Shillong, August 8: The Indian Council of Social Science Research, North Eastern Regional Centre (ICSSR-NERC), in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, organized an Eminent Social Scientist Lecture on the topic “North East Region: Widening the Vision for 2047”. The programme took place today at the ICSSR-NERC Conference Hall. The key speaker was Mahendra P Lama, an eminent professor in the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and a founding vice-chancellor of Sikkim Central University. B Panda, the honorary director of ICSSR-NERC, chaired the programme. Faculty, research scholars, and students from different departments of NEHU, as well as invitees, attended the programme in offline and online modes.

Speaking to the audience, Lama described this lecture as a significant part of a policy document prepared by him and a team of experts for the Government of India. The document aims to position North East India as a new growth pole of India and Eastern South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and North East India), also known as the NER Growth Quadrangle (NERGQ). It positions the region as a significant player in India’s Act East Policy, Viksit Bharat, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat 2047.

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The policy reflects India’s vision for the region by 2047, a developmental model aligned with India’s Vision 2047. The creation of this new growth pole is set to involve key actors including central ministries, state departments, multilateral and bilateral agencies, the private sector, communities, international and non-governmental organizations, and cross-border institutions.

Lama emphasized that the North Eastern Region (NER), with its strategic location, rich reserves of natural resources, biodiversity, soft power, and cultural and physical proximity with neighboring countries, can significantly contribute to India’s economic, strategic, and political interests, if these assets are properly leveraged. He outlined seven core goals to transform the region by 2047, including the development of the Eastern South Asia Power Pool to enable power exchange between NER and neighboring nations. Another goal is to leverage borderlands for better trade and connectivity, enabling NER to serve as a pivotal corridor linking India to neighboring countries.

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Lama proposed developing NER as a green corridor by promoting nature and biodiversity-based products to benefit both local and national economies. He also envisioned NER as a leader in climate studies, through a network of multidisciplinary institutions across the Eastern Himalayan region.

Highlighting tourism potential, he stated that NER can emerge as a destination for medical and adventure tourism. Furthermore, the region holds potential as a vibrant source of soft power through sports, food, music, entertainment, and youth culture. He stressed the importance of enabling NER to reap the peace dividend and called for the creation of a futuristic network of logistics, infrastructure, institutional frameworks, and visionary leadership to realize these goals. The programme concluded with audience interaction and a vote of thanks by Anup Shekhar Chakraborty, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, NEHU, Shillong.

(Newmai News Network)