A few years ago one of the representative deputed from Delhi to help set up an institute in Nagaland commented that there is no system here in Nagaland and that no amount of effort is going to work unless off course we develop a good system of governance. This particular observation by an outside official more or less sums up the chaos there is in our government system. And mind you this is not simply about a government run by the NPF or Congress. The malaise goes beyond electoral politics. The blame therefore is a collective one including the failings of a dishonest and indolent public. And it’s true that nothing seems to work properly here in Nagaland. Look at the other northeastern States. Despite achieving Statehood much later than our State, they have progressed leaps and bounds in all areas of development. We continue to lag behind. Just take the example of Shillong in Meghalaya. They have been able to the kick start the renowned Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and today Shillong prides itself as the owner of one of the global brand IIMs.
Meanwhile it is not that Nagaland has not been given similar opportunities. To refresh public memory, the Government of India proposed to set up the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) under the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry. The then Central Minister PA Sangma had even come to Dimapur and laid the foundation stone for the IIMC. The failure to establish the much anticipated central institute in a way sums up the observation about Nagaland that there is no system here. Today the plot allotted for the original IIMC has been encroached upon even as the government machinery silently looks on. And off course because we failed to get things right, the very IIMC meant for Nagaland has now gone to Mizoram. Unfortunate and even humorous, we are left with just the foundation stone, which though embarrassing to mention here, that too has been encroached upon and almost completely razed to the ground. Another example of the systems failure is on the revival of the Nagaland Pulp and Paper Co Ltd (NPPC) at Tuli. Several years have now gone by ever since the big plans afoot to revive the dysfunctional unit. There are many other government projects which have failed to take off the ground.
About six to seven months back during the 6th North East Business Summit held at Mumbai, our Chief Minister did his best to project and promote Nagaland as a tourist and investment destination. However as the CM himself admitted despite sustained efforts of the DoNER Ministry and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and also the ‘Investors Meets’ held as far away as Thailand, Vietnam and even New York, very little tangible investment has taken place in the region, especially in Nagaland. The very relevant question: “What is preventing the inflow of investment into the region?” We may complain or argue that the images of violence and insurgency in the region or Nagaland being projected in the media may have a negative impact in the minds of the investors. We need to realise that others will not invest their hard earned money unless they are guaranteed a semblance of political order and the functioning of the rule of law. We need to ask ourselves whether our State, its people or for that matter our institutions can be relied upon to perform without hindrance. Right now, the answer is no. Unless, therefore, we improve ourselves, we cannot expect support for development. Nagaland needs to get its system in place.
Meanwhile it is not that Nagaland has not been given similar opportunities. To refresh public memory, the Government of India proposed to set up the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) under the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry. The then Central Minister PA Sangma had even come to Dimapur and laid the foundation stone for the IIMC. The failure to establish the much anticipated central institute in a way sums up the observation about Nagaland that there is no system here. Today the plot allotted for the original IIMC has been encroached upon even as the government machinery silently looks on. And off course because we failed to get things right, the very IIMC meant for Nagaland has now gone to Mizoram. Unfortunate and even humorous, we are left with just the foundation stone, which though embarrassing to mention here, that too has been encroached upon and almost completely razed to the ground. Another example of the systems failure is on the revival of the Nagaland Pulp and Paper Co Ltd (NPPC) at Tuli. Several years have now gone by ever since the big plans afoot to revive the dysfunctional unit. There are many other government projects which have failed to take off the ground.
About six to seven months back during the 6th North East Business Summit held at Mumbai, our Chief Minister did his best to project and promote Nagaland as a tourist and investment destination. However as the CM himself admitted despite sustained efforts of the DoNER Ministry and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and also the ‘Investors Meets’ held as far away as Thailand, Vietnam and even New York, very little tangible investment has taken place in the region, especially in Nagaland. The very relevant question: “What is preventing the inflow of investment into the region?” We may complain or argue that the images of violence and insurgency in the region or Nagaland being projected in the media may have a negative impact in the minds of the investors. We need to realise that others will not invest their hard earned money unless they are guaranteed a semblance of political order and the functioning of the rule of law. We need to ask ourselves whether our State, its people or for that matter our institutions can be relied upon to perform without hindrance. Right now, the answer is no. Unless, therefore, we improve ourselves, we cannot expect support for development. Nagaland needs to get its system in place.
