GUWAHATI, June 4: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the Northeast is no longer India’s last mile but has become the country’s first gateway to Southeast Asia.
In a series of posts on ‘X’ after attending the 73rd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, Sarma said the region is, through the Act East Policy, linking markets, cultures and opportunities across borders.
“Through the Act East Policy, it is becoming Bharat’s first gateway to Southeast Asia, linking markets, cultures and opportunities across borders,” he said.
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The CM said for decades, the Northeast was viewed as India’s frontier.
‘‘Today, under Adarniya @narendramodi Ji’s vision of Ashta Lakshmi, it is increasingly being recognised as Bharat’s eastern growth corridor. The North Eastern Council has been central to this transformation,’’ he said.
The NEC was once largely associated with grants and incremental development, but today it is shaping regional strategy, having supported over 10,500 km of roads and 2,500+ km of power transmission infrastructure while driving greater inter-State collaboration, Sarma said.
‘‘One of the greatest achievements of our time is that the discourse on the Northeast has changed from insurgency to investment, remoteness to resilience and geography as a challenge to an opportunity’’, he added.
Sarma pointed out that one of the clearest signs of change is that insurgency is no longer the defining issue of the Northeast.
‘‘As Adarniya @AmitShah Ji observed at the NEC Plenary, the focus can now shift from law and order to protecting citizens’ rights and accelerating development’’, he added.
The CM asserted that for Assam, this vision has been transformative.
‘‘From #AdvantageAssam to semiconductors, inland waterways and emerging industrial corridors, Assam is increasingly serving as the economic anchor of the Northeast,’’ Sarma said.
The NEC’s most enduring contribution may be its role in fostering regional thinking.
The future of the Northeast will not be built ‘‘State by State alone, but through shared infrastructure, integrated markets and common ambition.’’
He pointed out that the 73rd NEC Plenary reflected the ambitions of a confident region.
‘‘From AI, machine learning and blockchain infrastructure to agarwood, foreign trade and health tourism, the focus is now on preparing the Northeast for the opportunities of the future,’’ Sarma said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the NEC’s Plenary Session, which was attended by chief ministers, governors, senior officials of the Northeastern states and representatives of the Centre. (PTI)
