*Paromita Das
People from Northeast India enthusiastically joined the festivities as India celebrated Har Ghar Tiranga to mark 75 years of independence. Over the past eight years, this sense of belonging—an emotional connection to one another and one’s countrymen—has grown stronger.
During this time, the government sincerely tried to address the various problems that the Northeast was facing and find workable solutions. We have arrived at a point where everyone respects and is proud of India’s accomplishments thanks to this strategy. Both at home and abroad, India has attained great honors.
When one considers the recently finished Commonwealth Games, where our athletes gave outstanding performances and made us all proud. These uplifting events are observed all over the nation. People from the Northeast support Sharath Kamal or Nikhat Zareen with the same fervor that people from the rest of India support Mirabai Chanu or Jeremy Lalrinnunga, demonstrating a strong sense of belonging. The greatest asset the government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created is this newly discovered spirit, this sense of belonging, in today’s India. One of the greatest legacies that Prime Minister Modi has created is unmatched in its scope since Independence; it involves putting an end to years of neglect and creating a sense of belonging among the people of the Northeast.
We, the people of Northeast India, have witnessed instances where a young person from the area would bemoan the inaction of the federal government by referencing the Indo-China War and then-PM Jawaharlal Nehru. “Our countrymen in Assam, to whom our heart goes out at this time,” the speaker said. As a result, North Easterners felt a loss and even resentment toward the federal government.
This mounting resentment was only fuelled by the Centre’s subsequent governments’ continued disregard for the area. People from a resource-rich region were left with few opportunities for economic growth and employment, which left many of them dissatisfied, indignant, jobless, and poor.
Additionally, following the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, waves of illegal immigration posed a threat to native populations of the Northeast. The previous administration’s feeble attempts to control and prevent illegal immigration were ineffective. But when the then-Congress-led administration passed the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act to offer protections to illegal immigrants with the sole purpose of gaining political advantage, the situation worsened. The Supreme Court didn’t rule this law unconstitutional until 2005. Up until that point, the area had been left to fend for itself due to a lack of economic growth, frustration at not being able to find employment, a growing sense of alienation, poor development, and unchecked illegal immigration. The successive governments ignored the indications of resentment and maintained a mind-set that was almost colonial, doing little to assist the locals. The gradual loss of a sense of belonging was the worst tragedy of this alienation. Violence, a resurging insurgency, economic issues, and the depletion of emotional capital left people in a hopeless situation.
With the National Democratic Alliance at the Center, led by Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Bharatiya Janata Party, taking office in 1998, things began to change. Significant infrastructure initiatives were announced, and sincere efforts were made to address the region’s problems. One such step was the establishment of the North Eastern Development Ministry, which serves as a catalyst for growth and development in the area. The BJP has always had a distinct understanding of the necessity of making investments in the Northeast in order to restore its sense of identity, both financially and emotionally.
This vision was given a significant boost in 2014 with the election of the Modi government. Decades after Independence, the people of the Northeast discovered the kind of leader they required in Narendra Modi. Modi was dedicated to addressing their trouble and pain and making a sincere effort to find solutions to their problems. He also built avenues to improve people’s quality of life and gave the Northeast’s residents more reasons to be proud of their Indian identity.
The Northeast will serve as the catalyst for India’s next growth story, according to the government’s vision of a “New India.” The government has been working on the Act East framework at the policy level in order to replace the out-dated Look East framework.
There is currently a sincere effort being made to mend the region’s people’s battered consciousness and re-establish their sense of community. As a result, the calm and peace that have long been missing from much of the Northeast are gradually returning. India has greeted the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which has long been a demand of the majority of the Northeast. It also serves as a testament to the recently ushered-in measure of calm. The region has experienced unprecedented growth as a result of these favourable circumstances.
In Assam alone, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, resulted in the construction of more than 1.25 million homes; the Jal Jeevan Mission provided water connections to more than 6.3 million rural households; the Ujjwala Yojana programme provided free LPG cylinders to more than 4 million women from economically disadvantaged groups; and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana enabled more than 20 million people to open bank accounts. The completion of many engineering marvels, including the Jiribam Railway Bridge, the tallest railway bridge in the world, and the Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest rail-road bridge, has greatly improved the region’s infrastructure. Such initiatives support the Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas ethos.
We, the people of the Northeast, have earned the love and respect of our fellow Indians as we commemorate our 75th anniversary of independence. Now, we set out on a journey to rebuild our country both materially and emotionally into a New India where all citizens are united. In creating our house, society, and nation for a better tomorrow, we work together on an equal basis today.
Comments are closed.