Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited poll-bound Meghalaya and Tripura and launched projects worth more than ₹6,800 crore. He said that “northeast India is a gateway to security and prosperity”. Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura are going to polls early next year.

The PM attended the meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) at the State Convention Centre in Shillong and participated in its golden jubilee celebrations.

In a region which is a major hub of Indian football, Modi said in Shillong: “The days aren’t far away when India will organise such a momentous tournament (FIFA world cup) and every Indian will also cheer for our team that will participate.”

Drawing a football analogy, Modi said the government has shown red cards to all the obstacles coming in the way of the development of the northeast. “Be it corruption, discrimination, nepotism, violence or vote-bank politics, we are working with dedication and honesty to uproot all the evils.
The PM said that in the last eight years, several groups have shunned the path of violence and taken refuge in permanent peace. Modi said: “In Tripura, over 2 lakh poor families entered their own concrete houses. Each of these houses were made with lakhs of rupees. With a double engine government, development is happening fast.”

The PM lamented that due to the fear of benefiting the enemy, border areas didn’t witness the spread of connectivity. “Today, we are boldly building new roads, tunnels, bridges, railway lines and airstrips. Desolated border villages are being turned vibrant. The speed needed for our cities is needed for our borders too.”

The Prime Minister also recalled his meeting with Pope Francis.

Pointing to India’s G20 presidency, the PM said people from all over the world would visit the northeast and it would be an opportunity to showcase the region’s nature, culture and potential.

Addressing an NEC public meeting, Union home minister Amit Shah said incidents of insurgency have come down by 74% in the northeast in the last eight years, adding that the Centre was taking initiatives to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

He said attacks on security personnel have reduced by 60% and civilian deaths by 89%. Nearly 8,000 youths have surrendered and chosen to join mainstream, he added. “Earlier, a lot of demands were made to repeal Afspa. Now, nobody needs to make demands, the government is taking initiatives to repeal Afspa,” says Shah.