Case

Are Indian Professionals Aware of Their Own Country: An Alarming Situation

Submitted To: - Prof. Surjit Kumar Kar

Submitted By Sandeep Kumar Naik MBA 1st Year Reg. No. 1106262016

Date of Submition: - 19-06-2012

Are Indian Professionals Aware of Their Own Country: An Alarming Situation

The world's largest democracy and second most populous country emerged as a major power in the 1990s. It is militarily strong, has major cultural influence and a fast-growing and powerful economy. With its many languages, cultures and religions, India is highly diverse. This is also reflected in its federal political system, whereby power is shared between the central government and 28 states. However, communal, caste and regional tensions continue to haunt Indian politics, sometimes threatening its long-standing democratic and secular ethos. In 1984 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was gunned down by her Sikh bodyguards after ordering troops to flush out Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The country has a burgeoning urban middle class and has made great strides in fields such as information technology. Its large, skilled workforce makes it a popular choice for international companies seeking to outsource work. But the vast mass of the rural population remains impoverished.

Case

Northeast India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura), Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal (districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Koch Bihar). Northeast India is ethnically distinct from the rest of India and has strong ethnic and cultural ties with East Asia and Southeast Asia, that had escaped Sanskritization in the most groups. Linguistically the region is distinguished by a preponderance of Tibeto-Burman languages. The states are officially recognized under North Eastern Council (NEC) constituted in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the eight states. The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) was incorporated on August 9, 1995 and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was set up in September 2001. The Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal, with an average width of 21 km to 40 km,[4] connects the North Eastern region with the mainland Indian sub-continent. The region shares more than 4500 kilometres of international border (about 90 per cent of its entire border area) with China (South Tibet) in the North, Mayanmar in the East, Bangladesh in the South-West, and Bhutan to the NorthWest. A survey conducted by North East India Image Managers reveals a shocking ignorance of professionals about the people in the North East. It is a sad fact that 87 percentages of the working professionals cannot name all the North East states according to a survey conducted on 458 people from sectors of communication, media, advertising, public relation, human resource, finance and marketing and 53 percentages shared highly negative views of these states. North East issues have been alarming the center especially after the suicide death of 23 year old lady Sangma in Haryana ( died because of the racist comments by a teacher in the Amity university) and the murder of Richard Loitam in Bangalore(he was beaten to death by two of his college mates on the night he died and was a victim of racial profiling). The present survey will definitely add fuel to the issues relating to the inattention of the North East states. The survey was conducted on targeted professional from different fields of media that include communication, advertising, public relations, human resources, finance and marketing. These professional were mainly from the major cities of India and they were surveyed through online and direct methods. NEIIMs group president Abhijit Borah said while releasing the findings "If majority of our respondents didn't know basic facts about the North East, how can a common man know more about the region,"

North East India is that of a region riddled with insurgency and most unsafe place in the country or people with mongoloid features and weird food habit and an alien culture, was the responds from some who were interviewed in the survey, as reported in Northeast Today. Surprisingly 30 percent of professionals dont prefer to work in North East even if that best suits their career interest. The survey showed how these professionals are preoccupied with some wrong notions and how deeply they are ignorant about North east states. Case Statistics The online survey was conducted by North East India Image Managers (NEIim), a group of media and communications professionals hailing from the Northeast and working in metros. The respondents from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and were not aware of the northeastern part of the country. Probed as to why the respondents failed to have much information on North East India, a startling 61% said that they did not see much of north east India on national media. Interestingly, a whopping 89.7% believed that the New Delhi should give special attention to North East India than what is being given now. Also, about 52% of the respondents have a 'negative' perception about this region with their immediate recall of it as "a region riddled with insurgency and most unsafe place in the country" or "people with mongoloid features and weird food habits and an alien culture". Though some positive fact about the region is that 93% of the respondents wanted to know more about the region while 56% felt that government should run special awareness campaigns using various media vehicles at national level to educate people about Northeast, while 43% suggest that school/college curriculum should include more information pertaining to history, geography, culture and economy of the region. Some of the key statistics that is to be looked after are: 52% have a highly negative perception about North East India 76% have no idea about any peace talks going on between govt and any militant group of NE 91% have no knowledge about Northeast Industrial Policy 70% respondents won't believe it if one states the fact that three NE states have higher per capita income than the national average 30% of professionals will never go and work in NE even if that best suits their career interest

