Skip to content Skip to navigation

NE leadership responsible for backwardness

Industrial development in India has ever been dependent on the political will of leadership since independence. It was because of the fact that no ‘fair policy’ could be framed by the Union Government for ‘equal development’ of all the regions of the country simultaneously. That is why some of the areas remained completely neglected and others developed beyond limit. Besides the metropolis and a few industrial cities, where opportunities were ample for industrial growth, there have been vast disparity in the growth of industries. The industrialization of a particular area depends fully on the degree of political influence in its favor.

A few industries in the country have been setup on the basis of availability of raw materials, which is prime factor for consideration before taking up such projects. After coming up of giant steel plants at Bhilai, Rourkela and Durgapur, the demands for such a project in public sector raised from united Bihar for such a project, which resulted in Bokaro steel plant under Jharkhand state. On demands from the southern part of the country the steel plant in Tamilnadu’s Salem came up. The Barauni and Mathura oil refineries were setup at long distances from the places of raw materials. All these came up because of political influence and pressure from the local leaderships. Had there been no pressure by strong leadership of that period the chances for Guwahati and Bongaigaon oil refineries were bleak. Now, It is because of no pressure and the present weak political leadership in the north-eastern states that no industry in the region could bring success to the economy of these states despite availability of valuable raw materials like oil, tea and forest products.

In a democracy like India, the representatives of the people have some special role to play in the interest of the people they represent. Unfortunately, a number of such people from this region have no voice of their own. They fail to fulfill their commitments to the people despite their assurances before they return to the Parliament or Assembly. On the other hand a few leaders dominate over the others and do their best for their electorate.

Lack of education, extreme poverty and immaturity of our people in maintaining high standards of democracy by keeping the faith alive in the principles, leads to their maximum exploitation by their political leaders. Our innocent and simple voters are allured by attractive slogans before the polls and they join this or that camp purely on certain temporary issues. This leads to unsuccessful attempts to solve their long standing problems. Unless they get really powerful leaders to represent their cause, their dreams remain an illusion.

For example among the influential leaders, who really worked for the development of their constituency, the former prime minister late Indira Gandhi was perhaps on the top. All-round development of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, which she represented for more than a decade from 1967 to 1977 is a bright example of such development which can be called as a ‘forced’ one in the other words. Practically having no resources for industrial growth, Rae Bareli, an unknown place for millions of people till 1967, figured on the industrial map of the country within a short span of time. Rae Bareli was one among the seven most backward districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP), to which the Central government provides capital assistance. The district is primarily an agricultural belt and due to various schemes of the Central and State governments for several years the atmosphere could be envisaged. Had Mrs. Gandhi not lost the election in 1977 from Rae Bareli Parliamentary constituency, the chances of its attaining peak in development were much higher. Whatever the schemes came up during her time for a decade were most successful and satisfactory. More than fifty large, medium and small scale industries are working in full swing at present. Rising from zero to this status this place has recorded a good achievement.

An unit of Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) was established with an initial outlay of Rs.60 crore. The cross bar product of ITI started long back. This sector provides employment to more than ten thousand persons. The industries in Rae Bareli manufacture telephone lines, switchgear equipment, cotton yarn, sugar, cement, woolen threads, carpets, soft drinks, rice bran oil, high tension insulators, scooter tyres and tubes, medical, earthen goods, cross bar units, writing and printing papers etc. Under small scale industries around 1328 units were registered. Total capital investment in this sector exceeded Rs.8 crore and about ten thousand people got employment. These units mainly manufacture power transformer, electric lines accessories, NPK mixed fertilizers, chlorinated wax, syringes, cast iron products, RCC spun pipes, aluminum building fittings, shutters, agricultural implements, iron and steel items, stationery items, wooden furniture, leather shoes and chappals, woolen carpets, ice and pulses. The only factor that worked behind this unexpected progress of the area was the political influence of the then prime minister Late Indira Gandhi. Being the parliamentary constituency of the prime minister Rae Bareli got special favor from the Union and state governments. Cores of rupees were pumped for setting of these industries. Political leaders and government officials left no stone unturned to remain in the ‘good book’ of the prime minister.

These developments had been welcomed in some circles and got sharp criticism by the others. The leadership is not to be blamed for all these. Our people are responsible for not producing sincere and dedicated leaders who can bring justice for them. Majority of the leaders are not sincere yet they hold high offices and position in society. It makes the entire society ‘corrupt‘. Such leaders neither can face the truth nor bring justice to the masses.

The people had no doubt in the leadership of Late Indira Gandhi and later Late Rajiv Gandhi, who represented Amethi parliamentary constituency exactly on the lines of his mother. We need more leaders to serve the people sincerely in all corners of the country. A change in our social structure is must. We need proper education which works in real life. We are not to undo what has been achieved, but we have to achieve what could not be.

Author info

Daya Nath Singh's picture

Journalist; Guwahati Press Club office Secretary

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Ravaging fire in Namrup

6 Dec 2017 - 6:26pm | Akshaya Pranab Kalita
Namrup: Properties worth lakhs of rupees were reduced to ashes when a ravaging fire broke out at a house in Namrup on Wednesday. The incident took place near BVFCL Main Gate in the wee hours...

Climate change conference: some questions

25 Feb 2014 - 4:34pm | Syed Miraz Ahmed
ICIMOD’s ongoing mega-conference on Climate Change Adaptation: Priorities for Research, Policy and Practices in North East India, in Guwahati on February 25-26 aims to boost engagements in climate...

Stop harassment to Bengali Hindus

16 Jun 2015 - 6:27pm | Hantigiri Narzary
The All BTC Bengali Youth Students’ Federation(ABBYSF) demands check on unreasonable harrasement to  Bengali Hindus in the name of NRC updation in Assam and the citizens should be given proper...

