Vol. 12 No. 3 (2024)
Journal Space and Culture, India

Book Review Commentary

Understanding Sustainable Development Goals and the Challenges of Northeast India: A Review Essay

Published 2024-11-29

  • Venkat Rao Pulla
    • ,
  • Subhash Sharma

Venkat Rao Pulla
Distinguished Professor of Social Work and Strategic Advisor, Institute of Health Management, Melbourne, Australia; Foundation Professor of Strengths-Based-Social Work Practice, Brisbane Institute of Strengths-Based Practice, Australia; Adjunct Associate Professor in the College of Arts, Society & Education, James Cook University, Australia; Editor-in-Chief (Joint) Space and Culture, India, United Kingdom

Subhash Sharma
Research Assistant, Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based Practice, Brisbane, Australia

Abstract

With its rich cultural diversity, Northeast India presents a unique and complex challenge for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the region has made notable progress in areas such as poverty alleviation, education, and health, the concept of diversity—intended to foster unity—has instead become a source of division. Ethnic groups in Northeast India often define their identity in opposition to perceived rivals, fuelling identity politics and deepening social divisions. This construction of “the other” has historical roots in colonial exploitation, and the legacy of ethnic violence has intensified these tensions in recent years. As ethnic identity becomes a powerful political tool, cultural symbols once tied to community pride are now weaponised for elitist power-mongering (Dutta, 2015).

This essay largely reviews the book Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements, which was co-edited by Subhash Anand, MadhushreeDas, Rituparna Bhattacharyya, and RB Singh and published by Springer Nature in 2023, which can accessed at the link https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7. Additional articles and books on issues linked to Northeast India's development, belonging, identity, difficulties, and responses have been undertaken to strengthen and support the central arguments critically.  

The several papers included in the current review address the region’s diversity, where challenges seem to surface for implementing inclusive strategies. Evidently, more profound socio-economic inequalities and governance challenges exist.  While progress has been made, key SDG indicators—such as infrastructure development, gender equality, and economic equity—remain far below the national average, limiting the region’s ability to achieve sustainable development (Bhattacharyya et al., 2023). The current review essay addresses how the manipulation of ethnic identity in Northeast India has shaped both the region’s development trajectory and its social fabric.

The critical research questions are: How has the politicisation of ethnic identity influenced the implementation of SDGs in the region? What role does governance play in overcoming the socio-economic and political divides? Can SDGs be realistically implemented in the context of “troubled diversity” (Dutta, 2015)? This review also highlights the recommendations for more inclusive, community-driven strategies to achieve sustainable development by 2030—that is not too far off.

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Northeast of India, North Eastern Region (NER), Land of Seven Sisters (excluding Sikkim), Challenges in NER

