What is the way forward for Manipuris?

It is clear that there is hardly any specific policy of the government that is aimed towards development of this region. The policies they formulate are based on giving more subsidies on transportation costs, loans, taxes etc. for projects taken up in the region and financial aid. Not much focus is given on actual skills development for the people of this region so that they are able to reap the benefits of these policies. Some experts say even the benefits of LEP are conditional on how ready we are to accept globalisation and come out of identity politics. It is already doubtful whether LEP is a policy centered around the development of NE. Exports from the NE constitute 0.01 percent of the trade between India and ASEAN countries. Accepting globalisation without acquiring the competitiveness in human resource will ruin us. I am quite baffled by the lack of presence of Manipuris in good centres of higher education in India. We need our own people who can give directions to how policies for this region are shaped and that cannot happen unless we produce top-class individuals from good institutes in India or abroad. Yes, it does not help that higher education comes at a high cost today unless one is so good that a scholarship will cover the entire cost. I have blamed the centre for not having any thing thought out for the region but do we manipuris have a plan as to how to improve our competitiveness and reap whatever benefits we can from new developments? For all the problems that is in front of us, sometimes I think we are quite a happy bunch.