29 November 2016

THERE IS HOPE AMID TERROR AND VIOLENCE

Sudhansu R Das

Government must ensure that indigenous talent and resources are given due attention, so that it can help augment the economy while benefitting remote areas

Terrorism in any form adversely affects the social, cultural and economic fabric of a nation. According to the 2015 Global Terrorism Index, the cost of terrorism to the world was $ 52.5 billion in 2014, the highest since 2001. As per the South Asia Terrorism Portal, between 1992 and 2016, the terrorist violence in North-East has taken 21,422 lives, which include 10,244 civilians, 2,727 security personnel and 8,451 terrorists.

The cost due to loss of life among security personnel, death of single bread-earner of the families, loss of livelihood, loss of productivity hours, loss of priceless handicraft traditions in Maoist infested areas, loss to tourism sector, loss of forest wealth, loss of school time due to bandh, loss of mutual trust among communities, huge expenditure on surveillance gazettes, on purchase of sophisticated weapons, on security check, on barbed wire fence and on transport etc has not been assessed across the country.

The North-East has a vibrant horticulture, tourism, adventure tourism, pilgrim tourism, handicrafts, mining, handloom sector, and has the largest crop diversity in India, which can create jobs for the people. People of these regions have traditional skills to make hundreds of handmade utility and decorative items to meet the growing global demand for eco-friendly items.

The famous muga silk, bamboo and cane items of Assam and the magnificent carpets of Sikkim are globally famous. The delicately-woven baskets and carpets of Mehgalaya, the shawls, wood craft and cane items of Nagaland, exotic masks, silver wires, paintings and the carpets of Arunachal Pradesh and scores of other craft items from North East regions can generate huge employment. The NDA Government's mission North East should focus on tapping the handicraft, handloom, mining, forestry, horticulture and tourism sector in a scientific manner so that it could keep the youth busy in economic activities.

Like the North-East, terrorism has also caused damage to Kashmir's tourism, agriculture, horticulture, spice production, fishery sector, carpet production and handicraft sector. Kashmir was returning to normalcy in the last decade. The author had visited Kashmir in May 2014. He found the spice farmers were earning well, the tourist operators were taking tourists for home stay, children were going to convent schools and Government schools; the hotels and craft market were doing good business. The market in Lal Chowk, and the small economic activities around the Dal Lake were ticking. The income from tourism in the valley increased three folds in 2014. But, after the death of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen commander, the valley boiled again.

The Kashmir Traders & Manufacturer Federation reportedly informed that the loss incurred by the State touched Rs6,000 crore in 45 days strife in July and August 2016. The loss to Kashmir’s education sector is immense, as the miscreants have gutted more than 19 schools in the last three months.

When insurgency and cross-border terrorism have affected the life and livelihood on bordering States, the Maoist violence has disturbed the social, cultural and economic activities in tribal districts of some other States of the country. The tribals of Chhattisgarh region make exotic wood craft, iron craft, dhokra craft and jewellery etc, which have high value addition due to their skill and artistry. Organic food crops, minor forest products, precious wood and handicraft of Bastar can improve the tribal's living conditions. The Government, while tackling the Maoists, should also weed out the corrupt people from the key departments and financial institutions of the State.

Tribals in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha make ropes from sabai grass, collect bamboo from forest, produce organic food grains, make exotic dhokra, shape terracotta items and make khalipatta (saal leaf plates). Here, Marwari traders have monopoly over the trade, and the tribals do not get the profit margin they deserve. Healthy tribal co-operative societies free from politics can improve the bargaining power of the tribal. Tribal children in school should learn how to tap their economic potential. The Government should remove all kinds of unnecessary infrastructure projects which disturb the life and livelihood of the tribals.

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