It has been emphasised for decades as governments rise and fall in Delhi but the main problem besetting the north east is lack of connectivity. That has accentuated the alienation of a part of mainland India from what is erroneously called the mainland. As a result, a whole host of militant groups have mushroomed in the region. Agartala has been receiving considerable attention from the NDA government in developing connectivity. The kick off came some time ago with Narendra Modi blowing the whistle with Manik Sarkar, the only CPI (M) Chief Minister in India. It was the second north eastern city to get on the Indian metre-gauge railway map in the 1990s. The first broad gate locomotive puffed out of Agartala on a trial run early this month. Passenger services begin in March and they will be able to go to Kolkata direct and to points west and south. The existing bus service goes through Bangladesh. The rail service will be affordable to passengers who do not have passports.
Plans are on the drawing board for some time to connect to all the north eastern states to the rest of India by 2020. By 2017, a line will be raised to Akhaura in Bangladesh. That will offer connectivity all the way to Chittagong. Another to the Bangladesh border will be raised through the south district of Tripura. These links will contribute to implementation of the Look East policy. The political impact of rail links can hardly be overestimated. It will bind diverse cultures together and such unity will not only promote trade and commerce but also make a heavy dent in militancy in the north eastern states.