Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh skipped the North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Shillong on January 19.
Officials said that Mr. Singh did not attend the meeting due to the prevailing law and order situation in the State that has been affected by ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and Meitei people since May 2023. At least six people, including two police personnel, were killed in various incidents of violence in the State in the past three days.
The Chief Ministers and Governors of Sikkim and all the seven Northeastern States were present at the meeting.
Mr. Shah said that the Northeast, which was struggling with problems related to various ethnic, linguistic, border, and extremist groups, has begun a “fresh and durable era of peace” in the last 10 years.
The Minister said that after the three criminal laws are notified, the country’s “criminal justice system will become the most modern and scientific in the world” within three years. The date of the implementation of the three new criminal laws that were passed by the Parliament in December is yet to be notified.
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The Minister said that in the 50 years of its establishment, the NEC has increased the pace of development of the region by providing a policy-related platform to all the States and simplifying the solutions to their problems. He said that in these 50 years, more than 12,000 km of roads, power plants, and many institutes of national excellence have been established in the region.
The use of technology in administration has been enhanced through the use of the North-Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC). He said that the language, culture, food, attire, and natural beauty of the Northeast will give a great boost to this region in global tourism.
Mr. Shah urged all the States to control the Gross Fiscal Deficit and said that Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura have made commendable efforts in this direction. He said the governments will have to focus on creating a “flood-free and drug-free Northeast” and strengthen water management by using NESAC. By creating big lakes to absorb rain water, the region can attract tourists and can also strengthen the drinking water and irrigation systems, he said.
Mr. Shah said that from 2004 to 2014, a total of 11,121 violent incidents took place in the Northeast. It declined by 73% to 3,114 incidents between 2014 to 2023. Deaths among security forces dropped by 71% from 458 to 132, while civilian deaths declined by 86%. He said incidents of insurgency have come down because in the last five years more than 8,900 cadres of militant groups have surrendered and joined the mainstream. This has sent a message to the entire country that peace and prosperity are interconnected and without them the States cannot develop, he emphasised.
Mr. Shah added that to bring peace and stability in the Northeast, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed nine agreements and through these, many pending issues related to law and order have been successfully resolved. He said that except some parts of Assam and Manipur, 75% of areas covered under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) have been removed from its ambit.
