Assam, NE no longer prisoners of history: Himanta
Guwahati:
Assam
chief minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma
, while speaking at the 10th governing council meeting of NITI Aayog on 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047' in New Delhi on Saturday, said the state which was 'let down' by the past political leadership stagnating its development trajectory has 'reclaimed' its position as 'gateway to Southeast Asia' after 2014.
He further said at the meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi that "Assam and the northeast are not peripheral — they are strategic, economic, and cultural frontiers. They are the gateways to Southeast Asia, rich in human capital and opportunity."
He added, "Let us correct the failures of past political vision with bold policy clarity today. Let us match the Prime Minister's commitment with institutional responsiveness, and replace inertia with action".
Sarma said, "The pursuit of a Viksit Assam has long been a cherished aspiration of our people. The Prime Minister's vision of a Viksit Bharat presents us with an opportunity to transform that aspiration into reality and reclaim and rejuvenate the rich legacy of a prosperous Assam".
Giving the state of development of the state before independence, Sarma said before independence, Assam was a land of prosperity, with a per capita income higher than the national average.
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"The state's premium tea exports had already gained global recognition. Assam enjoyed robust connectivity with the global economy—railway lines connected Dibrugarh to Chittagong by 1904, and the Brahmaputra served as a vital waterway linking Assam to ports like Chittagong. The state was firmly positioned as a hub of international trade," he said.
He pointed out that the Partition severed these arteries overnight and Assam was left with only a narrow and vulnerable lifeline — the Siliguri Chicken Neck — connecting it to the rest of India.
"The Chittagong Hill Tracts, despite having a population that was over 97% non-Muslim, were awarded to East Pakistan. Again, in 1971, during the creation of Bangladesh, Indira Gandhi had a historic opportunity to negotiate a broader and more secure geographical corridor to the northeast. Despite her decisive leadership in securing Bangladesh's liberation, this moment too passed without seizing that strategic opportunity.
These were pivotal junctures where bold leadership could have altered the trajectory of Assam and the northeast. Instead, the region was let down by the political leadership of the time," Sarm said.
He underlined that today Assam and other northeastern states are no longer considered the "prisoners of history".
To truly unlock the region's promise, the chief minister said, "We must implement dedicated transport and logistics corridors, revival of inland waterways and critical railway infrastructure, freight subsidies and long-haul incentives for industries, affordable and reliable power with appropriate cost equalisation mechanisms".
Speaking on the importance of Viksit Assam for Viksit Bharat, Sarma said that state government has taken decisive steps to build a prosperous, empowered and self-reliant Assam. He further said the state currently boasts a robust Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of USD 68.7 billion, with a remarkable 19 per cent growth recorded in the last fiscal year and an impressive 17.8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years.
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