Experts highlight education in integrating northeast India

Highlighting the problems and challenges faced by members of the northeast community, experts Sunday called for their integration through education, suggesting measures like curriculum revision and creating opportunities.

Congress MP from Assam's Kaliabor Gaurav Gogoi said: "...We need to educate our students, neighbourhood and policymakers, and since it is not there, there a strong sense of ignorance towards the northeast. Isn't is a shame that after so many years educated people in Delhi are saying where is Manipur?"

He was speaking as part of a discussion "Integrating Northeast India through Education" at the ongoing Northeast Festival here.

He said education can play a very strong role in strengthening national unity.

He said: "...Therefore, the new NCERT curriculum that will soon come out should respect the history, geographical, political and cultural importance of northeast India."

Echoing similar sentiments, Shakuntala Gamlin, an IAS officer of the UT cadre said that there was need to create opportunities for northeasterners and the growing opportunity should be tapped and harnessed.

Sanjoy Hazarika, director of the Centre for North East Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia shared that historians from the region were working on a paper on the history of northeast, which will be recommended to the central universities.

"By January, we hope this draft will be ready... If after 68 years, we do not have paper on the history of the northeast, we cannot expect the government to do research," he said, adding it should have come up some 20-30 years ago.

Experts also raised issues like sensitisation towards the community in the wake of rising crimes against them in many Indian states.

The festival, being held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) ground, is on till Nov 10.