The recent disclosure in Parliament on tourism projects sanctioned for Nagaland under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) schemes should have been a moment of collective optimism. Instead, it raises an uncomfortable and unavoidable question about equity in development.
It is deeply unfortunate that all three projects approved under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 are concentrated in Chumoukedima. Whatever rationale the state government may offer, such clustering inevitably reeks of favoritism. Nagaland is a state of rich cultural, ecological, and historical diversity spread across multiple districts, many of which remain underserved and largely excluded from major infrastructure investments. To repeatedly funnel flagship tourism projects into one area undermines the very spirit of inclusive growth that national schemes like SD2.0 claim to promote.
Tourism, by its nature, is meant to decentralize opportunity. It has the potential to generate livelihoods in remote villages, preserve indigenous cultures, and incentivize conservation in fragile ecosystems. When investments are geographically skewed, these benefits remain limited to a few pockets while vast regions continue to wait for basic attention. Over time, this not only deepens regional disparities but also fuels public distrust in policy intent and governance priorities.
Concentrating the projects in Chumoukedima raises concerns, but ineffective implementation anywhere would be an even bigger failure. If the state government is confident in its choices, the onus is now on delivery. Only then can the debate move from accusations of favoritism to an honest assessment of impact.
That said, credit must be given where it is due. The two projects sanctioned under the CBDD scheme reflect a more balanced outlook.
Nagaland deserves a tourism policy that looks beyond convenience and political comfort. Equitable development is not charity. It is a prerequisite for sustainable growth, social cohesion, and long term credibility. If tourism is truly to become a state wide engine of opportunity, future project selection must reflect fairness, diversity, and a genuine commitment to all regions of Nagaland, not just the most favoured ones.
In the end, however, success will not be measured by how many crores were sanctioned or where the projects are located, but by whether they actually work, for tourists, for communities, and for the state as a whole.