Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has vociferously condemned the Congress governments for what he termed as 70 years of “geographical isolation, political instability, and imbalanced development” in the northeastern region of India. Sarma argued that these failures were a deliberate strategy of the Congress party to maintain a “divide and rule” policy.
In a series of statements on Monday, the Chief Minister attributed the resolution of longstanding regional conflicts in the last nine years to the BJP-led NDA government’s active and focused efforts. These include the Bodo and Karbi conflicts in Assam, the Brus issue in Mizoram, and the NLFT insurgency in Tripura.
Sarma highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instrumental role in uniting and connecting the region. He lauded the Prime Minister’s commitment to the region, not only in developing physical infrastructure but also in fostering emotional bonds with the populace. The Chief Minister pointed out PM Modi’s 60 visits and his ministers’ 400 trips to the region in the past nine years, as evidence of this unwavering commitment.
Highlighting the BJP-led government’s extensive investment in the region, Sarma noted that it has spent INR 3.64 lakh crore under the Gross Budgetary Support Scheme since 2014. He also outlined the drastic infrastructure expansion over the same period, including an 86 per cent growth in the national highway network and a 263 per cent increase in rail expansion funds. He stressed that all seven northeastern states will soon be connected via a common rail network. The region, according to Sarma, also experienced a 90 per cent surge in the number of airports, making it the fastest growing air traffic zone in the country.
Further pointing towards tangible progress, the Assam CM noted a 74 per cent reduction in insurgency and an 89 per cent drop in civilian deaths over the past nine years. He attributed these improvements to the government’s enhanced security measures, which also led to a significant reduction in the application of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
