The visit to Nagaland of India’s visionary scientist turned President Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam has once again ignited the minds of people both young and old alike to the world of ‘possibilities’ that awaits them if only they dare to dream. As a man who believes in possibilities and no matter his own personal landmarks and achievements, he continues to dream, not for personal gain but to see that India’s billion hungry faces smile without being saddened by hunger and poverty. President Kalam’s optimism for success, which finds mention in the now famous India 2020 vision, is also largely because of his self belief in a young India. ‘Impossible’ as Kalam puts it “is not a good word”. “Young people must think that everything is possible”. And what is so captivating about India’s present Head of State is that he is able to inspire an entire nation in this self belief for a better India. Without a doubt President Kalam carries with him the rare distinction of being someone from outside the political firmament whose elevation to the highest post in the country was through his sheer academic achievement in the field of science and technology. India should indeed be proud of having such a learned President at the helm of affairs to guide the destiny of a billion people. But the saddest part of this otherwise great hope which he has generated and which Kalam himself will admit is that the President can only have a limited role to play. As a mere nominal Head of the State, the President’s vision will come to nothing if the political establishment does not follow suit. And this invariably will be the biggest challenge if at all the India 2020 vision has to become a reality.
And for this reason, for the people of Nagaland and the government as well, some of the suggestions put forward by President Kalam need a serious look in if the vision has to become a reality. The ingenious PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas) Model of development is a sound concept that is not only attractive but also within our capabilities. And Nagaland being a small state with a good network of villages and strong community spirit, identifying at least 11 PURAs in the 11 districts in Nagaland as suggested by Kalam is quite feasible. This will involve identification of a cluster of 40 to 50 villages with growth potential and creating physical, electronic, knowledge and market connectivity. The PURA model in essence will facilitate industrialization in rural areas and can be considered even as a growth centre from where development can spread and many PURAs can be added. But in order to identify the 11 PURAs, the politicians in the State should stay out of it and let the administration under the Chief Secretary and with Nagaland University as a partner, work out the cluster of villages and the circuits in each district, which can be considered as one of the 11 PURAs. Identification of the PURAs can likewise be made on the basis of the tourism and industrial growth prospects of the place. On a broader spectrum, the Kalam visit is also a good opportunity for Nagaland to reinvigorate its own Vision 2020 statement as brought out by the government.
