Assam 'let down' by past leadership; but no longer 'prisoner of history' under Modi: Himanta

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma maintained on Saturday that the state was "let down" by the past political leadership since its formation, which had stagnated its development trajectory.

He said that the state has 'reclaimed' its position as 'gateway to Southeast Asia' since the Narendra Modi government came to power and it is no longer a 'prisoner of history'.

He was speaking at the 10th Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog on 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047' in New Delhi.

Giving an overview of the state before Independence, Sarma said Assam was a land of prosperity, with a per capita income higher than the national average.

The state's premium tea exports had already gained global recognition.

Assam enjoyed robust connectivity with the global economy railway lines connected Dibrugarh to Chittagong by 1904, and the Brahmaputra served as a vital waterway linking Assam to ports like Chittagong.

However, the partition of India severed these arteries overnight and Assam was left with only a narrow and vulnerable lifeline the 'Siliguri Chicken Neck' connecting it to the rest of India, he said.

"The Chittagong Hill Tracts, despite a population that was over 97 per cent non-Muslim, were awarded to East Pakistan. On August 15, 1947, Chakma leaders hoisted the Indian flag in Rangamati, hoping to join India. However, the allocation of Chittagong to East Pakistan dashed those hopes," he said.

"Despite their appeals, Pandit Nehru declined to intervene. His tacit acceptance of this decision dealt a significant and lasting blow to the North East's access to global trade," Sarma claimed.

Again, in 1971, during the creation of Bangladesh, then-PM late Indira Gandhi had an opportunity to negotiate a broader and more secure geographical corridor to the Northeast.

"Despite her decisive leadership in securing Bangladesh's liberation, this moment too passed... the region was let down by the political leadership of the time," the chief minister maintained.

"Today, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam and other North Eastern states are no longer considered the prisoners of history. Assam is reclaiming its rightful role as a gateway to Southeast Asia reviving inland waterways, restoring connectivity and building infrastructure that will reposition Assam as a dynamic economic frontier of Viksit Bharat," Sarma asserted.

He said that to truly unlock the region's promise, dedicated transport and logistics corridors must be implemented, inland waterways and critical railway infrastructure revived, freight subsidies and long-haul incentives given for industries, and affordable and reliable power with appropriate cost equalisation mechanisms ensured.

"Let us correct the failures of past political vision with bold policy clarity today," he said.

Speaking on the importance of Viksit Assam for Viksit Bharat, Sarma said the state currently boasts of a GSDP of USD 68.7 billion, with a 19 per cent growth recorded in the last fiscal year and a 17.8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years.

"We have identified several key sectors like tourism, textiles, pharmaceuticals, electronics, hydrocarbons, agriculture and infrastructure.

"We are also investing in future-oriented domains like new-age skills, green jobs and the circular economy," he added.