With reference to the article, "A bridge to the East" (September 8), suddenly there is heightened interest about the north-east, not out of sympathy for its neglected people, but because it lies between mainland India and the booming Asean region.
The north-east should not be conceived merely as a landmass of strategic importance for India because it stands between the country and China or is adjacent the Asean nations with which India wants to build strong economic ties.
The north-east is not only a landmass but also a people, albeit underdeveloped compared to the rest of India, who have their unique set of problems.
Rail, road and air connectivity in the north-east is poor and in some places, there is no connectivity at all. There needs to be connectivity not because the north-east is strategically and economically important to India, but because its people need development and economic growth as it is also part of India.
Anshuman Gogoi Guwahati
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