pdf

References

  1. Ahmed, N. (2023). Ephemeral char ecosystems and mitigation of flood-induced vulnerability along river Brahmaputra. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 431–442). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_22
  2. Anand, Subhash, Das, Madhushree, Bhattacharyya, Rituparna & Singh, R.B. (2023). Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7
  3. Basumatary, N., & Panda, B. (2020). A review of institutional and developmental issues in North-East India. Indian Journal of Public Administration, 66(2), 206-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120916884
  4. Bharadwaj, K. (2016). Ethnicity in Assam: Understanding the complexities of ethnic identities and conflicts. Indian Journal of Public Administration, 62(3), 546-558. https://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120160315
  5. Bhattacharyya, R., Anand, S., Das, M. (2023). Sustainable development goals in Northeast India: Challenges and achievements. In Anand, S., M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & Singh, R.B. (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences (pp.1-17). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_1
  6. Bhattacharyya, Rituparna, Prasad, Ajay & Prasad Sanjay (2023a). 03 August 2015 Framework Agreement, Naga National Movement, and confused road ahead. In R. Bhattacharyya (ed.), North East India Through the Ages: A Transdisciplinary Perspective on Prehistory, History, and Oral History. Routledge, Taylor & Francis. DOI:10.4324/9781003157816-10
  7. Bhattacharyya, R., Tan, B., & Das, D. B. (2023b). On understanding the drinking water treatment requirements in Assam, India, during emergencies. In S. Anand,M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 259-383). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_19
  8. Bhattacharyya, R.& Pulla, V. (2020a). Nagas: A bitter past—From British period to Nehru. In V. Pulla, R. Bhattacharyya, & S. Bhatt(eds.). Discrimination, Challenge and Response. Mapping Global Racisms (pp. 115–140). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46251-2_7
  9. Bhattacharyya, R.& Pulla, V. (2020b). The Nagas Saga and an Uncertain Future? Nagas after Nehru to Modi. In V. Pulla, R. Bhattacharyya, & S. Bhatt (eds.), Discrimination, Challenge and Response. Mapping Global Racisms (pp.141-159). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46251-2_8
  10. Bhattacharjee, S. (2023). An evolving paradigm of cybersecurity in North Eastern India. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 299–313). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_16
  11. Bhattacharjee, S. (2023). Progress made by the Northeastern states of India towards the 2030 health related sustainable development goals (SDGs): Performance of the health and well-being indicators. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 235–255). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_13
  12. Bhaumik, S. (2009). Troubled periphery: Crisis of India's North East. SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9788132104797
  13. Bhowmik, I., Bose, P., Goswami, S., & Chouhan, P. (2018). MGNREGA and inclusive development: A case study in Tripura, Northeast India. In M. Bhattarai, P. K. Viswanathan, R. N. Mishra, & C. Bantilan (eds.), Employment guarantee programme and dynamics of rural transformation in India (pp. 225–242). Springer Nature.
  14. Borgohain, P., & Patowary, B. (2023). Sustainable ethnic tourism development in Arunachal Pradesh. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya& R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 489–506). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_26
  15. Brahmachari, D. (2019). Ethnicity and violent conflicts in Northeast India: Analysing the trends. Strategic Analysis, 43(4), 278–296. https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161.2019.1623497
  16. Chakravarty, U. (2020). The political history of Northeast India: A study of statehood and autonomy movements. Journal of Political Science, 35(2), 234–245.
  17. Chamar, K. V., & Dhanak, R. (2023). Quality of living space among rural households in the North-Eastern region of India. In S. Anand, R. Bhattacharyya, M. Das, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 185-204). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_10
  18. Chetry, B. (2023). Perilous waters: Gendering community-based disasters management practices from floods—A study of Majuli, Assam. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 385–411). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_20
  19. Choudhury, P. (2020). Education in Northeast India: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Education and Development, 12(1), 34-42.
  20. Das, Mukut (2024, 15 July). Assam, Tripura among fastest moving 10 states in SDG index. The Times of India. https://tinyurl.com/msttfrpz
  21. Debbarma, M. (2023). Tripura's nuanced history to the present. In Bhattacharyya, R. (ed.), Northeast India Through the Ages: A Transdisciplinary Perspective on Prehistory, History, and Oral History (pp.332-355). Routledge, Taylor & Francis
  22. Dutta, D., & Dutta, A. R. (2023). Juxtaposing food security and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in North-East India: Evidence and explanations. In S. Anand, M, Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 141– 151).Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_7
  23. Dutta, N. (2015). Constructing and Performing Diversity: Colonial and Contemporary Processes. In Sandhya Goswami (ed.), Troubled Diversity: The Political Process in Northeast India. Oxford University Press (Oxford Academic). https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199453337.001.0001
  24. Gogoi, B. & Saikia, S. (2023). Measuring gaps to achieve the SDG 1 in Assam and identifying the causes. In S. Anand,M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 343–358). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_18
  25. Gogoi, M. (2017). Social fragmentation and ethnic tensions in Assam. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(8), 1245–1261.
  26. Goswami, C., & Bhattacharyya, M. (2023). Making unpaid work visible—The key to removing gender inequality: A study in the urban households of Assam. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 443– 457). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_23
  27. Gupta, A. (2021). Racial discrimination and marginalization of Northeastern migrants in Indian cities. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(13), 26–31.
