Aizawl: Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh on Friday said that Mizoram has emerged as a key player in the country’s Act East policy due to its strategic location, Lok Bhavan sources said.
During an interaction with a delegation of eight journalists from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at Lok Bhavan, Singh underscored the strategic importance of Mizoram despite its relatively small population and compact geographical area.
“The state is uniquely positioned at the tri-junction of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, making it a key player in India’s Act East policy,” the Governor said.
He also informed the visiting media team about the state’s transition from a period of unrest during a two-decade-long insurgency to becoming one of the most peaceful states in the country, following the historic Mizoram peace accord signed between the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Centre in June 1986.
He said that the cordial relations Mizoram maintains with its neighbouring countries have contributed to a largely peaceful border environment.
Singh also described Mizoram as one of the most literate states, officially recognised as the country’s first fully literate state.
The state has also recently achieved another milestone by becoming the “Ginger capital of India,” he added.
The Governor further spoke about the pace of development and progress across multiple sectors in Mizoram.
He termed the new Bairabi-Sairang railway line, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year, as a “game changer” that has integrated Aizawl into the national rail network.
Singh informed the media team that the railway line is planned to be extended by over 200 km towards Zorinpui in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district on the Indo-Myanmar border to connect with the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP), creating a seamless link to the Sittwe Port in Myanmar.
The proposed enhanced connectivity is expected to bring transformative socio-economic development not only to Mizoram but also to the entire Northeast region and the country at large, he said.
Singh acknowledged that Mizoram’s proximity to international borders makes it vulnerable to drug trafficking.
However, he reaffirmed the government’s high vigilance and proactive measures in curbing illegal cross-border activities, including drug trafficking.
He said that Mizoram has also benefitted from and capitalised on the active participation of churches and NGOs, including the Young Mizo Association (YMA), in upholding social discipline and harmony.
The media team, led by Vikram Singh (PIB Jalandhar), who were part of a press tour organised by the PIB, praised the exemplary civic sense of the Mizo people, particularly their strict adherence to traffic rules and minimal use of unnecessary horns.