Inro: The BJP started being perceived as a ray of hope for the people of ‘The Seven Sisters’, who are being looted by their own people active in other political parties of the region.
There was a time when people of North-East Bharat were suspicious of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) being dubbed as communal and Congress baiter but rational approach of first NDA Government under Atal Behari Vajpayee towards whole of north-east region cleared the cloud to a great extent. Thereafter, there have been a constant canard against Narendra Modi Ji and his colleagues to paint a communal colour but his unpartisan and bias-free uniform and all-inclusive most successful Gujarat model rule made BJP opponents lick the dust. This had very positive and constructive effect on the mind of people of North-East Bharat. Thanks to e-media, print media, social media, surface and air connectivity and improved exchange of population for various reasons such as culture, higher technical studies, employment and trade etc. However, the foreign divisive forces don’t miss any opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dimapur and Kohima on November 30 and December 1, 2014 and his brotherly intimate approach charmed the Naga society as a whole. His concerns to welfare of Naga society particularly of youths revealed in his speeches and actions surprised his well-wishers and critics both. The well-wishers did not expect that Modi would go to the extent he did and the opponents were bemused and stunned because Modi’s rational approach and all-embrassive humble behaviour did not give any scope to critics for finding fault. The nationalist sections of people were emboldened and the anti-nationals were dampened and discouraged. The BJP started being perceived as a ray of hope for the people of this region who are being looted by their own people active in non-BJP national and regional political parties. The recent political play enacted by Neiphiu Rio and party of Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) is the by-product when he failed to sneak into Modi Cabinet. A large section of Naga people appreciated Modi ji for keeping Neiphiu Rio at a hand length. They (People of Nagaland) are angry on him for rampant corruption during his rule and for his undue patronage to a particular underground anti-national organisation. In this situation BJP emerged as a ray of hope to genuine Nagas.
Subsequently, National President of BJP, Amit Shah spent over a week’s time visiting all the State capitals and prominent places of North-East Region meeting peoples, gathering first-hand account of infrastructure of BJP organisation and boosting the morale of BJP workers. He spent nights wherever he visited. He dined with people and interacted with people. The common-people were heard talking among themselves–“The non-BJP national and regional political parties who describe BJP as saffron and communal party often blaming as anti-minorities are always found appeasing minorities and as section of people whom they consider as ‘Vote-Bank’. BJP is not seen doing such partisan politics”. BJP is expanding fast in Nagaland but Neiphiu Rio and the likes is the enemy to BJP’s growth. These elements are biggest hurdle to Naga solution as well because if Naga problem is solved they will loose importance and blackmailing and bargaining status.
BJP is gaining ground even in a difficult State like Mizoram as well. Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura is making in-roads. Assam is a very soft-state where BJP has already gained ground. It is reaching even in remote areas of Assam. The unexpected mob assembled in Veterinary Playground in Khanapara at Guwahati on April 26 2015 to hear Amit Shah is a testimony to this truth. Amit Shah informed the assembly about the development works, various development projects envisaged for North-East Region and effective-handling of Bangladeshi influx and divisive and secessionist forces. The planning of opening district-level BJP offices in the entire seven sister States of North-East Region with Central financial assistance has already been made. The Look East and Act East Policy of PM Narendra Modi are being implemented vigorously. In the history of not only BJP but any national party, it is for the first time that a National President of a National Party spent over a week’s time in one go in this region.
In addition to this, a fortnightly tour program of various Central Ministers of concerned departments was chalked out so that the developmental programs could be included in Central projects. The nodal ministry has been instructed to undertake the tour of at least one State each month to cover all the seven States by rotation. The dialogues pertaining to business and trade with Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh are held at Shillong at a certain interval. Similarly, North-East Council (NEC) meeting will also be held at Shillong instead of New Delhi. BJP is launching a Mass Contact Program (Maha Sampark Abhiyan) on May 1, 2015 in all the seven States simultaneously to apprise the new members of the Party about development programs of Central Government and the role of State Government in implementing them. This will expand the BJP organisation up to unreached places. —Jagdamba Mall from Kohima