  28. Gupta, L., Singhania, S., & Shrivastav, R. K. (2023). Status of gender equality in the Northeastern states: A pathway towards achievement of sustainable development goal. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya& R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 257–274). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_14
  29. Hazarika, N., Deka, J., Das, P. K., & Saikia, K. K. (2023). Food security in North-East India: The role of agriculture, challenges, and the road ahead. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 127– 140). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_6
  30. Hazarika, S. (2019). Strangers of the Mist: Tales of War and Peace from India’s Northeast. Penguin Books.
  31. Kar, B. K. (2023). Professor Narendra Nath Bhattacharyya: A brief profile of his life, academic career and contributions. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 21–31). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_2
  32. Kumar, S and Sharma, P, K. (2022). Deen Dayal Upadhyaya: Achieving self-reliance through integral humanism. International Journal of Applied Research, 8(7),188-193 https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2022/vol8issue7/PartC/8-7-35-681.pdf
  33. Kumar, P., Paramjit, & Anand, S. (2023). An analysis of the performance of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the North-East region of India: An economics perspective. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp.71–99). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_4
  34. Mandal, R., Goswami, B., Sarma, M., & Nath, H. K. (2023). Extreme weather events and food insecurity in Northeast India. In S. Anand, R. Bhattacharyya, M. Das, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 101–126). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_5
  35. Meitei, I. L., & Sharma, G. J. (2023). An analytical study on the inseparable relations between food, population, arable land and economy in Manipur from the perspective of sustainability. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp-539-551). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_28
  36. Misra, R. (2023). Social Work Practice and philosophy of antyodaya of pt. Deendayal Upadhyay. The Social ION, 12(1and2), 74–87. https://doi.org/10.5958/2456-7523.2023.00009.5
  37. Ngaihte, E.& Anushruti (2023). SDG 3 in Manipur: A Story of Hill-Valley Divide?. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & RB Singh (eds), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences (pp.507-537). Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_27
  38. Pulla, V., Bhattacharyya, R., & Bhatt, S. (2020). Discrimination, challenge, and response: People of North East India. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46251-2
  39. Puri, P. (2023). Enhanced vegetation index and land use analysis for Seven Sister States of India (2000– 2022). In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 167–183). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_9
  40. Rani, A., & Chamar, K. V. (2023). Change in dominant and deficient functions of rural female workers in North-Eastern region of India: An analysis. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 275– 297). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_15
  41. Rongmei, L., Meitei, I. L., & Raman, E. (2023). Application of remote sensing and GIS techniques for landslide hazard zonation in Tamenglong district of Manipur, North East India. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 553-570 ). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_29
  42. Saha, P., Sultana, S. F., Saha, A., & Das, M. (2023). Sustainable development goals and Assam—A roadmap to a better future. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 317–341). Springer Nature.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_17
  43. Saikia, E., & Saleh, P. R. (2023). Augmentation of North-East resources: Intervention through data science and advanced technology. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 205–220). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_11
  44. Saitluanga, B. L., Lalchhandama, G., & Rinawma, P. (2021). Analysis of climate variability and agricultural productivity in Mizoram, Northeast India. Acta Geographica Debrecina Landscape & Environment Series, 15(2), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.21120/LE/15/2/5
  45. Sarma, M. K. (2023). Sustainable development goals (SDG 3) “Health and well-being”: What’s ailing North -Eastern states? In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 221–233). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_12
  46. Sarma, P.K., Bhattacharyya, R., Deka, S., Sarma, A., Prasad, S. (2023). Rejuvenating Geographies of Manas Through People’s Participation: A Success Story of Community Conservation. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp.413–429). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_21
  47. Sarma, P. K., Talukdar, B. K., Baruah, P., & Tamuli, M. (2023). Wildlife habitat dynamics and sustainable development: Revisiting Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam India. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 459-474). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_24
  48. Sharma, S. (2020). Political and economic isolation of Northeast India. Journal of Indian Politics, 12(4), 56–72.
  49. Singh, V. & Chaudhary, N. (2023). Land Degradation, Desertification, and Food Security in North-East India: Present and Future Scenarios. In S. Anand, M. Das, R.Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements(pp.153–166). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_8
  50. Sultana, S. F. S., Saha, P., Bhuyan, C., Das, M., Bhattacharyya, R., & Anand, S. (2023). Just transition, (re)vision 2020—the story hitherto. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 33–68). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_3
  51. Tiwari, H., & Tiwari, H. (2023). Analyzing development induced trade-offs: A case study of Loktak multipurpose project (LMP) in Manipur. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya, & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 571–585). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_30
  52. Yadav, S., Kakaty, G., Rani, U., & Anand, V. (2023). Prospects of tourism sector in Assam to achieve sustainable development goals. In S. Anand, M. Das, R. Bhattacharyya & R. B. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals in Northeast India: Challenges and Achievements (pp. 475–488). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6478-7_25

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.