Abstract
Peripheral regions have typical developmental challenges. The issue becomes problematic in view of general apathy toward them revealed through their ‘negligence’ in development discourse. The studies on Northeast India, especially Arunachal Pradesh, which lies in the extreme northeastern part of India, are predominantly anthropological (and ethnographical). Such a treatment could be justified on various grounds; at the same time, it provides the academic rationale to attempt an analysis of land use shaped by a number of inhabiting ethnic communities while interacting with their natural surroundings in respective habitats and the intraregional pattern of agricultural change that has been mainly introduced by the governmental agencies. This state is by and large mountainous with an aggregate of 61.57 % of the geographic area being forested. The region experiences (hot-humid) subtropical conditions in the southern foothills to an alpine-type climate in the northern high-altitude mountains. Analyses presented in this study are based on secondary sources, mainly the Statistical Abstract of Arunachal Pradesh for different years. The unit of analysis considered in this exercise is district. The discussions are further supported by the author’s personal field experience and observations during his fairly long stay in the region.
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Notes
- 1.
The general population density of Arunachal in 2011 was 17 persons/km2, less than one third of the next lowest, 52, in Mizoram whereas the highest was of Bihar (1,102) among the states.
- 2.
There is unsubstantiated information about unauthorized private use of land that is otherwise a CPR in ArP.
- 3.
There are many reasons responsible for this; the main issue has been, for a long period of time, the government officials at all the levels came from outside and did not have proper communication and interaction with local people. For this reason, perhaps, they developed apathy and lacked interest and did not take the initiative in developing the state.
- 4.
Fortunately, I have the Statistical Outline of North-East Frontier Agency, 1959, published from Shillong, the headquarters. The information generated is too scanty and gives an idea as to how this part of the country was treated at that time. For example, the directorate of agriculture has reported data on area brought under permanent cultivation; animals treated, castrated, and vaccinated; and farms and demonstration and upgrading centers.
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Singh, R.S. (2015). Nature of Land Use and Agricultural Change in Peripheral Regions: A Case Study of Arunachal Pradesh, India. In: Dutt, A., Noble, A., Costa, F., Thakur, S., Thakur, R., Sharma, H. (eds) Spatial Diversity and Dynamics in Resources and Urban Development. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9771-9_28
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