SHILLONG:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 18 said that due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the North East is now free from all disputes and peace has been established in the region.
He added that till eight years ago, the entire North East region was only known for bandhs, strikes, bomb blasts and firings, and the people could not live peacefully due to the activities of different militant groups. In the past eight years there has been a 74 per cent reduction in insurgency incidents, 60 per cent reduction in incidents of attacks on security forces and 89 per cent reduction in civilian deaths, while about 8,000 youth have surrendered and joined the mainstream.
Shah, participating in the golden jubilee celebration of the North Eastern Council (NEC), said that during the tenure of Modi, the agreement with the NLFT in 2019, the Bru and Bodo Agreement in 2020, and Karbi Agreement in 2021 were agreed upon. The Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Arunachal border disputes have also almost ended, and due to the restoration of peace, the North East region has moved on the path of development.
The biggest example of this is earlier there used to be a demand to remove AFSPA but now the demand does not arise, rather the government of India is taking steps and initiatives to remove AFSPA. He said that now 60 per cent area of Assam, seven districts of Nagaland, 15 police stations in six districts of Manipur and Tripura and Meghalaya have become completely AFSPA free, while in only one district in Arunachal AFSPA is yet to be lifted.
Shah also said that funds allocated to the North East earlier did not reach to those in need but after Modi became the Prime Minister, funds are reaching villages and being utilised for development, which he described as a great achievement.
Shah said that in the recent meeting of the NEC chaired by Modi, the prime minister not only appreciated the work of the last 50 years in the North East Council but also directed the preparation of a blueprint of development of the North East in the next 25 years and fix targets.
Reiterating Modi’s commitment to the North East, he said the Prime Minister has visited the region more than 50 times in the last 8 years, while other ministers have also visited the North East more than 400 times.
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said earlier the development of North East region was stuck due to the limited budget allocated to the North East Council, but the Prime Minister has given a new shape and provided a new dimension to the infrastructure of the North East by initiating large projects at the central level.
Due to improved infrastructure, the possibilities of tourism have increased in the region, as also many small industries, educational institutions and sports-related institutions have also opened. He said the Prime Minister has also taken up the project of connecting every capital of North Eastern states by road, train and air connectivity.
Shah said that these great achievements were made possible due to the leadership of Modi because without peace it is impossible to develop institutions of development, education and health.
The Union Home Minister expressed confidence that the NEC and the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States will work with complete determination to fulfill the goals set for the NEC by PM Modi to help develop the region and help create a developed, peaceful, employment-rich North East like other regions of the country.