PM Narendra Modi used his Assam address to link decades of underdevelopment in the Northeast directly with national security costs, while pitching his government’s last 10–11 years as a corrective that keeps Assam’s resources for its own people. The speech, delivered around major infrastructure and corridor‑style development projects, sharpened his criticism of past Congress governments and framed Assam as a future industrial and strategic gateway for India.
Modi’s attack on Congress over Assam and Northeast
In his remarks, Modi alleged that previous Congress governments had deliberately kept Assam and the entire Northeast away from the mainstream of development. He used strong language, calling it a “paap” (sin) that had exacted a “very heavy price” in terms of the country’s security, alluding to years of insurgency, porous borders and neglected infrastructure in the region.
According to him, an old mindset in Delhi treated Assam and the Northeast as distant, low‑priority regions where “modern airports, better railways and highways” were seen as unnecessary, leading to long‑term economic and security damage. This line is central to the political contrast he draws: a neglected, insecure Northeast under Congress versus an integrated, strategically vital Northeast under his government.
Industrial corridor and infrastructure push
The comments came in the backdrop of inaugurations and announcements tied to large infrastructure and industrial projects in Assam, including new connectivity assets and industrial‑corridor‑style initiatives designed to attract investment. Modi argued that modern airports, highways, rail links and industrial clusters in Assam do more than just help local commuters—they send a signal to investors and convert the state into a manufacturing and logistics hub for eastern India and the wider region.
He highlighted that over the last 10–11 years, projects worth “lakhs of crores” have been started for Assam and the Northeast, describing this as a deliberate strategy to turn the region from a “red corridor” associated with unrest into a corridor of industry, trade and jobs. By linking industrial development to national security and border stability, the speech framed infrastructure as both an economic and strategic asset.
“Assam ke saadhan, Assam ke logon ke liye”
A key line from the speech mirrors the phrase you quoted: Modi said that his government’s consistent effort over the past decade has been to ensure that Assam’s resources are used for the benefit of the people of Assam themselves. The argument is that natural resources, infrastructure and public investment in the state should translate into local jobs, better services and higher incomes, rather than being extracted or mismanaged for the benefit of a few.
He linked this to governance changes: citing examples such as large‑scale roll‑out of smart prepaid electricity meters, reforms in government recruitment to curb bribery, and a push to make Assam an “engine” and “eastern gateway” of a developed India. In his telling, this is part of a broader shift from viewing the Northeast as a periphery to treating it as a core driver of national growth.
Political message and security narrative
Politically, the speech served multiple purposes at once: attacking Congress’s historical record, defending the BJP’s focus on connectivity and industrialisation, and reinforcing a security narrative that links development directly to peace. By saying Congress kept Assam and the Northeast away from development and that this “sin” harmed national security, Modi sought to turn infrastructure and industrial corridors into electoral issues as much as economic ones.
At the same time, by emphasizing that Assam and the Northeast are emerging as India’s “eastern gateway” and will lead the country’s future growth, he tried to reassure local audiences that the current wave of projects is not just headline announcements but part of a long‑term repositioning of the region inside India’s development story.
