During the Look East Policy era, Union Ministers hardly visited the region and particularly our state Nagaland. If any union ministers visit, it will be a mega event, big inaugurations, mass gatherings, etc. getting all public attentions in media. There also used to be much publicity and preparations prior to the arrival. The programs were also mostly concentrated in Dimapur and Kohima so that they land in Dimapur airport in the morning and fly back to Delhi in the evening.
Look East Policy has been aptly upgraded to Act East in 2014 and this has impacted not just the policy towards Southeast Asia but also the North East Region of the country, which is the gateway to many Southeast Asian countries. In conjunction with this upgraded policy, our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in January 2015, directed Union Ministers to visit Northeast fortnightly. Again upgrading the directive, after 2 years, in 2017, he made one night stays mandatory for all union ministers visiting the region.
During BJP National President's recent visit to Nagaland on 15 and 16 of September, he stated that our honourable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi has already scored half century (50 times) in visiting Northeast (whereas some didn't visit even his constituency 10 times in 10 years). This is NaMo's leadership from the front. Union ministers are following the suit and their visit to Nagaland has become a routine affair. BJP officials, karyakartas and ministers/advisors are seen frequenting Dimapur airport to welcome the guests. The most recent being the high profile visit of Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs in August last and then followed by Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Smti. Pratima Bhoumik visit to Kohima and then reaching Kiphire, the far-flung district bordering Myanmar on 20th September. Districts like Kiphire are not visited even by our own state ministers/advisors unless there's a befitting mega event. As I write this, we have Union Minister of State for Electronics, Information Technology, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri. Rajeev Chandrasekhar visiting our State. The interesting thing is, he chose to travel 7-8 hours by road from Dimapur to Zunheboto and ate by a roadside rice hotel accompanied by our Advisor for Tourism, Art & Culture, Shri. H. Khehovi. This is his second visit in five months. He visited Nagaland in the early part of May this year and reached Mon and Longwa. His plan to physically reached Kiphire wasn't possible due to inclement weather but held a meeting with key officials of Kiphire district administration in Dimapur.
Now, it is high time for Nagaland to capitalise on this frequent visits by the Union Ministers, program their visits in such a way that every district and community is benefitted irrespective of party or political affiliations. When Delhi is trying their best to take our region and state on board the growth engine of the country, it is only imperative that we appreciate the action and respond with inclusive mindset for consanguineous growth and development of Nagaland.
Khalenmew Yimchunger,
Pungro Town.