Shillong, Aug 8: An eminent social scientist lecture held at NEHU, Shillong has highlighted the importance of developing NER into the Eastern South Asia Power Pool for cross-border electricity exchange.
Faculty, research scholars, and students from different departments of NEHU, as well as invitees, attended the programme organised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, North Eastern Regional Centre( ICSSR-NERC), in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, on the topic “North East Region: Widening the Vision for 2047”.
Key speaker, Prof Mahendra P. Lama, an eminent professor in the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Speaking to the audience, Prof. Lama said the lecture is part of a policy document which he and his team of experts has prepared for the central government which aims to make North East India as a new growth pole of India and Eastern South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and North East India Region) also known as NER Growth Quadrangle (NERGQ) as a significant player in India’s Act East Policy, Viksit Bharat and Aatmanirbhar Bharat 2047.
The creation of this new growth pole will involve the active participation of the following key actors, such as the central ministries, state departments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, the private sector, communities/ International non-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and cross-border actors and institutions.
Prof Lama contended that the NER, with its strategic location, rich reserves of natural resources, rich biodiversity, soft power reservoir, and physical and cultural proximities with neighbouring countries, can do a huge favor for India’s economic, strategic, and political interests, provided there is a proper leverage of these aspects.
Prof. Lama outlined 7 goals of transforming NER into a significant region of India by 2047. There is a plan to develop North Eastern (NER) into a sub-regional pool known as Eastern South Asia Power Pool for power exchange between NER and other parts of India, as well as with neighbouring countries. Transforming NER by leveraging borderlands as opportunities was another goal discussed by Prof Lama.
Due to its territorial proximity, the region can serve as a pivotal corridor for better trade and connectivity between North Eastern India and the rest of India, and neighbouring countries, as well as to foster better relationships with neighbouring countries.
Prof Lama believed that it is high time to develop NER as a green corridor by promoting the production of nature and biodiversity-based green products, which would benefit the national economy and local economies. He also argued that NER can become a leading actor in climate studies for the Eastern Himalayan Region by creating a network of multidisciplinary higher educational institutions, professional and technical agencies in the North East.
The North East has the potential to become a popular destination for medical and adventure tourism. The region can also be turned into a thriving source of soft power by leveraging aspects such as sports, food, music, entertainment and vibrant youth demographics.
Last but not the least, the North East should be enabled to reap the peace dividend. In order to transform the aforementioned goals into reality, Prof Lama prescribed the development of a futuristic network of state-of-the-art logistics and infrastructure, as well as efficient institutional architecture and visionary leadership.
The programme also saw the participation from the audience in the form of questions and comments.
