Bandh Syndrome and its Impact on Trade and Commerce in North-East India

Abstract

The North-East India (NEI) consists of eight states and it is a ‘mixed bag’ of several ethnic groups. The region is known for its unexploited natural and human resources which are the basic factors of economic development. So, the energetic entrepreneurs are necessary if we want to harness it properly. With the emergence of Globalization and more recently with the inception of ‘Look East Policy’, trade and commerce has become an important tool in linking this region with the Asian and South East Asian countries. Look-East Policy is expected to provide an opportunity to overcome the problem of distance from big markets. It is apparent that NE India as a whole needs a big push or a kick starts to launch the economy on the development path through trade and commerce. But, it is greatly handicapped by law and order situation or bandh and blockade in the region. Economic development of a region is quite illusive agenda without developing trade and commerce in the region. Peaceful environment in the region is the pre-requisite condition for economic development. Keeping this in mind, the question that arises is who will be the active agents in bringing peace in the region?