Northeast's Purpose powers transformation towards Atmanirbhar Bharat

Sarbananda Sonowal

Bhagwan Krishna counselled a perplexed Arjuna about who he (any person) is with this Sholka from the Chapter 17 of Bhagvad Gita - “सत्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत, श्रद्धा-मयो 'यम पुरुषो यो यच-श्रद्ध: स एव स:” This means that the confidence of any individual is as per their nature of minds. Everyone has faith or belief, and the nature of faith or belief, whatever it may be, is indeed who they are. Since 2014, when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took command of leading the process of nation building towards a new Bharat, the people of North-east has developed a conviction, a faith and a belief that they are equal partners in this noble drive towards rebuilding a strong, proud, self reliant, respected great nation. With new ideas, a new vigour, and a new vista, we work towards renewing our celebrated identity of Bharat as the oldest civilisation of humanity with ethos of ‘Antyodaya’ for ‘Sarvodaya’. 

Far from the national capital, tucked away in the beautiful corner of Himalayan and Indo Burma Mountain ranges, the people of North-east developed a disbelief, due to poor leadership at the centre that kept them wondering their sense of belonging or purpose in the post independence India. India’s voracious struggle to win independence will never be complete without the blood and tears shed by the people of the Northeast. This sentiment disillusionment brewed among people from repeated instances of neglect, distrust, disillusionment, discouragement, or disappointment the region endured since independence. Six decades of misrule, mismanagement, mistreated, misused & missed opportunities decade after decade made people tired. 

The people of the region wanted a breakthrough, a good disruption in governance to break the shackles of this regressive idea as backward, remote or poor, found in the silos of power. In Modiji, we found a leader who disrupted the cozy idea of misgoverned bureaucracy where the Northeast was relegated as a ‘punishment posting.’ With more than sixty visits by Narendra Modiji to the region since 2014, along with numerous visits by each member of his Council of Minister almost every week to North-east, the region today has access to New Delhi, the capital of India, at its doorstep. The NE has come out of its dark days of distraught, distrust and disrespect to become a beacon of hope and honour. Today, the Northeast sits on an ideal seat, with Narendra Modi ji as the captain, to take the growth and development cruise forward as India progresses towards becoming an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The commencement of Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal is a symbol of India’s future where we celebrate ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ concept of rich history entwined with a progressive contemporary society. To add strength to this idea, people living in far-flung areas like North-east gets a boost when they are given a sense of purpose, belongingness and ownership. The celebration of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ is a testament to the contribution of tribal societies. PM Modi celebrated Rani Gaidinliu as ‘Rani Maa’ for her contribution to India’ freedom struggle. Modiji’s inspiration from Lachit Borphukan’s heroics as the torchbearer of valour, honour and upholder of the splendid culture of Assam is a testament to the ideals of equality, justice and dignity.

The Ram Mandir construction has acknowledged the fulfilment of a centuries-old aspiration with the Pran Pratistha of Bhagwan Ram at Ayodhya. The abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, the enactment of Triple Talaq ban, One Rank-One Pension are a few of the many historically significant achievements under Modiji that has led to fulfilment of aspirations & ignite minds of crores of people.  This enlightenment has led to many Peace Accords with the insurgents groups of Northeast which has led to a period of peace during Prime Ministership of Modiji. The untiring effort to build bridges of honour and respect led to solutions of many insurgent movements with Bodo Accord, ULFA peace deal, Naga Peace Accord, Bru agreement and many others, resulting in sustained peace.

The four pillars of Viksit Bharat; i.e., Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmer) & Nari (women), together known as GYAN, are being reinvigorated with a vision of prosperous Bharat in harmony with nature, modern infrastructure, and opportunities for all. Apart from physical development in the region, which has been immense, Modiji has been successful to build abodes of hope among the people of the region. The completion of critical Bogibeel bridge, India’s longest river bridge at Dhola Sadiya, numerous medical colleges including AIIMS in Assam, the Sela pass tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the near completion of world’s tallest pier bridge at Jiribam-Imphal in Manipur, or the airports in Sikkim, Meghalaya or Arunachal, extension of railway network to encompass all states and many such major infra projects were thought unfeasible until 2014. What changed, under the PM Modiji, is the thought process of the system and facilitation of ingenious approaches to make things happen for public welfare. The success of Ganga Vilas, world’s longest river cruise between Varanasi and Dibrugarh, unlocked an opportunity for the landlocked the Northeast region to reach out to the world via waterways.

The next 23 years of Amrit Kaal is also our Kartavya Kaal. This is the time, when all of us, irrespective of our background, must join this nation building effort. The people of the Northeast has a wonderful opportunity at hand to drive this journey with their ingenious ideas, purpose led commitment, and towards realisation of a dream for our beautiful the Northeast to turnaround into a multiplier of India’s growth trajectory. 

The Modi Government's dedication to the motto of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' is evident in the 50% increase in average real income since 2014, showcasing a transformative impact on the lives of the citizens. Due to the efficient implementation of government run programmes, more than 25 crore Indians were uplifted out of multidimensional poverty in last nine years. More and more people are accessing the benefits of the Modi government’s welfare schemes which is ultimately aimed at enriching the quality of lives of people. 

To enable, empower & support the entrepreneurial dreams of the youth, initiatives such as PM Mudra, Digital India, Start-UP India, and Start Up Credit Guarantee schemes are helping the dreams to turn into self-employed individuals. As we aim to sustain the progress of the nation's young generation, India has move beyond the colonial hangover of securing a govt job, and transformed the idea of employment into an activity that is intrinsic to the idea of nation building. To earn one’s livelihood is not just about earning money, but doing it with a purpose and securing one’s economic independence by becoming self sufficient. The youth of the Northeast is also competing at par with the national level as we have a new, confident, able, and talented young tribe who are hungry for success in their pursuit for excellence. 

Old days of ignorance and ignominy for northeast has now been put to rest. The efforts by the government led by PM Narendra Modi has led to recharge this incredible part of India - the Northeast. Of many positives, the most outstanding have been this newfound belief among the people as equals - as citizens, as compatriots and as humans. For long, we have been denied this fundamental due. For long, we had to struggle for basic amenities of life. For long, we lived in fear of uncertainty. Today, the old belief of deprivation is replaced by a new faith among the people of the region, who take pride in their country, rich with a sense of commitment towards nation building and a purpose to build a better tomorrow. Drawing from the Shloka of Bhagwan Krishna, this faith and belief makes the people as equals. Narendra Modiji turned around a historic wrong done to the people of northeast, and empowered them to drive the engine of growth as India move ahead to become a strong, powerful, compassionate yet prosperous Viksit Bharat. 

Sarbananda Sonowal
(The writer is the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Government of India)