawns in the broker’s shop and the moot question is “Who pays and who gains?” We need facts and figures, long termed and short termed gains and loss with specifics, said NEDF.
The NEDF also question whether the central government have taken the people into confidence in all this or the central Government take things for granted by giving sops and having State Governments on your side due to their being part of your political alliance.
The organization is extremely concerned on the implementation of the Act East Policy and they are looking the response on their query from the prime minister, the letter was sign by Mr Kh. Phajaton of Manipur, Mr Girin Chetia of Assam, Mr Anthony Debbarma of Tripura, Mr Chenithung Humtsoe of Nagaland and Dr. PBM Basaiawmoit of Meghalaya.
