by Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : President Ram Nath Kovind said extremism in Assam and the north-east is heading towards its end with incidents of violence. Terming the central government as fully committed to the overall and balanced development of eastern India, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday that the benefits of the policy of sensitivity and partnership for lasting peace in the north-east are evident today.

Addressing a joint session of Parliament on the first day of the budget session, Kovind said, “The benefits of the policy of sensitivity and partnership that the government has worked with for lasting peace in the north-east are evident today. Today, insurgency is on the end of the north-east and there has been a major decline in the incidents of violence. On the path of violence, the stray youth are now returning to the mainstream of development and nation-building. He said that the policy of rapid development is being worked out while preserving the geographical, cultural, linguistic characteristics and social identity of the North East. Kovind said that the Brahmaputra River is a ‘ life stream ‘ of north-eastern states including Assam.

The same life stream is being worked out for the introduction of various national waterways by virtue of economic activity. It will benefit the farmers, youth and entrepreneurs of the north-east. He said that the ‘ Earth Brahmaputra ‘ programme is an attempt to develop ‘ integrated national waterways ‘, to make the Brahmaputra and Barak River a stream of development. The President said the rehabilitation of Bru refugees is being met with peace and tranquility. “Similarly, there has been a historic Bodo peace agreement, which has been successfully implemented,” he said. After the agreement, the bodo Regional Council elections have also been completed with success this time.