05-February-2018
Shri Subhash Chandra began his speech amidst loud applause from the audience at the Advantage Assam Summit, a global investors summit initiative by the Assam government held in Guwahati on February 3 and 4, 2018.
Subhashji congratulates the Assam government and CM Shri Sarbananda Sonowal saying that the summit has opened up Assam to a global audience.
He says, “In the pre-independence period, this part of the country was very prosperous, and the GDP and per capita income was much higher because there were cross-border trades with other countries adjoining the region. However, post-Independence, the cross-border trade stopped. The Government of India looked everything North-East with security issues and gave certain grants to the BSF and other paramilitary forces. They looked at the development of the North-East only through the ‘Chicken’s Neck’. They did not look at borders beyond the region.”
Addressing the lack of jobs in Assam at present, Subhashji says that the influx of people from other states in addition to lack of focus on economic development by the government has caused this situation. On an optimistic note he says, “But, now your population, your talent and your younger people have woken up and are wanting to do things in life. They are ready to take on challenges to bring back prosperity to Assam.”
He also added that Prime Minister Modi’s Act East policy and the ASEAN Summit where he invited 10 heads of ASEAN countries can prove to be advantageous to Assam and other Northeastern states.
