IMPHAL, Nov 24 � Tripuris, an ethnic group in Tripura, were engulfed by influx of migrants and now people of most of the Northeastern States including Assam and Manipur have been seriously threatened by migrants and so the Government of India needs to formulate a special policy for the region to protect its different indigenous peoples, North East Students� Organisation (NESO) advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said here today.
Addressing a �One-day Discourse on Socio-Economy & Political Affinities �hosted by All Manipur Students� Union (AMSU)here, Bhattacharya blamed the Centre for the illegal migration taking place in NE.
He accused the Centre of not seriously taking the issue of migrants in the region and said the issue has raised serious security concerns.
Bhattacharya said identity crisis is evident in the polity of NE though the Government of India has claimed that a political change has been brought in the region. He said the mainland India still looks down on the people of NE. The Centre has been taking up big projects in the region, which need scientific discussion, he said and mentioned the controversies caused by exploitation of natural resources by the Government. He said the Centre has not yet devised a clear-cut policy to solve the exploitation of natural resources in the region.
Giving the inaugural keynote address during the discourse, NESO secretary general Sinam Prakash said all the seven States of the North East seem to be happily lost in their consciousness of being �unique� Nagas, Assamese, Mizo, Manipuri and the rest.
He said, �We want to continue our self-obsession. We seem to have no time to take serious notice of the world knocking at our doors. An identity of NE can emerge only when we are sufficiently conscious about the threats and opportunities that come in the wake of entry of the corporate houses and foreign investors into the region.�
The demographic influx from outside the region, including foreign nationals, is another threat which can destabilise the indigenous societies of the NE, he said, adding this demographic onslaught is bound to increase by leaps and bounds with corporate houses and foreign investors speeding up the economic developmental activities in the region.
