- Target:
- The Chief Ministers of all the States in North East India
- Region:
- India
On the 3rd of April 2011, 35 young people from five states in North India got together at the Pinebrook Center near Shillong to discuss the main justice issues facing North East India. Out of this small meeting came the ‘Pinebrook Manifesto’ which you have before you.
We feel strongly that the political norms in our states must change.
We cry for more accountability, more honesty, more peace and more tangible solutions to the ongoing problems that destabilize and cripple the progress of our region. We have chosen six issues that need real and lasting change. This list is not exhaustive but we believe these are some of the main areas that need to be addressed. We realize that these issues are complex and that often we, the people of the North East, perpetuate the problems. But this manifesto is directed at us as much as it is our politicians. We want to see ourselves change as well as our leaders. All of us have signed this document; we ask that you also, as a person from the North East region, sign this document and join our movement for more integrity and justice in our States.
On May 15th we will send this manifesto, along with the signatures to the Chief Minister of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. This is just a small act but we believe even small movements of justice can situate us on a road to more peace. As Amos, the 8th century herdsman said “…let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. Send this link to your friends and your friends of friends from the North East. Join us in bring lasting change to our region.
April 3rd, 2011
The Pine Brook Manifesto
We the young people of North-East India write this manifesto out of a deep seeded desire to see betterment in the various societies of North-East India. We know that your powers are limited, but we also know that you do have power. Below is a small list of some of the main issues facing our communities which we feel passionate about. We promise to work together with you to bring about lasting change in these areas. Please walk together with us down the road of change so that peace, prosperity, and justice may flourish in our society.
Bribery in the Government
We the young people of North-East India have decided to live our lives without giving bribes to any public official, however much it hurts or disrupts our daily activities. We humbly ask that you maintain the same standards that we have set for ourselves.
Education in North-East India
Education is supposed to be the source of new development, justice and change in society. From our perspective it has become a total contrast to its’ intended purpose. We see a lot of partiality in the political system in the states of North- East India, which has driven the degradation of our educational system. A great burden for us is that there is no generic equality or equity given to students in teaching and testing at public institutions. Many of us have been given unfair marks in examination papers throughout our educational endeavors. Marks have been based on merit alone but rather given on the basis of bribes and other illegal methods. We have also become aware of much favoritism in government schools. The standards of education all around the North-East are noticeably lower than other parts of India which do not give us the same opportunities as other young people in our country. As a result of these things, instead of being a beacon of hope in society our educational system has actually extenuated inequality and corruption in our states. This burden weighs heavy on our hearts. We ask that you do everything in your power to bring about more integrity, honesty and growth in our education system.
Economic Disparity
The government of India has put into affect numerous schemes for tribal and backwards society of the North-East India. It is overtly apparent that such schemes have made little to no difference in the betterment of society, and in many cases, created more corruption. Such schemes in and of themselves are not a bad thing but the distribution systems of money and resources has been grossly inadequate. Joblessness throughout North-East India has become a major problem, especially in rural areas. We humbly ask that you do everything in your God given position to create more jobs to catalyze the economy in North-East India to promote and incentivize entrepreneurship among young people.
Vote Robbing
We have been aware of political parties paying the poor for votes from us, robbing them from one of the few rights they possess. We ask that everything is done to make sure this does not happen in the future.
Government Jobs
It is no secret that people pay large sums of money to become teachers, administrators and civil servants in the government. We find this to be completely unjust. Please do all you can to create a seamless system where it becomes impossible to buy government jobs. All government servants should be given their positions based solely on their merit.
Tribal Clashes and Terrorism in North-East India
Due to tribal differences in our regions, violent conflict has become a way of life for us. We are all from different tribes and communities and we do not support any form of inter-community violence and extortion. We believe the road map to peace in the North-East regions of India comes not from violent military intervention but rather from open dialogue between all parties. Violence only perpetuates violence. Many innocent lives have been lost in petty conflicts. We ask that you do all you can to promote dialogue between the government, insurgency movements, and conflicting tribes around the North-East.
Faithfully signed,
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The Pinebrook Manifesto petition to The Chief Ministers of all the States in North East India was written by Jonathan Abraham and is in the category Government at GoPetition.