Shillong: The last 10 years under the Modi government have been a golden era for the Northeast, with an unprecedented focus on infrastructure development and conflict resolution, as stated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.
The Northeast is now shifting away from its history of blockades and unrest, heading towards peace and development, he said.
Addressing the 71st plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here, Shah also mentioned that under the leadership of PM Modi, not only has the distance from the Northeast to Delhi and the rest of India reduced due to the creation of infrastructure, but the difference in hearts has also diminished.
“The last 10 years under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been the most significant decade for the Northeast, experiencing the most development in the 75 years since independence,” he said.
He mentioned that the Northeast, which struggled with various problems caused by ethnic, linguistic, border, and extremist groups, also witnessed the beginning of a fresh and durable era of peace in these 10 years.
The home minister noted that if these 10 years for the Northeast are compared with the 75 years after the country’s independence, then this decade will undoubtedly be considered as the golden period for the region.
He added that the Modi government has always considered the Northeast an important part of India.
Shah highlighted that between 2004 and 2014, a total of 11,121 violent incidents took place in the Northeast, and it has declined by 73 percent to 3,114 between 2014 and 2023.
Deaths among security forces dropped by 71 percent from 458 to 132, while civilian deaths declined by 86 percent, he said.
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He pointed out that the incidents of insurgency have decreased because, in the last five years, more than 8,900 members of militant groups have surrendered and joined the mainstream. This has conveyed a message to the entire country that peace and prosperity are interconnected, and without them, the states cannot develop, he said.
The home minister also mentioned that to bring peace and stability to the Northeast, the Modi government has signed nine agreements, successfully resolving many pending law and order issues through these.
He noted that except for some parts of Assam and Manipur, 75 percent of the areas covered under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 2018 are no longer under it.
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