Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing
the 71st plenary session of the North Eastern Council or NEC asserted upon the Narendra
Modi Government’s commitment towards continued development of the Northeastern
region through the strategic implementation of Act East, Act Fast, and Act
First, series of policies for generating over 13 lakh jobs and signing of peace
deals to mitigate violence and bring peace.
It shows the Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP
considers the Northeast as an integral part of Bharat and consistently
prioritise the region. The Northeast holds more land area than Uttar Pradesh. Thus,
it has the vast potential for growth and progress.
During the tenure of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a dedicated Northeast Ministry was established.
Building upon this foundation, the present government led by PM Modi has
adopted a proactive approach and all ministries have been directed to accord
precedence and swiftness to projects and initiatives in the Northeast.
Shah stated the key sectors to drive economic
transformation are organic product cultivation, dairy farming, fishing, and
poultry farming. Through self reliance in these sectors, the government aims to
curb imports from other parts of the country and to create more than 13 lakh
job opportunities in the region.
“The development of only an area is not
enough,” remarked Shah, stating infrastructure developments as well as the
enhancement of human potential are equally crucial. A simultaneous focus on raising
the common man’s income and ensuring the benefits of development for all
segments are important.
Along with unprecedented focus on
infrastructure development, conflict resolution in the last 10 years under the Narendra
Modi Government has created a golden era for the Northeast, said Amit Shah.
The Northeast is pacing towards peace
and development, moving away from its history of blockades and unrest. All
these aspects have lessened the distance from the Northeast to Delhi and the
rest of Bharat physically and emotionally.
“The last 10 years under the government
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been the most significant decade for the
Northeast as it has seen most development in the 75 years since independence,”
he said.
Shah said the Modi Government has always
considered the Northeast as an important part of Bharat. Between 2004 and 2014,
a total of 11,121 violent incidents took place in the Northeast and it has
declined by 73 per cent to 3,114 between 2014 and 2023. Deaths among security
forces dropped by 71 per cent from 458 to 132, while civilian deaths declined
by 86 per cent.
He said the incidents of insurgency have
dropped owing to surrender by more than 8,900 members of militant groups to join
the mainstream in the last five years. It imparted a message that peace and
prosperity are interconnected for all States.
Besides, the Modi Government has signed
nine agreements and many pending law and order issues have been successfully
resolved through these to bring peace and stability in the Northeast. Except
some parts of Assam and Manipur, 75 per cent of the areas covered under the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA in 2018 are no longer under it,
mentioned the Home Minister.
