On Economic Growth and Development of Assam

There have been some dialogues on economic growth and development of Assam in recent years. As India stands to emerge as a global economic super-power, the discourse over issues as complex as national/sub-national identity – which, in Assam, has reached almost a surrealistic dimension with layers of identities – has to some extent drifted into a debate over economic possibilities. There are several factors responsible for this. First, a growing number of people in Assam, particularly the members of the intellectual community, have become aware of the economic miracle that India has achieved and, with that, the changing image in the outside world from being a poverty-ridden third world economy to being a technology savvy emerging market economy. Second, although Assam has made little contribution to this economic rise of India, and in fact has distinguished itself as one of the slowest growing states in last two decades, some of the benefits of this economic surge have trickled down to the middle class in Assam. Finally, there has been some exasperation among the majority of people over the socio-political movements that have been going on in the state for nearly three decades.