“Congress left Northeast disturbed for decades; Modi turned it into India’s growth engine”: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on December 4 said that the development witnessed across the North-East in the last decade is a direct outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and long-term vision for the region. 

Speaking on the transformation of the North-East, Sonowal asserted that the Congress, despite ruling both at the Centre and in several northeastern states for decades, “did nothing” to advance the region’s growth.

He said that as someone who had grown up in the North-East, he had seen first-hand the neglect the region suffered in the past. “The region, which was declared a ‘Disturbed Area’ by the Congress regime, has now become a growth engine for the country. This has happened because of PM Modi’s vision,” the Union Minister said.

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Sonowal added that the Congress had “completely failed” to understand the region’s potential and ignored its strategic and economic opportunities. In contrast, he claimed, the last 11 years of the Modi government have brought peace, stability and major investments to the North-East, turning it into a preferred destination for industries and infrastructure expansion.

Accusing the Congress of repeatedly “causing disturbance” and preventing development, Sonowal said such an approach kept the region isolated from national progress. Highlighting recent infrastructure breakthroughs, he pointed out that projects such as the railway connectivity to Aizawl—once considered unthinkable—are now becoming a reality due to the Centre’s focused push for connectivity, logistics and economic integration of the region.

Sonowal said the continuous improvement in security, connectivity and investment-friendly policies will further accelerate the region’s rise as a major contributor to India’s growth story.