Recently, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s North Eastern Region District Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index has declared Nagaland as one of the worst-performing state of the nation.
According to the report, the North eastern state performed poorly in six goals including no poverty; good health and well-being; affordable and clean energy; sustainable cities and communities; industry and innovation; and infrastructure.
The study however depicted a mixed performance by Nagaland in the educational sector, reducing inequalities, climate action and peace, justice and strong institutions.
Meanwhile, the first-edition of NITI Aayog’s SDG Index highlighting the North East Region (NER) places had marked 12 districts of Nagaland in the ‘performer’ category of the index.
This report has led the experts mounting for an immediate concern.
Experts from the region believe Nagaland and it’s history of India’s longest insurgency has led to the acceleration of corruption and lack of development.
This stood to be the main reason for which the state has been marked as one of the worst-performing state of India.
“Though all states have a history of insurgency, insurgents have the most sizable control over the government in Nagaland. Tribal armed groups in Manipur have been in some form of peace talk the past 10 years. All other states in the northeast have not been facing any insurgency problems — which plays a key role because you cannot govern without their cooperation,” – asserted by Suhas Chakma, Director of Rights and Risks Analysis Group, a New Delhi-based think tank.
Suhas who hails from Tripura also states about the opposition-less government, a depiction of conflicts emerging in the state.