"India incomplete without northeast": Amit Shah at 'Ekta Utsav'

"The word 'unity' holds much importance for the North East. After many years of independence, this part of the country - which is even larger than Uttar Pradesh - remained distant from Delhi. 'aur dil ki door bhi thi'. With connectivity, PM Modi has diminished both these distances. Today, northeast is of entire India, and the entire India is of northeast," Shah said while addressing the gathering at Ekta Utsav here.

Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for many developments in the region, the Union Home Minister said that there were many opportunities for the youth in various sectors such as tourism, technology, agriculture and entrepreneurship.

"The eight states in the northeast are capable of making India prosperous. Be it cultural or economic development, sports or research and development. There are many opportunities for youth from northeast in each sector - from tourism to technology, sports to space, agriculture to entrepreneurship, banking to business. This is because of the work done in this direction by the Modi government. Without the Northeast, India is incomplete," Shah said.

Referring to the cultural riches of the northeast, the Union Home Minister said that the region has more than 160 tribes and 200 other communities, and its inhabitants speak over 200 dialects and languages.

"When I was the president of my party, I travelled for 22 days in the northeast and understood its riches. I don't mean it in terms of wealth. We have over 200 communities living in the region. More than 160 tribes live here. Over 200 dialects and languages are spoken here. More than 50 unique festivals are celebrated," Shah said.

The Home Minister said that there was a 75 per cent decline in the violence in the region while more than 2,500 armed miscreants have surrendered.

"Assam Rifles is known as a friend of Northeast. I appreciate the work of Assam Rifle for its outstanding works. There has been a 75 per cent decline in northeast violence. Over 2,500 armed miscreants have surrendered, and several agreements have been made with such insurgent groups of the northeast," Shah said.

The Union Home Minister also gives away prizes to achievers at 'Ekta Utsav', a 5-day sports and cultural event which was organised by Assam Rifles in collaboration with the North East Association for Social Welfare (NEASW). He said, "I hope when India leads the Olympics in 2036, its sportspersons will be in the list of top 10 list of winners." (ANI)