VC of NITI Aayog visits office of Hima Mylliem, says tribals are a significant part of India’s population

Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog Suman Kumar Bery on Wednesday said that if the government wants a development strategy that will leave no one behind then it has to worry about its 200 million tribals.

Bery, who was on his first official maiden to Meghalaya and North East region, visited the office of the Hima Mylliem located at the heart of Shillong city. He was welcomed and felicitated with a traditional shawl ‘Ryndia’ by the Syiem of Hima Mylliem Ainam Manik Syiem and his Myntris in the presence of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chief Pyniaid Sing Syiem.

Bery told reporters that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid a lot of attention to tribal issues. He also observed that tribal communities are a significant part of India’s population but they are not always well supported by national schemes.

“(Therefore), for Niti Aayog on a national level not just on a state level as it were being alert to tribal level issues is important because if you want a development strategy that will leave no one behind then you know you do have to worry about its 200 million tribals,” he said.

The NITI Aayog vice chairman also expressed his interest to learn about the roles and powers of the autonomous district councils (ADCs) and however said, “I did not prepare myself on the issue of funding but ultimately that is a matter for the state government and not the union government. But in some ways decentralised community decision making is a characteristic of many European countries and if you have a model in Meghalaya, we should cherish and learn from it. That is all I would say.”

Asserting that each corner of India is different, Bery said, “We as Niti Aayog are there to serve the states. The Prime Minister said often and believed that India grows when its States grow and so it is not only a question of growth…(it is also) to understand what inclusive growth means in each part of the country.”

He further informed that his visit to Meghalaya was a courtesy visit and it is not an agenda driven visit. “But it is an opportunity for me to understand the issues faced in the State so that is why I am here,” he added.