Arunachal and Mizoram Left Behind

Decades after being declared states, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram remain tragically underserved, with fundamental infrastructure still sorely lacking. The government’s indifference has left these regions in a state of permanent underdevelopment. While the rest of India races ahead, these northeastern states, cut off by their geography, remain stuck in the shadows of progress.

Arunachal’s Roads: A Joke in the Face of Promises
In Arunachal Pradesh, the road network remains an embarrassing failure, even after 38 years of statehood. Border districts are isolated, making even the simplest tasks, like accessing healthcare or markets, a struggle of unimaginable proportions. The government’s promises of improved infrastructure have proven to be nothing more than hollow rhetoric. Those who live in the periphery have paid the price with isolation and neglect.

Mizoram: Bulldozing Identity in the Name of Security
Mizoram’s troubles extend beyond infrastructure. The central government’s decision to build a border fence along the Mizoram-Myanmar boundary has disrupted the cultural and familial ties that the Mizo people share across borders. It’s an act that undermines their identity, all in the name of “security.” While border security is critical, bulldozing the Mizo’s deep-rooted connection to their neighbors speaks volumes about a government more concerned with politics than with the preservation of indigenous cultures.

Healthcare Crisis: A Death Sentence by Neglect
The healthcare situation in both states is equally grim. Mizoram’s healthcare system is, quite frankly, a disaster. Underfunded hospitals, a severe shortage of specialists, and a lack of urgency from the central government have left the state dependent on neighboring Assam for even the most basic care. A population is left to fend for itself, caught between systemic failure and government indifference.

The Gender Gap: Arunachal’s Forgotten Women
In Arunachal Pradesh, gender inequality is particularly glaring. The state has the worst gender literacy gap in Northeast India, a damning testament to decades of neglect. Women in the state have been deprived of education, employment opportunities, and basic empowerment. This gap isn’t an accident—it’s the result of a long history of government apathy. While the rest of the country celebrates progress, women in Arunachal remain left behind.

Religious Marginalization: Mizoram’s Struggle Under Hindutva Policies
Religious discrimination, too, has taken root. Mizoram, with its predominantly Christian population, has been sidelined in the face of the BJP’s Hindutva-driven policies. Welfare schemes that benefit other states conveniently bypass this northeastern state. What’s worse is the larger narrative that marginalizes their very identity. Instead of support, they face cultural erasure in the name of nationalism.

Rising Separatist Sentiments: Born of Government Apathy
The growing separatist sentiments in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh are not the result of random political movements. These sentiments are the inevitable consequence of decades of government neglect. When people are treated as outsiders in their own land, when they are left in the dark without basic facilities, resentment festers. The government’s continued failure to address their needs is fanning the flames of dissatisfaction.

The Broken Promises of Development
Arunachal and Mizoram have heard endless promises of development from successive governments. Roads, schools, hospitals—the reality, however, is far different. After decades of statehood, what locals face are roads that lead nowhere, schools that remain without teachers, and hospitals without doctors. This is the government’s gift to the people of these states after nearly four decades of statehood. It’s not just a failure—it’s a national shame.

The Disconnect: Economic Disadvantages and Exploitation
While India boasts of growth, youth in the Northeast face dismal job prospects. The promises of employment have not materialized, leaving locals with little choice but to migrate for low-paying and exploitative jobs. The lack of development has condemned an entire generation to underemployment and social disenfranchisement. The gap between the Northeast and the rest of the country grows wider every day.

The Strategic Northeast Left Behind
Arunachal Pradesh, with its massive hydropower potential, suffers from frequent power shortages—another reminder of the government’s failure. Corruption, inefficiency, and environmental mismanagement have kept the state in the dark. These are not isolated problems. From inadequate infrastructure to healthcare neglect, these are systemic failures that have persisted for too long.

A National Crisis
Arbitrary colonial borders still haunt the Northeast. In Mizoram, the government’s border fencing disrupts age-old ties, and in Arunachal, residents remain disconnected by a lack of roads. Both states are trapped in an endless cycle of broken promises, underfunded projects, and cultural erasure.

The Northeast is a tourism goldmine—its natural beauty is unparalleled—but poor connectivity and lack of infrastructure keep it from flourishing. The government’s inaction has robbed the region of significant economic opportunities that could change the lives of its people. Instead, the states of the Northeast remain locked in a battle for basic survival.

A Wake-Up Call
It’s time to recognize the development crisis in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and the rest of the Northeast. The developmental neglect of these states is not only an insult to their people—it’s a national crisis. Roads that lead nowhere, hospitals without doctors, and schools without teachers are the reality of government intervention in the region. The separatist sentiments growing in these states aren’t baseless. They’re the natural outcome of decades of indifference.

The people of the Northeast have waited long enough. It’s time for the government to live up to its promises and deliver the development that these states have long been denied. Otherwise, the fires of resentment will continue to grow, and the desire for self-determination may one day be realized.