UGC seminar dwells on politics and reorganisation of NE

GUWAHATI, February 28: A seminar on 'Politics and Reorganisation of Northeast India' was held recently at Diphu Government College under the auspices of the university Grants Commission. It was organised by the Department of Political Science of which BC Bhuyan, Head of the Department, was the chief co-ordinator. It was inaugurated by professor Anuradha Dutta of Gauhati University on February 1. In her inaugural speech, Dutta remarked that the Northeast was going through a process of turmoil and attributed the crisis to the Constitutional machinery. She pointed out that neglect by the Centre, nepotism, corruption, alienation, secession etc, were mainly responsible for the morass. According to her, the whole problem began with the creation of Nagaland which was preceded by violent uprising. The seminar had three academic sessions presided over by Girin Phukon of Dibrugarh University, Professor Bimola Devi of Manipur University and Mira Borpujari of DKD College of Dergaon. Altogether 12 papers highlighting various issues of the problem, were presented. Arupjyoti Chowdhury of Cotton College, in his paper entitled 'The Sclerosis Syndrome : A Genetic Approach to Reorganisation of Northeast' stated that redrawing of the boundaries of Northeast was done to put an effective check on the activities of the insurgents. He recommended that the Constitution Review Committee should immediately look into the problem of identity of the nationalities living in the Northeastern part of the country. Professor Hira Borpujari of DKD College, Dergaon, in his brief paper entitled "The Role of Politics in the Demand for the Creation of New States", observed that an active centrifugal force has been at work since the time of the British Raj. This has further strengthened after India has attained her freedom, he added. The instrument of politics in the liberal democratic framework also allows much room, Borpujari observed, for the political actors to shape their attitudes on the basis of tribal-ethnic identities.