External Affairs Minister Jaishankar calls Northeast India a “big beneficiary” in India-Bangladesh relations

Stating that several factors played a role, including political constraints, as well as administrative issues, adding that “In a way, what we are seeing now is something that should have come a long time ago if history Would have been kind to us.”

During an interactive session on Northeast India's integration with Southeast Asia and Japan at Kirori Mal College in New Delhi, Jaishankar said, “The partition of India in many ways broke or weakened the natural connectivity that Northeast India enjoyed.” Had achieved and would achieve. Otherwise enjoyed… In the first few decades after our partition, the level of development that Northeast India should have seen was actually stunted because it did not enjoy all the benefits that many other parts of India enjoyed. There were, only because there were political hurdles, administrative issues and so, in a way, what we are seeing now is something that should have come much earlier if history had been kind to us.”

“If you look at the last decade, Northeast India has really been a big beneficiary of this dramatic improvement in India-Bangladesh relations, when we had the land border agreement in 2015, once things calmed down, there was a new sense of trust. There was level and trust between India and Bangladesh…'' He praised the development in the region and said how it has boosted New Delhi's relations with Dhaka.

The External Affairs Minister further underlined how he “always tells people, India should look east”, adding that “Delhi should first look east and then look at the north-east.”

“This is when the potential and possibilities of the Northeast are fully appreciated,” Jaishankar said.

Notably, India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture and many other similarities.

Bilateral relations between the two countries reflect an all-embracing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that North East has a big role in making India a developed country.

The Prime Minister further said that the BJP is working towards the 'HIRA' (Highways, Internet, Railways and Airways) development model for the North East as a bridge to a larger connectivity approach to connect the North-Eastern states. Will work.

The project is a part of the Act East policy of the Government of India, which aims to promote trade with East and South East Asian countries and is in line with the 'HIRA' development model for the North East.

The bridge is a part of a larger connectivity vision of connecting the north-eastern states with neighboring countries through land, water, air and internet.