PM Narendra Modi talks about connectivity, not insurgency in north-east

GUWAHATI: PM Narendra Modi has come up with a policy for northeast India which breaks away from the tradition of his predecessors to pack visits with fiscal packages and insurgency issues. Modi’s maiden visit to the region bypassed both issues and dwelt more on connecting northeast India with southeast Asia and intraregion connectivity.

Prime ministers Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have dealt with issue of insurgency elaborately. Singh in his many visits to region has asked insurgent outfit to shun violence and come fore peace parleys. He had two rounds of discussion with Ulfa militants’ appointed civil society body, Peoples Consultative Group in 2005.

Vajpayee in 2003 recognized the unique history of Nagas and provided the momentum to talks with Naga insurgent outfits.

The NDA government then announced a Rs 1,050 cr fiscal packages to improve the infrastructure and for the all-round development of Nagaland. Singh promised to go that extra mile to find solution to insurgency in Nagaland.

Analysts opined that it was interesting that insurgency was not even mentioned in any of Modi’s speech.