NEW DELHI, April 8: Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, issued a strong rebuttal to Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus’s recent characterization of Northeast India as “landlocked”, asserting that the region is not landlocked but “power-locked”, brimming with untapped potential and strategic significance.
Speaking at a summit in New Delhi, Scindia emphasised the Northeast’s position as India’s gateway to the emerging Global South, citing its extensive 6,000-km international border. “While some countries might not be landlocked, they are certainly power-locked,” he remarked, in a pointed critique of Bangladesh’s positioning in the regional dialogue.
Scindia, referring to the eight Northeastern states as “Ashtalakshmi,” underscored their growing role in India’s economic engine. “All eight Northeastern states are growing at 12–12.5%. These regions are the engine of the train that drives India,” he said, highlighting their consistent double-digit growth rates.
Drawing from his tenure as the former Civil Aviation Minister, Scindia provided tangible examples of the region’s expanding global footprint—mentioning pineapples from Tripura being exported to Germany and chillies from Nagaland reaching markets in Dubai.
“Our capability to impact both the Global North and the Global South from the Northeast is phenomenal,” he declared. He further argued that the region’s vast international border offers India unparalleled connectivity, especially with the Global South, making it a strategic node in regional and global geopolitics.
Scindia rejected Yunus’s remark as a misrepresentation, stating, “The narrative must be about lifting the truth and showcasing the comparative and competitive advantages that the Northeast offers.” He stressed the importance of acknowledging ground realities over geopolitical rhetoric and called for a balanced focus on both the Global North and South in India’s developmental and diplomatic agenda.
His statements follow in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s similar sentiments en route to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. PM Modi had earlier asserted that the Northeast is central to India’s inter-regional cooperation strategy. His comments came days after Yunus’s controversial remarks and just ahead of a potential bilateral meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
Modi and Yunus met for the first time during a dinner hosted by Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, marking their initial interaction since Bangladesh’s interim government assumed office in August 2024.
