Flights Of Fantasy
[ M Panging Pao ]
Even after 51 years of becoming a union territory and 36 years since becoming a state, Arunachal is still dependent on other states for most products, services and human resources. Arunachal is heavily dependent on other states in many areas, like education, medical, groceries, hardware, software, service industries, technical expertise, manpower, etc.
Many Arunachalis are educating their children in better schools, colleges and universities outside the state. This trend of sending students outside the state has been mitigated by opening of many Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas, Ramakrishna/Sharda Mission Schools, Sainik School, etc. Similarly, starting of new universities, the TRIHMS, the NIT, the NERIST, the polytechnics, the nursing colleges, BEd colleges, agriculture colleges, and law colleges have reduced this outside dependency for higher and technical education to an extent.
The other major economic drain is in the field of medical treatment. Numerous needy patients are going to speciality hospitals in Assam, Delhi, Vellore, Chennai, etc, for specialised medical treatment. Though opening of the TRIHMS and upgradation of district hospitals have reduced this medical migration, there is a need for more medical college hospitals in Pasighat, Namsai, etc.
Without major industries, almost all products are imported from outside. Groceries, vegetables, stationeries, clothes, liquor, fish, and poultry are imported from outside.
Appliances/equipment like TV, fridge, air conditioners, mobiles, hardware, etc, are also brought from outside the state. Likewise, most skilled manpower like mistries, masons, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, shopkeepers, and casual labourers are from outside. Hotel employees, cooks, salesmen, chartered accountants, tax consultants are from outside. Even the daily markets are manned and operated by outsiders.
If we make a house or building in Arunachal, 80-90 per cent of our hard-earned money goes outside the state. The majority of our hard-earned money is being drained outside the state. So what could be the ways to preserve our money within the state?
In the education sector, opening of good residential schools and better colleges would help retaining students within the state. In the medical sector, a few more medical college hospitals in places like Pasighat, Namsai and Bomdila are needed. In the manpower sector, more local youths need to be skilled in various professions like masonry, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, mistries, etc. These skills should not be limited to certificates only, but actual skills. Thereafter, local youths need to take over these specialised professions, which could offer adequate earnings and self-reliance.
Arunachal needs more manufacturing industries and needs to boost the agri-horticulture sectors. We need better roads, railways, airports and 24/7 stabilised electricity to boost our industries and tourism sectors. We need user-friendly investment procedures/policies which are single-window based with less bureaucracy.
To stem this massive drain of our hard-earned money outside the state, we need to transform towards self-reliance in all fields. Arunachalis need to take up professions like electrician, plumber, mason, mechanic, shopkeeper, wholesaler, etc. We need to do it ourselves. Do you agree? (The contributor is retired Group Captain, Indian Air Force)
