PM Launches Assam Election Campaign, Announces Recruitment Of NE Youth In Delhi Police

News by YKA Staff: 

Youths from the Northeast have been inducted into the Delhi police during its recent recruitment drive, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rally held in Assam today which launched the BJP’s election campaign in the state. The announcement made by the PM regarding recruitment of Northeast youths was in the offing as the central government decided last year on the move, geared to protect people from the region from harassment in the capital. The announcement was part of several other measures announced by the PM. Election to Assam’s 126-member Assembly is expected to be held in April-May along with four other states.

The decision to recruit youths from the Northeast in the Delhi police was first mooted by the Bezbaruah committee, formed after the death of Nido Tania from Arunachal Pradesh in the capital, following a severe beating. According to a report, the Bezbaruah committee had recommended that 600 people from the Northeast should be inducted in the Delhi police.

However, the Home Ministry, who oversaw the functioning of the committee, decided to induct 160 youths from the region, 20 each from every state, including ten men and ten women.

The Prime Minister said he had instructed that youth from the Northeast should be recruited in the Delhi Police and the process has already begun. During the recent recruitment in Delhi Police, it was ensured that youth from the North East were given priority and many have been appointed from the region, he said.

Modi also announced that the people of Karbi community living in the plains of Assam and Bodos living in hill areas would be granted tribal status and the process has already started. The Prime Minister announced that the issue of declaring the Bodo-Kacharis living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts and the Karbi-Mikirs in the plains as Scheduled Tribes will be soon approved by the Cabinet and then passed in Parliament.

Addressing the rally, organised jointly by BJP and its new ally Bodoland People’s Front for the upcoming Assam Assembly polls, he said BJP will ensure all-round development of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas which have been “betrayed” by Congress. Modi said he had talks with BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary on the problems of the area.

The BPF is believed to have a strong presence in Kokrajhar and its neighbouring areas. The party has been in power in Bodoland Territorial Council since its inception in 2003.

In 2006 Assembly polls, the BPF had won 11 seats and joined the Tarun Gogoi-led government as a Congress ally. In 2011 polls, it had won 12 seats and again joined the Gogoi government. However, in 2014, BPF broke off the alliance with the Congress.

Announcing other initiatives, the Prime Minister said a central technical institute located in Kokrajhar would be given the status of a deemed university, the Sealdah-Guwahati Kanchenjunga Express will be extended up to the Barak Valley while the Rupsi Airport in Dhubri will be taken over by the Indian Air Force.

Modi said ever since the NDA government came to power, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) has taken several initiatives and now, at least one Minister of the central government visits the Northeast every month.

The Prime Minister said his government’s aim is to provide electricity to every household 24 hours, every family a house, a toilet and potable water by 2022.

He said the DONER ministry was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee but during the UPA rule people of the region had to go to Delhi and they found it very difficult to get their grievances redressed.

“To solve this problem, I have directed the DONER Ministry that its entire secretariat would meet once a month in any North Eastern state where people can come to discuss their problems and the state have been asked to give a detailed account of the funds allotted to them,” he added.

He said his government was committed to the development of the Northeast and was implementing ‘Act East’ policy with emphasis on infrastructure development, particularly road, rail and waterways.

Modi also took several potshots at the ruling Congress government in the state and the UPA regime that was in power for ten years before the NDA took over in 2014.

“Why does Assam have so many problems when the same government is there for 15 years and the state has sent a Prime Minister for ten years. They could not do anything in 15 years and now they want me to solve all their problems within 15 months. Don’t you think it’s unfair to me?” Modi said, attacking the 15-year Congress rule in Assam and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represents the state in Rajya Sabha.

With his announcements and tirade against the Congress, the PM has signalled that the political battle in the state was in the top gear now. Although no formal announcements have yet been made, it is being speculated that the Congress will ally with the All India United Democratic Front to keep the BJP out.