Author: sachin nandha, trustee and director
India is still incredibly poor.
It’s a stark reality that I couldn’t ignore as I travelled across the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Despite the glittering towers and booming industries in India’s metropolitan centres, there’s another India—an India that feels like it belongs to a different century. This journey took me from the relatively developed yet fragmented plains of Assam to the remote, almost untouched hills of Arunachal Pradesh, where the contrast between progress and stagnation is palpable.
The Three Centuries Model: A Snapshot of India
Imagine traversing three centuries in the span of just four hours. That’s exactly what it felt like on my road trip from Dibrugarh, Assam, through the thick jungles and rugged hills of Arunachal Pradesh. In urban India, it’s easy to forget that not everyone is part of the rapid economic growth the country has seen over the past few decades. But as you move from the bustling streets of Dibrugarh into the dense forests and steep slopes of Arunachal, you quickly realise that many parts of India are still living in a world that resembles the 19th century more than the 21st.
India’s growth is not inclusive. The country has certainly made significant strides, with a GDP growth rate that rivals some of the world’s largest economies. But this growth hasn’t reached everyone. The Three Centuries Model is a useful way to understand this: in places like Mumbai or Bengaluru, you might feel like you’re in the 21st century, surrounded by technology and modern infrastructure. In smaller towns like Dibrugarh, it’s more like the 20th century, with basic infrastructure, huge divides between the wealthy and the poor, and a struggle to balance the old with the new. Then, in places like Arunachal Pradesh, you find communities that are still living as if they’re in the 19th century—isolated, with minimal access to modern amenities, and deeply rooted in traditional ways of life.
The Journey: From Assam to Arunachal Pradesh
My journey began in Dibrugarh, a city in Assam that epitomises the clash between the 20th and 21st centuries. Dibrugarh is a city of contrasts, where the crumbling infrastructure and bustling, noisy streets stand in stark contrast to the serene tea gardens that surround it. The tea plantations here feel like stepping into a romantic novel by R.K. Narayan, with vast fields of lush green, the quiet broken only by the gentle rustle of the wind and the sight of butterflies dancing in the air. It’s a silence that is rare in India, a country known for its ceaseless activity.
Yet, beneath this idyllic surface lies a deep economic divide. The tea gardens of Assam are a microcosm of the inequalities that persist across India. On one hand, you have the wealthy plantation owners, whose sprawling estates and luxurious lifestyles are reminiscent of a bygone era. On the other, you have the tea pickers—mostly women—who toil in the fields, earning meagre wages for seriously arduous work.
The disparity between the owners and workers is stark. The average daily wage for a tea worker in Assam is around ₹300 (approximately £3per day), a figure that highlights the poverty and what many call exploitation faced by these labourers. Of course, this statistic isn’t fully in keeping with the truth, as these labourers get given accommodation and rations of rice and grain as part of their package. Furthermore, these labourers are well organised and often flex their power to shut down factories should they feel that they are being mistreated. Yet, regardless of numbers, millions of workers in tea plantations lead peasantry lives.
Meanwhile, the tea industry is worth around £3 billion, with India being one of the largest producers of tea in the world. But this is not a Dickensian tale about rich megalomanic landlords thieving off the hard graft of the poor. Far from it. Most tea plantation owners are struggling to make a profit themselves. Much of this tea is sold in the UK, or in Japan for as much as £10 for 200 grams. There are structural problems that are international, and India is caught in a serious wedge, which if not handled well could lead to social strife between the poor and the perceived land-owning classes. This glaring inequality is a reminder of how much work remains to be done internationally to make growth more inclusive.
Then, as we crossed into Arunachal Pradesh, the landscape changed dramatically. The roads became narrower and rougher, winding through dense forests and steep hills. The air grew cooler, and the environment seemed to grow wilder with each passing mile. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the most ecologically diverse regions in India, home to a stunning array of flora and fauna. The beauty of the place is breathtaking—tall trees tower overhead, while streams and rivers weave their way through valleys, bringing life to the land.
Yet, despite its natural richness, the poverty here is striking. India does not prioritise education anywhere near as it ought to. This is evident in Arunachal Pradesh, where schools are few and far between, and many children don’t receive even basic education. According to government statistics, the literacy rate in Arunachal Pradesh is just 66%, significantly lower than the national average of 74%. The lack of educational infrastructure in this region is a stark reminder of the deep inequalities that persist in India.
The Reality: Life in the 19th Century
As we travelled deeper into the hills, it became clear that life here has changed little over the past century. Villages are small and scattered, with houses made of bamboo and thatch. Amenities like electricity and clean water are rare, and healthcare facilities are almost non-existent. The people here live close to the land, practicing traditional agriculture and hunting, but they are largely disconnected from the rapid growth seen in the rest of the country.
Skills development in India in large parts of the country is still at an early stage of development. This is painfully true in places like Arunachal Pradesh, where opportunities for learning new skills or trades are minimal. Most people here are engaged in subsistence farming, with little access to the kind of vocational training that could lift them out of poverty. The government has launched several initiatives to promote skill development across India, but these programs have yet to reach the remotest regions.
The tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh have a rich cultural heritage, but they are also deeply marginalised. Their aspirations are often limited by their circumstances—many young people here don’t dream of becoming engineers or doctors because such dreams seem impossible. Instead, they see themselves continuing the same way of life as their parents and grandparents, in a world that remains untouched by the advancements of the modern age.
The Way Forward: Structural Reforms Needed
Major structural reforms are required if India is to achieve truly inclusive growth. The government needs to prioritise education, healthcare, and infrastructure in these remote regions, ensuring that the benefits of development reach everyone, not just those in urban centres. Programs aimed at skill development must be tailored to the needs of these communities, providing them with the tools and training they need to improve their lives.
Civil society plays a crucial role in bridging the gaps left by government initiatives, especially in remote and underserved regions like Arunachal Pradesh. To truly uplift the people of Arunachal, civil society organisations (CSOs) can focus on several key areas. Firstly, they can partner with local communities to enhance education by establishing and supporting schools, providing scholarships, and facilitating teacher training programs. Additionally, CSOs can work on improving healthcare access by setting up mobile clinics, organising health camps, and training local health workers. Furthermore, promoting skills development and vocational training tailored to the unique needs of the region can empower individuals with the tools they need to build sustainable livelihoods. By creating platforms for dialogue and advocating for the rights of marginalised groups, civil society can also amplify the voices of Arunachal’s tribal communities, ensuring that their concerns are heard at both state and national levels. Through these efforts, civil society can help foster an environment where the people of Arunachal Pradesh can thrive, preserving their cultural heritage while embracing the opportunities of the modern world.
On reflection, my journey across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam was a powerful reminder of the vast disparities that exist within India. While some parts of the country are racing ahead, others are still struggling to catch up. To truly progress as a nation, India must ensure that no one is left behind. This requires not just economic growth, but thoughtful, inclusive policies that address the unique challenges faced by India’s most vulnerable populations.
Travelling 200 years in just 4 hours was an eye-opening experience—a journey that showed me both the incredible beauty of India’s landscapes and the harsh reality of its inequalities.
For a more in-depth exploration of these themes, you can read my earlier article Gazing at India by Sachin Nandha. It delves deeper into the economic disparities, structural reforms, and the urgent need for education and skills development across the country.
