[dropcap]I[/dropcap]s our democracy really beneficial to the Northeast region? In fact the functioning of our democracy has held the region hostage socially.
Today it appears that the Indian democracy which is, as many experts argue as a ‘flawed hegemon’ is not coping well with a number of features of the social and ‘political landscapes’ pertaining to the Northeast region. This is because ours is a distinct culture, traditions, and even in food habits we are miles apart from the mainland Indians.
We seem to be in the position where Prof Ian Shapiro and Dr. Casiano Hacker-Cordon would describe democracy.Both of the political scientists from Yale University said the problem of democracy is—‘it is all too easily held hostage by powerful interests; it often fails to protect the vulnerable or otherwise to advance social political landscape.’Enduring regional injustice and inequality seem compounded by circumstantial problems in the Northeast region today. Ethnic, religious and racial positions, culture and tradition and economy are some of the factors which need to be accounted in the event of re-assertion of our situation in an appropriate platform.
The yardstick that is used to address in the mainland cannot be applied in the region. The various laws to protect the tribal interests being implemented in the region are neither the full proof security for the tribal societies.
We see today that trans-regional forces have greater bearing in the region than the results of the assertions of the indigenous people.
Some of our intellectuals have been burning midnight oil while engaging in discourses and retrospections but the right chord has not been struck as yet. Sooner the better they locate the ticklish area to stimulate the people in moving towards orienting our people.
