An exotic state of the northeast, Mizoram, is uniquely located, sharing its borders with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura in India and the neighbouring country of Myanmar. Mizoram Chief Minister P.U. Zoramthanga, in a chat with THE WEEK shares his concern about funds for supporting over 50,000 refugees from neighbouring states and across the border, besides following a realistic vision and strategic planning supported by the Union government for unleashing the great economic potential of the state.
Q/ Mizoram government is known for its compassion for displaced children. What are the programmes launched for them?
A/ Mizoram has close historical and cultural ties with Kuki-Zomis of Manipur, Kuki-Chin of Bangladesh and Myanmar to the extent that people of Mizoram have married daughters of our tribe in the above mentioned places. We speak more or less the same language and all are Christians and, therefore, share close blood relationship. When they are displaced and come as refugees to me, we not only have compassion for them, but feel it’s our bounded duty to share whatever we have with them as they are our brothers and sisters. So, providing free education to the displaced children as given to rest of the children in our state, is one such programme that we do.
Q/ What is your government doing to encourage startups under the concept ‘Local for Global’?
A/ We appreciate the concept of ‘Local for Global’ by lending whatever support we as the state government can best do for the entrepreneurs and startup ventures. The disadvantage is that as we are a cash-strapped economy, so the funds are not sufficient to encourage entrepreneurs on the scale that we actually want to do, especially those wanting to set up large industries in our state. We can achieve significant progress with a more proactive stance of the Union government, which is the need of the hour.
Q/ How is your government supporting horticulture farmers and linking them to the mainstream economy?
A/ Agroforestry or horticulture are the mainstay of the state’s economy. The advantage of Mizoram is that we have sufficient cultivable land that can feed two to three times the present population, get good rainfall and everything thrives. I recall my leader Mr Laldenga saying, 'Right from coconut up to the grapes and… everything thrives'. On our part, we can ensure production, but the problem is absence of a sound transport system or link road to ferry the produce to the market or for processing. We have approached the Union government, apprised them about the situation. Yet, our genuine request is pending for a long time. This is an impediment that bars us from making any progress because making link roads incurs heavy costs for which the Centre will have to help us. Sadly, so far, we have not been able to educate the Centre whose support is negligible and has no meaning because it does not revolutionise the economy of the state.
Q/ What incentives are given to the indigenous craftspersons, artisans?
A/ We do have beautiful local crafts and the Centre is helping us. But the local craft, that is, the handloom weavers of Mizoram, cannot raise our economy. In order to do it, we need much greater help from the Centre for making any significant difference. For example, in the cane industry, an item like hats will need a market where it sells fetching lakhs, and finding that space is another issue. Still, we are doing everything within our means and covered some ground. Also, we need those link roads to reach the bamboo clusters to cut it in order to do the processing. There is help from the Centre to some extent, but not enough to bring about an impactful change to the economy of the state.
Q/ What is the progress made following the initiatives taken by your government in the education sector?
A/ We have achieved a lot. In fact, in the 1950s and 60s, the local citizens volunteered to construct schools in two major towns. Not a single rupee was sought from any government. As far as private education initiatives are concerned, Mizoram ranks among the highest in India as per the contribution of the people. Almost all the educational institutions were started by the voluntary contribution of the locals. Later, the government gradually came in to support, and bring semblance with a system, but it was not enough to make it a good prospect. Today, education has gone much beyond reading and writing of elementary schools. The need of the hour is to create institutions of advanced learning such as technical, medical to stay relevant to the evolving needs of the times for which Centre’s help is vital. It is opening centres on the lines of AIIMS elsewhere, but our request to start one in Mizoram is still pending. It is what we are really lacking. There are no central government-aided colleges here and the few that run are with the meagre financial resources that we can afford.
Q/ How is the youth being engaged constructively?
A/ The youth of Mizoram go to other states for higher education and employment, whereas the Labour and Employment Department and the Mizoram Youth Commission (MYC) are training the youth to find employment in different departments and it has helped the state. So, to establish a successful economy in the state, I understand seeking employment is one thing, but here we have land which they can cultivate and earn lakhs in a year. The dynamics of youth engagement is that we have production where people come in, the other is the transportation which we can do. Then we have companies willing to do the processing and, lastly, the youth are capable of doing the marketing of their produce. The impediment is lack of link roads for transportation. If this problem is solved, our people can grow every agriculture and horticulture produce and take it to the market which is a more beneficial option than going for a government job or seek employment outside the state.
Q/ Could you share about the flagship?
A/ As I have seen, if there is a big industry and if there is a transportation system, business can be done in big volume. But since it is yet to happen, we helped startups with our limited resources and did tremendously well. We have helped them as much as possible, albeit in a small way and volume, since there was no significant support from the Centre. We disbursed Rs 1 lakh in one fiscal year and another Rs 20,000 in the following year that helped individuals start an enterprise within the capacity of the family and it has made a mark.
Q/ How would you sum up the potential of Mizoram?
A/ Mizoram has more than 21,000 sq.km. of evergreen land, good rainfall and very good climate where everything thrives. We can emulate the example of the Japanese where people can start their business that can leverage Mizoram within a span of 20 years as one of the highest per capita income state in India. Similarly, if Israel, a small country, can excel in every field, our people too can achieve economic development within 10 -20 years, again to become one of the highest per captia state. Therefore, I am knocking at the doors of the finance ministry and the PMO drawing their attention to the immense possibilities by supporting us which will benefit the economic system of India. But free us from the innumerable restrictions and guidelines so that we can make links road and strategise our economic plans as per local conditions and priority for ushering in real change.
