Gaurav Gogoi on India Today podcast: Manipur set back 15 years, Northeast faces 'precarious' future

In a hard-hitting conversation on India Today’s exclusive podcast hosted by journalist Preeti Choudhry, Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, sharply rejected the idea that the Northeast is better integrated with India under the BJP government, stating instead that the region stands at a “precarious crossroads.”

When asked whether he believed the Northeast had become better integrated under BJP rule, Gogoi responded, “I don’t think so. We have a divided Manipur, and we have unstable infrastructure. Why would anyone ask that question?”

Expressing grave concern over the crisis in Manipur, Gogoi remarked, “Manipur has been pushed back by 15 years. What is development without human lives at the centre of it? The humanity of Manipur has been devastated.” He emphasized that peace and harmony must always precede infrastructure and economic development. “We lost 20 years of development because there was no harmony between communities.”

He further criticised the government for masking deep-rooted issues under the guise of development narratives, adding, “So much injustice has been done and everything is being hidden under this development.”

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Gogoi also raised broader regional concerns, pointing to recurring floods in Assam and Bihar. “Floods push people back into poverty every year, and yet we have not come up with anything tremendous to address it.”

Highlighting security vulnerabilities, the MP said the situation along India’s eastern borders is extremely volatile. “We have an unstable border with Bangladesh, ongoing hostility with China, and a rising influx of smuggled goods and drugs from Myanmar. Yet, disproportionate attention is given to the Western Front,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Gogoi warned that the Northeast is navigating a deeply uncertain phase. “We are in a precarious environment on our international front. The Eastern border of India deserves the same urgency and seriousness as the West.”

His remarks come at a time when ethnic tensions, cross-border concerns, and infrastructure gaps in the Northeast remain key issues shaping political and public discourse.