Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that due to the timely intervention of the government of India and efforts of the Manipur government, the state, which reeled under ethnic violence for several months since May last year, has “marked improvement” in the situation.
The Prime Minister’s remarks came while speaking on the Manipur situation and the Opposition’s criticism of the issue in an interview to The Assam Tribune newspaper.
“I have already spoken about this in Parliament. We have dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. Because of the timely intervention of the government of India and efforts by the Manipur government, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state,” he said.
PM Modi referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s four-day visit to Manipur last year in which he held over 15 meetings with various stakeholders when the violence was at its peak, and said that the process of relief and rehabilitation was underway.
“Remedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state,” he said.
The Prime Minister asserted that the past decade of BJP governance at the Centre has been dedicated to transforming the Northeast from an “abandoned region” to an “abundant region”.
He also said that the Union government is making all possible efforts to successfully conclude the peace talks with Naga groups at the earliest. PM Modi said 11 peace agreements have been signed over the last 10 years, marking a significant milestone in efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.
Highlighting that over 9,500 insurgents have surrendered since 2014 and integrated into the mainstream, showcasing a substantial step towards peace and development in the region, he said that his government has replaced the “policy of isolation with policy of integration”.
“When we formed the government, it was my firm commitment to change the status quo in the Northeast. We replaced the policy of isolation and ignorance with a policy of integration. In the last 10 years, we have ended Northeast’s isolation and developed it as Bharat’s gateway to the East,” he said while pointing out that he had visited the region nearly 70 times.
“Aaj Northeast na Delhi se door hai aur na dil se door hai!” (Today, the northeast is neither far from Delhi nor our hearts),” he added. When asked about China’s claims over parts of Arunachal Pradesh for years, the Prime Minister said, “Arunachal Pradesh is, was, and shall always be an integral part of Bharat”.
Listing various development projects worth thousands of crores for Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister said, “Today, development works are reaching the Northeast like the first rays of the sun, faster than ever before.”
