AFSPA: Northeast now part of the ‘mainstream’, says BJP
New Delhi, April 2
Terming “historic” the decision of the Centre to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from “major parts” of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, the BJP on Saturday said peace has returned to the Northeast, making it part of the “mainstream”.
Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh Kiren Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-pronged approach of development and dialogue with insurgent groups had paid dividends.
“I can say today that it is already in the country’s mainstream,” he said, predicting a bright future for the region as an “important economic hub” of the country. A “colourful, beautiful and peaceful” Northeast awaits people from across the country, he said, urging them to travel and invest in the region.
Accusing the Congress of leaving the region “devastated”, the Union Minister said PM Modi had the “big heart” the region needed. “People of the region wanted the government to reach out to them, which happened under PM Modi,” he said, adding that his vision of lifting AFSPA completely from the region will also be realised.
Ever since the PM Modi came to power, the region has been given due attention. Besides PM, who has visited the region extensively, other ministers have also been regularly visiting to help in its development, he said.
The earlier sense of “alienation and step-motherly treatment” is now gone from the minds of people there with PM Modi turning the “look-East” policy into the “act East” with development works and peace initiatives hand in hand, he said. A safe, secure and developed Northeast “is very good news” for India, he added, referring to security challenges posed by the region traditionally.
The government has also been working to settle all border disputes among different states in the region, the Union Minister said, crediting Home Minister Amit Shah for executing the PM’s vision on the ground through dialogues with chief ministers. AFSPA was completely withdrawn in Meghalaya in 2018, Tripura in 2015 and Mizoram in the 1980s.
