The lack of development of any region speaks of the immense development potential of that region. There is no region in the world without some development potential or the other. The only constraint is that for some it may be easily evident while for some others it may not be so, but the presence can never be denied. It is the responsibility of the development thinkers and the development workers to try to identify the potential areas. Remember even a failed development attempt has positive lessons for all other later development attempts. Development always comes at a price – high or low. We can reduce the price if the foundation for the attempt is endogenous, and such endogenous transformations would always be more lasting and peaceful.

Neglected Tamenglong:

That Tamenglong has been neglected by the Governments both at Delhi and Imphal can hardly be disputed. For the Centre variant, let us recall the Pillai landing from the heaven of the Home Ministry and developing the area overnight. For the Imphal variant, the condition of anything there is a living testimony. For the present the state should at least be willing to do the minimum in facilitating the area to found its development on its own strengths. It is in this context that I would like to talk of the possibility of converting the orange of Tamenglong as the foundation for the development of herself.

The Orange cycle:

The existing unidirectional orange life runs like this: the soil and climate in Tamenglong are favorable for growing orange, orange is grown, and farmers pluck the orange, bring it to the festival/market, buyers peel off the cover and enjoy the taste. Thus comes to an end the life of the orange with very little secondary impact on the income and quality of life of the people in Tamenglong. We need to put certain interventions in place so that the secondary effects are generated for long run sustainable development of Tamenglong.

The interventions I have in mind and the possible second round implications are:

First, I expect the scientific and technological community of the State to attend to the possibility of improving the organic quality and yield of orange in the district.

Secondly, I expect the farmers to have easy and direct interaction with fruit processing units, possibly established in the district.

Thirdly, the first and second interventions would enhance the returns to the farmers while at the same time generating employment opportunities for the non-farm population. Fourthly, the processing units should be given adequate scientific, technological and infrastructural support to enable them to capitalize on the organic and hence hygienic quality of the products. (Orange is very good for improving intelligence, they say).

Once we are able to put the above interventions and effects in place, in the next round we should be looking for pure private initiatives or public-private-partnerships for sustainable development of Tamenglong. The increased returns and rising incomes across farmers and factories should be in a position for phased investments in education, health and communication facilities to be managed and maintained by the people themselves.

If this is going to take a little longer time, we can visualize a case of public-private-partnership on transparent terms for investments in the same areas to be managed and maintained by the people of Tamenglong. Whatever the approach adopted, it should not be difficult to functionalize it provided we are able to appropriately utilize the prevailing rich social capital and address the identification of government with rent seeking.

In fine, Tamenglong is a fit case for experimentation with alternative development attempts and make it an example for the rest of the world to emulate. It is for the state and the scientific and technological community of Manipur how to live up to the challenge. It is time to make history or history will be cruel on the present generation of policy makers and thinkers.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)