KOHIMA, Dec 5: After decades of neglect, things in the North East are changing fast under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
Attending the 5th day of the Hornbill Festival at the Heritage Village in Kisama here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the festival has given exposure not only to Nagaland but also to the entire North East.
“Those in metro cities in the mainland are not aware of the rich cultural diversity that the Northeast offers. They think of the region as belonging to a single cultural stock,” he said.
He said the Northeast was ignored and neglected for many decades, “but not anymore.”
Investors are more willing to visit and invest in the region, he said, and urged the NE states to hold investment meets regularly.
The CM also said Arunachal will soon hold an investment meeting.
Pema said Arunachal and Nagaland share several things in common.
“In both the states the Hornbill has great cultural significance,” he said. “Both the states have great cultural diversity due to which people in both the states have to use lingua francas to interact with people from their own state.”
The Chief Minister said Nagaland and Arunachal are also affected by huge expenditure of money during the elections. He lauded the efforts of community organization and churches in Nagaland, who are campaigning against the use of money to buy votes. He appealed to the people of both the states to shun money so that good leaders get a fair chance.
Cultural troupes from both Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh performed alongside the Naga cultural troupes. Snow lion dance and Yak dance from Arunachal were presented on the occasion.
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang and Chief Secretary of the state, Pankaj Kumar, also attended the function.
Later, the Chief Minister visited the exhibition stalls and tribal huts erected by different tribes of Nagaland.
