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North-East India is the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States and the state of Sikkim. This region is officially recognized as a special category of states. The North East Council (NEC)North East Council was constituted in 1971 as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the eight states, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi)North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. was incorporated on August 9, 1995 and the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DONER)Ministry of Development of Northeastern RegionMinistry of Development of Northeastern Region from Northeast Vigil was set up in September 2001.
The states
Of these, Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1947 and a full state in 1975. The states border Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. However they share only a 21 km common border with the rest of India via the Chicken's Neck. Sometimes the parts of North Bengal to the east of Siliguri is included in the North-East to denote a contiguous region.
Political issues
The North-east has been added to political India only in recent times. Assam (which included at the time of Indian independence, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya) was never part of political India for most of its history; Manipur and Tripura were princely states also never a part of political India; Arunachal Pradesh was beyond the outer line of British India at the beginning of the 20th century) and Sikkim too was not part of political India. After independence in 1947, extension of the Indian state and political apparatus has been a challenge.Verghese, V. G. (2001) Unfinished Business in the Northeast: Pointers Towards Restructuring, Reconciliation and Resurgence, Seventh Kamal Kumari Memorial Lecture, Guwahati The North-East got increasingly isolated.
The isolation of the Northeastern states began earlier as a result of British imperialism, when the region was cut-off from its traditional trading partners (Bhutan, Myanmar and Indo-China).Baruah, Sanjib (2004), Between South and Southeast Asia Northeast India and Look East Policy, Ceniseas Paper 4, Guwahati In 1947 Indian independence and partition made this a landlocked region. Soon it became a captive market for mainstream India.Khanna, Sushil: (2005) Economic opportunities or continuing stagnation Seminar, June 2005. Ethnically, the Northeast has a large Mongoloid population, with cultural and population sources that are different from mainstream India.Cordaux, Richard et al, (2004) The Northeast Indian Passageway: A Barrier or Corridor for Human Migrations?, Mol. Biol. Evol. 21(8):1525-1533. The northeastern states with just 25 out of a total of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha are politically insignificant in Delhi. This has kept the Northeast politically and culturally apart from the rest of India. Religion is also distinctive, as, along with Kerala, this is the primary stronghold of Christianity in India. Due to these factors there is discontent and demands for independence are being raised by the Nagas, ULFA, and Bodos. Soon after Indo-China War of 1962 and especially after the rise of insurgency in the region, security influence on policies has increased.Sanjib Baruah (2001) ''Generals as Governors: The parallel political system of Northeast India, Himal Magazine, June 2001
The region is known for its unique culture, handicrafts, martial arts, and scenic beauty. Problems include insurgency, unemployment, drug addiction, and lack of infrastructure. Since the beginning of the economic liberalization in the 1990s, studies have shown that this region is lagging behind the others in terms of development.
See also
Notes
External links
"North-East India"