The PM's offer of a staggering Rs.8000 crore aid package for the development of Arunachal Pradesh ("PM rains sops on Arunachal", DH,Feb.1) does not come a day too soon. Successive governments have woefully neglected the north eastern states to the extent that the people living in these remote areas wonder whether they belong to this country at all. The resulting alienation has bred militancy and separatism. China is just waiting to annex this region. The PM must have realised this after his talks with the Chinese leadership during his recent visit to Beijing. Hence, he has hastened to take corrective steps. Let us hope that his latest offer of assistance to Arunachal does not turn out to be one of his empty promises like the one he gave to the farmers of Maharashtra.

RAJI MANI
N.G.Acharya Marg, (Near) Gaondevi Chowk,
Deonar, Mumbai 88