Ashta Lakshmi of Bharat

Introduction: It took nearly 5 decades for the Government of India to truly recognize the importance of our Northeastern (NE) States. It was in September 2001 that the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (popularly known as DONER) was established by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. Like the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the DONER Ministry was also a notable contribution of the BJP Government towards the sustained and balanced national growth. PM Modi always emphasized that for Bharat to attain economic prosperity, empowering the eastern part of the country is essential – and central to that is the development of the Northeastern states. In this context, PM Modi began referring to the Northeastern states, earlier known as the ‘Seven Sisters’ (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram), as ‘Ashta Lakshmi’- with the inclusion of Sikkim.

Political Acknowledgement: Previous Congress governments opted to ignore the Northeast due to its limited political space and significance. All the 8 states together account for 25 Lok Sabha Seats – 14 from Assam and the remaining 11 from the other 7 states. Since the Congress party dominated Bharat’s politics for over 5 decades from Panchayat to Parliament, these 25 seats appeared negligible for their political gain especially as many of these states already had Congress-led governments. When the Modi government assumed power at the Centre, the Northeastern states began receiving much-needed attention. Instead of viewing them merely in terms of seat count, genuine efforts were made to understand the identity and requirements of each state. High-level meetings that used to be held in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan were moved to cities in the Northeast. Central ministers paid regular visits and stayed overnight in the region. So far, the ministers have spent over 700 nights in the Northeast, and PM Modi himself has visited the region more than 65 times.

Healing Touch: To win the hearts of the people in the Northeast, a comprehensive outreach program was launched and is currently under implementation. As a part of this effort, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was completely removed from Tripura and Meghalaya in 2015 and 2018, respectively. In Arunachal Pradesh, AFSPA has been limited to just 2 police station areas. In Assam, it remains in only 4 districts. Areas covered under the Act have been substantially reduced in Nagaland and Manipur.

More than 10,500 militants from the region have laid down arms and joined the mainstream since 2014. There has been a remarkable improvement in the security situation with insurgency incidents dropped by 76%, security force casualties by 90%, and civilian deaths by 97% in 2022 compared to earlier years. Interstate border agreements were signed between Assam and Meghalaya; and Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in 2022, helping resolve decades long boundary disputes.

Path to Peace: Peace is a prerequisite for development. The Modi government initiated dialogues with various groups in the region, addressing their genuine concerns. Several peace accords and agreements were signed in the last 5 years.

• A Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed with National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT/SD) on 10 August 2019 after which 88 cadres surrendered.
• An Agreement was signed on 16 January 2020 for the permanent settlement of Bru (Reang) migrant families in Tripura.
• On 27 January 2020, an MoS was signed with Bodo groups in Assam, resolving the long-standing Bodo issue. Following this, 1,615 NDFB cadres surrendered, and the group disbanded in March 2020.
• On 4 September 2021, a MoS was signed with Karbi groups, ending decades of unrest in Karbi Anglong. Over 1,000 armed cadres renounced violence and joined the mainstream.
• On 15 September 2022, another MoS was signed with representatives of 8 Adivasi groups, bringing 1,182 cadres back into mainstream society.

Infrastructure Push: Previously, budget allocations prioritized larger states with more Lok Sabha seats and political capital. Northeastern states were often overlooked. The Modi Government changed this approach, ensuring consistent funding for infrastructure projects such as transport, healthcare, education, and civic amenities. Key developments include:

1. Railways: Budget allocation increased from ₹2,122 crore in 2014 to ₹10,440 crore in 2025 with an ambitious target to connect all the northeastern states via rail by 2027. Tripura’s rail lines were converted from meter gauge to broad gauge in 2016. The Vande Bharat Express, introduced in 2023, connects New Jalpaiguri to Guwahati, passing through Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Kamakhya in Assam.
2. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (2023): Under this scheme, 37 railway stations in the Northeast have been earmarked for modernization – 32 in Assam, 3 in Tripura, and 1 each in Nagaland and Meghalaya. Through the scheme, the government offers its commitment to improve the railway infrastructure in the Northeast with better and upgraded amenities for the rail users.
3. Bridges: The Bogibeel bridge serves as Bharat’s longest rail-cum-road bridge (4.94 kms), connecting Dhemaji and Dibrugarh districts in Assam. The construction of the bridge began in 2002 and was completed in 2018.
4. Village Electrification: Of the 18,452 villages electrified by 2018, 5,824 were in the Northeast. Manipur’s Leisang village was the last non-electrified village to be connected to the national grid. These villages have been awaiting electricity connection for more than 70 years, since our independence.
5. Waterways: Of the 28 operational national waterways in India, 4 are in Assam. In addition to NW2 (Brahmaputra), 3 new waterways – NW16 (Barak), NW18 (Beki), and NW30 (Dihing) were designated in 2016 to improve the water transport in the region.
6. Airports: Since 2014, 7 new airports have been built in the region by the Modi Government, compared to 9 between 1947 and 2014. Flights now operate from airports in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland for the first time. Arunachal Pradesh’s first greenfield airport, Donyi Polo, in Itanagar is the third operational airport in the state. Its foundation stone was laid by PM Modi in Feb 2019 and was completed within a short span of time despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic.
7. Roads: Road connectivity in Northeastern Region (NER) is being given high priority by the Modi government. Over the past 10 years, 9,984 km of National Highways were constructed in the Northeast with an expenditure of ₹1,07,504 crore. An additional 265 projects covering 5,055 km are underway, with a cost of ₹1,18,894 crore.
8. Health: The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Guwahati was announced in 2015, got established in 2020. The Institute will have a 750-bedded hospital and more than 25 specialty and super-specialty departments. This is apart from the outpatient services and the diagnostic services, improving access to quality healthcare in the region.

Celebrating Culture: The northeast states have an unexplored, distinct and beautiful culture. PM Modi participated in the Hornbill Festival in Kohima, Nagaland in December 2014, as a part of ethnic cultural promotion. After 90 years, in 2017, the government amended the Indian Forests Act, 1927 to exclude bamboo from the definition of tree, to improve the earnings of tribals and dwellers living around forests, especially in the Northeast.

At every forum, from freedom fighters like Kiang Nobang and Rani Gaidinliu, to the warriors of the Ahom Dynasty, PM Modi never missed the occasion to pay tributes and highlighting their glorious history. In 2019, the famous singer Bhupen Hazarika of Assam was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. In October 2024, classical language status was granted to Assamese.

People’s love for PM Modi was evident when residents of Kongthong village in Meghalaya (famously known as the Whistling Village) composed a special tune in his honor, appreciating his efforts to promote tourism in the region.

Conclusion: Unlike the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who viewed the Northeast as a barren land, PM Modi sees it as the soul of our nation. That is why, instead of using the colonial-era label ‘Seven Sisters,’ he coined the inclusive term ‘Ashta Lakshmi’ – recognizing the divine and vital role of these eight states in building a prosperous Bharat.

(The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the position of the organisation)