Northeast region is not just India's frontier, it's now nation's forward face, says PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted that the country's Northeast region is not just India's frontier, it is now its forward face.

Responding to a media article written by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Prime Minister posted on X: "In this insightful article, Union Minister JM Scindia shares his experience of visiting the North East, describing its beauty and the indomitable spirit of its people."

"Highlighting the North East as 'Ashtalakshmi’, the Minister explains how it is becoming India's natural gateway to Southeast Asia. He emphasises that the North East is not just India's frontier, it is now its forward face," PM Modi observed.

The minister has stated that as connectivity deepens, the Northeast is becoming India's natural gateway to Southeast Asia. He mentions his recent visit to Assam and Meghalaya was an experience that left him "deeply moved and profoundly inspired".

"The breathtaking beauty of the Northeast is matched only by the warmth, simplicity, and indomitable spirit of its people, who have left a lasting impression on me. I return home from this visit with a renewed resolve to work even harder and with greater rigour for the region’s progress and prosperity," Scindia said.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government of India is transforming the Northeast into a vibrant centre of connectivity, culture, and commerce. Had it not been for his farsighted vision and ability to turn challenges into opportunities, this resurgence of hope and possibility might still have remained a distant dream," the minister further stated.

He pointed out that as the region turns from being landlocked to land-linked, one can feel the pulse of transformation where development walks hand in hand with inclusivity and dignity.

The minister underlined his visit to the Mushroom Development Centre in Upper Shillong, where he says, as part of "a quiet revolution in the heart of Meghalaya, science and community have joined hands to transform rural livelihoods".

Established in 1982 under the North Eastern Council, the centre now houses the newly set up Shiitake Mushroom Production and Training Centre, producing nearly 1.5 lakh sawdust blocks each year, each capable of yielding a kilogram of shiitake mushrooms valued at up to Rs 1,000 in the market.

"Beyond the numbers, what stayed with me were the faces and stories of the farmers I met, their eyes gleaming with pride as they spoke of how this initiative is driven by a purpose of creating dignified livelihoods, nurturing green entrepreneurship, and growing a truly atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Northeast envisioned by the PM," Scindia added.