NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday appealed to insurgents in the North-East to follow in the footsteps of nearly 10,500 militants who have surrendered across the region since 2014, by also abjuring the path of violence and joining the mainstream.
“I appeal to all those insurgents who have not surrendered yet, to lay down arms and join the mainstream. Your participation in India’s development journey is welcome,” he said while addressing the ‘Unity Utsav – One Voice, One Nation’ event organised by Assam Rifles here. The Utsav witnessed students from all northeastern states, who are studying in Delhi NCR, participating in sports and cultural activities.
Shah said the Modi govt had not only resolved disputes going on in the North-East region for decades, by signing 12 peace accords between 2019 and 2024, but also taken two steps forward by putting trust in youths of the region and making them believe that a lot of opportunities are available to them.
Thanks to peace efforts, violent incidents in the NE were down by 70% and civilian casualties by 85%, he said.
Congratulating Assam Rifles – the oldest paramilitary force of the country that is identified as ‘friend’ of the North-East – for successfully showcasing the unity and cultural strength of the region to the entire country and the world with the Unity festival, Shah hailed Manipur for bagging most of the prizes from among the 212 teams and 1,500 students who took part in sports competitions. “This shows the importance of sports in Manipur,” he said.
Expressing confidence that India would host the Olympic Games in 2036, Shah hoped that India would figure in top 10 nations in the medals tally, with the northeastern states playing a key role in this achievement.
Assam Rifles DG Lt General Vikas Lakhera was also present at Thursday’s event.
Stating that PM Modi had eliminated physical and emotional distance between the the North-East and Delhi through connectivity, Shah said allocation for the region in Budget has been raised by 3-4 times. By 2027, all states of the region will enjoy air and rail connectivity with Delhi.