75% respondents don't know that the current UPA govt has ministers hailing from Northeast 42.7% advocates changes in the educational curriculum to provide more information about NE

56.3% wants government to run mass awareness drive nationwide to educate people on NE

Recommendations Some argue that it is the sheer physical isolation that makes it impossible for mainland India to find out about anything about the North-East. States like Tripura and Arunachal and Mizoram arent even connected by the railways let alone any other form of infrastructural and educational development. Nitin Gokhale, an NDTV journalist who has written extensively about the North East and its problems says, Physical isolation from the mainland has aggravated the already existing mental quarantine. So we dont even exist and if we do were not part of India.

To overcome the isolation problems the north eastern states are facing some of the recommendations are provided below: Removal of the negative attitude of the rest of the Indians towards the people of north east This is a serious problem the people of north east are facing the Govt. of India seriously needs to probe into this matter as soon as possible. The people of north east are seen differently just because of their different eating styles. Understanding there importance of the north east in the contribution to the economy The people of India have a very narrow perception that the people of north east only contribute to the economy through the tea plants which is 55 % but the fact is they contribute to the economy by the crude oil also by 60% and also through the traditional art and craft and tourism. Understanding equally the pain of the north east people

Lets consider what happens when Shabana Azmi decides to fast for the rights of slum dwellers facing eviction. The media arrive. The politicians make promises. And within a week, Ms Azmi can return to her biriani. Meanwhile Irom Sharmila has entered the eleventh year of her superhuman fast, protesting the indefensible Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that has been imposed in Manipur and most of the Northeast since 1980. Introduction of large scale Industries in the North East region Industries should take keen interest in setting up factories in the north east region as it is blessed with biodiversity, huge hydro-energy potential, oil and gas, coal, limestone. Already industry like GAIL is running its business over there. States like Assam provides huge investment opportunities in sectors like hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas, bamboo, handicrafts and tea.

Understanding the importance of the region with regard to International Trade The region shares borders with China in the north, Bangladesh in the South-West, Bhutan in the North-West and Myanmar in the East. This makes the North-East a prospective hub of international trade and commerce. Reduction of poverty from the region Poverty is one of the most important issues that the Government of India needs to look after. It is poverty that has made the region stay aloof from the rest of the Indians. Introduction of Railways into these regions There is no doubt that the introduction of air flight facilities has made the people of India come closer to north eastern people but as because India is a country where the majority of the population are of middle class it is not possible on their part to reach to these regions through flight.

Conclusion It is always easier said than done to change institutions; such change requires the introduction of incentives, including economic incentives, supported by political will. With India moving into a new era of economic liberation encouraging free enterprise, the Northeast should not be left out. Thousands of young Northeasterners are waiting for a chance to productively contribute to their

home region. Thus, with some of the changes advocated here taking place, a process would be set in motion that could support them in this endeavor. It is vital that this process includes mechanisms for equitably sharing the benefits to be derived from development and focuses not only on the big-ticket items that support broad-based, long-term growth, but also on those complementary activities that have immediate impact on poverty reduction at the community level.

References
http://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/Neglected-North-East-87-pct-ofIndian-Professionals-cant-Name-all-NE-States-nid-114681-cid-1.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12557384

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article3368627.ece

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/87-professionals-can-tname-all-northeast-India-states/Article1-850278.aspx

http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles/North-East.asp

http://www.northeastblog.in/north-east-india/does-the-north-east-belong-inindia/

mdoner.gov.in/.../WBWaterStrategyJan26073424960695.pdf