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The people’s road: lessons from a silent revolution in the hills
In today’s world, we often hear that big projects require hundreds of crores of rupees and years of government planning to become a reality. We are used to seeing files move slowly through official offices while ordinary people wait indefinitely for basic facilities like roads, water, and electricity. However, deep in the hills of Tamenglong district in Manipur, a simple yet powerful story unfolded that completely changes how we think about development, leadership, and public effort.
This is the story of ‘The People’s Road’ — a 100-kilometre stretch connecting Tousem in Manipur to Haflong in Assam and Peren in Nagaland. But more than just a strip of mud and stone, it is a shining example of what human determination can achieve when a community comes together to build its own future.
For decades, the sub-division of Tousem was almost completely cut off from the rest of the country. Surrounded by steep mountains and dense forests, the villagers lived extremely difficult lives. There were no proper roads connecting their villages to nearby towns or hospitals. If someone fell seriously ill or if a pregnant woman needed urgent medical care, the local people had to carry them on makeshift bamboo stretchers for over five hours across river streams and rough terrain. Many precious lives were lost along the way simply because medical help was too far away. Similarly, local farmers could not sell their produce at fair prices because carrying heavy loads on their backs across the hills was nearly impossible.
Everything began to change in 2012 when a young Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer named Armstrong Pame was posted as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Tousem. Coming from the Zeme Naga tribe himself, Pame understood the pain of the hill people. He decided not to stay inside his comfortable office. Instead, he walked hundreds of kilometers on foot, visiting more than thirty remote villages to understand the daily struggles of the locals. Everywhere he went, the elders and villagers asked for only one thing: a road that would connect them to neighboring states.
Pame immediately sent proposals to the government asking for funds to build the road. However, the official response was disappointing. The authorities stated that there was a severe lack of funds and that building a 100-kilometer road through such difficult terrain was not possible at the time.
A standard officer might have accepted this answer, closed the file, and moved on. But Armstrong Pame refused to give up. He realised that if they waited for government money, generations of villagers would continue to suffer. He decided to take a huge risk and build the road with the help of the people themselves.
To show his commitment, Pame donated Rs 5 lakh from his own personal savings. Seeing his dedication, his family members stepped forward as well. His brother, who was a professor at Delhi University, contributed Rs 1 lakh, and his mother donated his late father's monthly pension.
Pame then used social media to share the story of Tousem with the rest of the world. He launched an online appeal asking ordinary citizens for small donations. The response was overwhelming. People from all over India and across the world—from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom—started sending money. In a short time, more than Rs 40 lakh was raised. Furthermore, local contractors who owned earthmovers and road rollers offered their heavy machinery for free, asking only that fuel costs be covered.
However, money and machinery were only a small part of the equation. The real strength of the project came from the local villagers. Starting in August 2012, hundreds of men and women from surrounding villages gathered every day with spades, pickaxes, and axes. They cleared dense forests, broke heavy rocks, leveled uneven ground, and laid down stones with their own hands. Nobody was forced to work; they came voluntarily because they knew they were building their own lifeline.
Working together through rain, heat, and difficult conditions, the community achieved what seemed impossible. In just seven months, the 100-kilometer road was completed and officially opened on February 17, 2013. The locals proudly named it "The People’s Road."
The impact of this effort was so great that even the Central Government took notice. Years later, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways declared this exact route as National Highway 137, recognizing its vital role in connecting remote areas of the Northeast.
The story of The People’s Road teaches us a valuable lesson. It shows that true development does not always have to come from above in the form of big budget allocations or corporate contracts. When honest administrative leadership meets genuine community spirit, even the highest mountains can be moved. It stands as an inspiring reminder to all of us that unity, courage, and self-reliance can build bridges where everything else has failed.
Sunil Das
Christian Basti,
Guwahati-05
Pig’s genome
A pig may seem an unlikely custodian of Assam’s scientific future, but the decoding of the indigenous Doom pig’s genome has opened a new chapter in our biological heritage. I wish to draw attention to this landmark achievement by ICAR-NRC on pigs in Guwahati.
The first whole-genome sequence draft of this native breed is far more than a laboratory triumph; it is a vindication of indigenous genetic wealth. Doom pigs are renowned for their hardiness, adaptability and resilience to harsh environments and diseases, including African swine fever. The genomic map, reportedly assembled with 99% completeness and more than 30,000 protein-coding genes, can help scientists unravel the genetic determinants behind these distinctive traits.
This breakthrough could pave the way for conserving the breed, developing healthier and disease-resistant pigs, and strengthening sustainable livestock husbandry. It may also throw up valuable genomic resources for biomedical research. However, scientific laurels should not obscure the need for robust conservation. Unregulated cross-breeding, genetic erosion and neglect could gradually wipe out the traits that make the Doom pig exceptional.
The authorities should therefore step up germplasm conservation, establish dedicated breeding programmes, support local farmers and create a genetic repository. Researchers should collaborate closely with communities that have preserved this breed for generations. The Doom pig has now moved from the village homestead to the genomic frontier. Let us not squander this opportunity; let Assam’s indigenous genome become a springboard for both scientific ingenuity and rural prosperity.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
State’s MSME sector
One will definitely agree with the fact that the state's social climate has eased considerably recently, with strikes and bandhs dwindling to a large scale. The task before the state government is now to protect macroeconomic stability. The government needs to encourage the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) apart from big industries. It is a well-known fact that the MSME sector does not call for big investment and can run on locally available raw materials. Thus, it can benefit local stakeholders, including local investors. Recently, the state cabinet approved land transfers to different districts to facilitate industrial clusters to set up solar and battery energy storage projects.
At the same time, there should be a cohesive land policy for the MSME sector, along with increased facilities for poor credit support from banks. The current state of the MSME sector in the state is not encouraging. Therefore, it is imperative for the government to evolve a holistic land policy that can address the needs of the industry without undermining the interest of agriculture and biodiversity. It is true that the government’s policy decisions or a revised industrial policy will be successful if they could address the ills plaguing our industrial spheres on a priority basis.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.