JOIN USWe have divine, not divide intentions for northeast, says PM Narendra Modi
Inaugurating projects worth over Rs 6,800 crore in poll-bound Meghalaya and Tripura, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stated that his government at the Centre came up with "divine intentions" for the northeast, contrary to the "divide approach" of the previous governments.
“Be it different communities, or different regions, we are removing all kinds of divisions. Today, in the North East, we are laying emphasis on building corridors of development, not borders of disputes” Modi said after inaugurating and laying the foundation for various projects worth Rs 2,450 crore in Meghalaya capital Shillong.
Stating that the Northeast has seen the way towards peace and progress in the past eight years under the NDA, Modi said several insurgent groups shunned the path of violence and have taken refuge in permanent peace. "Security situation has improved due to the steps taken with the help of the state governments. The AFSPA has been withdrawn from many parts of the region while boundary disputes, which caused tension among states, are being resolved," he said.
"We are showing red cards to all the obstacles in the path of progress and development in the Northeast. Be it corruption, discrimination, nepotism, violence or vote-bank politics to disrupt the development in the region, we are working with dedication and honesty to uproot all these evils”, he said.
The projects Modi inaugurated included 4G mobile towers, the new campus of IIM Shillong, the Shillong – Diengpasoh Road that seek to decongest Shillong and four other road projects across Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The PM also inaugurated Spawn Laboratory at Mushroom Development Center and Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre in Meghalaya and 21 Hindi libraries in Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Assam.
Calling the Northeast a gateway to security and prosperity, the Prime Minister said the Centre was fast implementing the vibrant village scheme under which border villages are being provided with better facilities. “Today we are boldly building new roads, new tunnels, new bridges, new railway lines, and airstrips on the border. Desolated border villages are being turned vibrant, he said.
Modi later visited Tripura capital Agartala where he inaugurated/laid foundation for projects worth Rs 4,350 crore, such houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and roads. Earlier, Modi addressed the Golden jubilee celebration of North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong. Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed the NEC meet.
Elections in Meghalaya/Tripura
Elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland are slated early next year. BJP and it ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) are in power in Tripura since 2018 and are eyeing to retain power for the second term like Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. In Meghalaya, BJP is a minor ally (with just two MLAs) in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government. The saffron party, however, has set a target to form a BJP-led government in the Christian-majority state in 2023. The NPP has announced that it would fight the elections alone. Trinamool Congress is a key player in this election in Meghalaya.