Modi government should be commended for more than doubling speed of highway construction in the Northeast. Roads are important and are especially critical in the tough terrain of the region. But roads alone can’t lead to development and end alienation. The Northeast needs better healthcare, higher education and sustainable industry.
Rajya Sabha marshals’ new uniform is laughable. No room for military uniforms in Parliament
Rajya Sabha’s move to switch the uniforms of the marshals to military-inspired attire is laughable and inconsiderate to the soldiers’ dignity. It’s the pride of the forces. The government shouldn’t trivialise the respect the uniform commands and the sentiment of soldiers wearing it. India doesn’t need military uniforms in Parliament.
India is Mahatma Gandhi’s land of peace and non violence, ahimsa. Increasing signs of militarisation sit oddly with that ethos.
The north east can be India’s ASEAN, not merely a geographical bridge to it. So much natural endowment, including bright young people who are already making a mark in the services sector. We need to find ways to reduce the emotional distance between the region and the rest of the country.