 "Northeast India")
It has been 10 years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to collectively describing India’s northeastern states as Ashtalakshmi, likening the eight states to the eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi. Until then, the states in the Northeast were described as the “seven sisters” and the “brother” state of Sikkim.”
The Centre has maintained that it has successfully resolved some of the region’s contentious issues in the last 10 years and allocated more money for infrastructure development. The period has also witnessed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expanding its electoral footprint in the region, while the Opposition has, since May 2023, castigated the Centre for failing to resolve the ethnic strife in Manipur. The Centre imposed President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13.
The sobriquet Ashtalakshmi comprises the eight states of the Northeast — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. In January 1972, the phrase “Land of the Seven Sisters” was coined to coincide with the inauguration of the new states of Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya by journalist Jyoti Prasad Saikia. Sikkim merged with India in 1975 and was termed a “brother” state to the “seven sisters.”
Since 2014, the Centre, during the tenure of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, has sought to revitalise the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER). The ministry coordinates with 54 non-exempted ministries and departments to spend at least 10 per cent of their Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the Northeast across various sectors, such as agriculture and allied activities, communication, education, healthcare, industries, infrastructure, power, roads and bridges, regional air connectivity, science and technology, sports, tourism, and water supply.
Exempted from this are highly scientific ministries and departments with little scope for work in the Northeast, or those with no direct involvement in the region, such as the erstwhile Department of Ocean Development and ministries where the expenditure in the Northeast and Sikkim was nil during the last three years; and ministries and departments whose Gross Budgetary Support is less than Rs 10 crore. These include Atomic Energy, Company Affairs, Economic Affairs, Expenditure, External Affairs, Legal Affairs, Earth Sciences, Official Language, Personnel and Training, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Planning, Revenue, Steel, Space, Science and Technology, and Scientific and Industrial Research.
According to a reply by MDoNER in Parliament on March 13, an expenditure of Rs 5.22 trillion has been incurred by different ministries and departments under their 10 per cent GBS during 2014-24. It said these efforts have helped in enhancing the contribution of the Northeast to the country’s GDP (at current prices with 2011-12 as the base year) from 2.66 per cent in FY15 to 2.91 per cent in FY23.
Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the Northeast, where he inaugurated the revamped Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, in Assam’s Golaghat district, and also met the region’s chief ministers. Shah spoke of the Centre’s focus on infrastructure development in the region in the last 10 years and its success in inking peace agreements to resolve decades-long conflicts.
Meanwhile, the Opposition, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, have continued to point out that the PM is yet to visit Manipur. On February 9, N Biren Singh, who headed the BJP-led NDA government, quit, and the Centre imposed President’s Rule a few days later.
In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the central government is committed to bringing normalcy to Manipur and assured all support for the economic growth of the state. Replying to a discussion on the passage of the Manipur Budget for the current fiscal and vote-on-account for the first six months of FY26 in the Rajya Sabha, the minister also sought the support of the Opposition parties for peace in Manipur instead of engaging in a blame game.
The senior minister also hit back at the Opposition for its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi not visiting the violence-affected state, saying none of the prime ministers in the past visited Manipur when violence occurred there. She cited the names of former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and IK Gujral.
She said violence in Manipur has adversely impacted economic activities in the state but expressed confidence that it will recover swiftly. Responding to the Opposition's criticism of not paying enough attention to Manipur, she said the Union Home Minister and Minister of State for Home visited the state as part of the Centre’s efforts to bring normalcy.
Sitharaman informed the House that Rs 913 crore has been given under Special Assistance for State Capital Investment for FY25. "We have also created a Contingency Fund for Manipur with Rs 500 crore allocated to them," she said.
Trinamool Congress MPs staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha, saying they were dissatisfied with the "superficial" reply of the Finance Minister on the debate on the Manipur Budget.