Minor girl gangraped in Naoboisa

9 Apr 2018 - 10:49am | AT News
LAKHIMPUR: Yet another girl was kidnapped and gangraped before being dumped on the roadside in Lakhimpur sending shock and anger across the state on Monday. The gory incident took place on Sunday...

Other Contents by Author

Gamusas and Japis are two important items in Assam, which are in much demand throughout the year in the state especially during festival seasons and social functions. These items are demanded by the people to honor the guests and honorable persons during each and every event.  However, it has been found that throughout the festival seasons the supply of locally woven gamusas are not according to demand by the customers. The reason behind it is said to be heavy cost of the locally produced items. On the other hand the weavers and traders from other parts of the country take advantage of supplying gamusas at cheaper rates and make more profit despite spending heavy cost on...
Archaeological Survey of India, Guwahati circle, has been trying to take-up the work of repairing of a broken pillar in the Mandap of Hayagriva Madhav Temple at Hajo for a long time. ASI, Guwahati has informed the media through a press note that one of the pillars of ancient temple was broken in three parts due to rusting of the iron dowels holding each other and the other developed cracks due to the same reason and widened more after the earthquake of May 2015. Hayagriva Madhav Temple is a reconstructed temple during the Koch period. The architectural parts of the earlier temple have been used for reconstruction. Different parts of the temple have been used randomly for making the pillars...
There is a generation gap between the signing of Assam Accord on the Independence Day 1985 and the present generation has to face new challenges to compete with the world class people in all spheres of development. The young people are confused over the airing of old issues which have lasted for long 31 years in absence of any solution. The issues pertaining to the Accord have become irrelevant under the present circumstances. The Assam Accord issue is still haunting and confusing the present generation due to absence of a clear picture. The fate of the Accord is not known to the people in general. A few politicians and intellectuals are trying to raise the issues of the accord from time to...
It is an established fact that a person involved in political activities cannot remain in peace till his cherished dreams are fulfilled. This can be noticed through the recent statements of former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, who has been expressing his views frequently in media against the four months old BJP-led alliance government in the state under the chief minister ship of Sarwanand Sonowal.  He (Gogoi) dares to demand a ‘white paper’ from state government about the steps taken by it to clear the encroachments of forest and other government  lands in the state and also to let the people of the state know, what action it has taken to identify and deport the foreign...
Addressing a huge gathering of residents of Udaypur, Jonakpur and Birubari at Udaypur Kali Mandir complex on Sunday, July 3, 2016, East Guwahati Assembly Member, Siddharth Bhattacharjee, emphasized the need of implementing the vision document of development as envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the function organized by Udaypur Yuva Sangha to felicitate him on his success in the recently concluded polls to the state Assembly, he conveyed his thanks to the people of the area for showing their confidence in him. He assured the people that he would not let their confidence go in vain. The meeting was presided over by Dr Phani Borah. Senior citizen of the locality Kartik...
Hardly a few days ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Alliance has taken the reign of Assam administration the results of efforts made by Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi to bring back black money to the state coffer, has started recently with the arrest of Dhemaji Divisional Forest Officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar by anti-corruption department. For a long time the reports of wildlife crimes were in the air, but the previous state administration ruled by Congress Party under the three-terms  leadership of Tarun Gogoi did not try to take any action. The former Chief Minister Gogoi was under a wrong impression that the people who gave him a...
A study conducted by B Boruah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, has revealed that during a decade from 2001-02 to 2011-12, cancer cases in the north-eastern part of the country have gone up from 5,404 to 8,708. A campaign, namely, Cycle 4 ride can help control this dreaded disease. In order to raise awareness to fight cancer a lady, namely, Marcellna Sangma, is going to lead a Biker Mission to 600 kms long stretch from Guwahati to Bum La Pass, near Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. The ride is scheduled to be flagged off by Dr Amar Chandra Kataki, Director, B Boruah Cancer Institute, on April 21, 2016.Expressing her traumatic experience with cancer, Sangma, who was a cancer patient a decade...
Being disturbed since the first phase of polling for Assam Assembly on April 4 last, the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi is finding it difficult to remember the history of Assam agitation propelled by All Assam Students Union (AASU) since the year 1979 to the Independence Day of 1985, resulting in the Assam Accord which was signed between the Assam Government and the movement leaders in presence of erstwhile prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Heavy polling beyond 85 percent of the electorate in the second phase also made Gogoi to think over the majority of young and new voters were not the ‘beneficiaries of getting blankets, yarn and mosquito nets’. They are young, energetic, literate and...
Continuing campaigns for Assam Assembly elections have confused the Assam intellectuals to raise vital issues before the future state legislators and improve the quality of political atmosphere affecting the entire society for quite some time. Almost all political parties have started ‘derogatory’ comments against their rivals for attracting the electorates by their acts and objectives about which they are themselves ignorant. The main reason behind such interpretation is lack of knowledge about the real issues on which the political parties are campaigning. Assam as a state of multi-lingual and religious people continued to be disturbed since the year1979, when several organizations under...
Long awaited North East Graduate Congress, an initiative of Education Research Development Foundation (ERDF) is going to be held from February 26 to 28, 2016. This is the only graduate congress in India being organized by University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) in association with RIST and supported by the State Bank of India (SBI). The venue of the congress is the USTM campus at 9th mile, Khanapara. Addressing the media persons in Guwahati on February 14, 2016, the USTM spokesperson informed that the three days congress is aimed to enhance all round development and bring out the capabilities of future graduates through various life skill processes to bring out  their...