Ethnic Autonomy Question in N.E. India: Search for an Answer

This thought provoking book deals with ‘Cultural Pluralism’, one of the basic features of Northeast India. The concepts of Autonomy, Integration and Development have been discussed here. Just as rights cannot be separated from duties, autonomy cannot be divorced from responsibility. Integration is a fundamental requirement of a plural society like ours that invites mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence among people professing different background. Development calls for a change oriented, action oriented and result oriented administration. Today, the people of Northeast India are experiencing ethnic based discords in the field of politics and administration. Within two decades of India’s independence the dismantlement of Assam began with the separation of Naga Hills district as a political unit. Now the hill tribes of Northeast India have ethnic based States-Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were hill districts of Assam before reaching their present political status. Assam is still experiencing the ethnic autonomy question raised by the plains tribal communities such as Bodos, Misings, Tiwas, Rabhas etc. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Rabhas etc. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India the work of creation of Constitution of India the work of creation of Autonomous Councils has already commenced with the birth of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to which elections were recently held. Inspite of this, Assam’s efforts to resolve ethnic autonomy problems are emerging as the sources of fresh conflicts. The time has come to integrate the hopes and aspirations of all the communities to develop a new paradigm of thought to achieve sustainable development of all the communities and to establish good governance. There is an urgent need for a united effort, irrespective of caste, community, language, religion etc. to safeguard the unique and irreplaceable natural resources of the Northeast.