Union Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's achievements in the Northeast, while taking a dig at the Congress. Speaking at the India Today Conclave alongside Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, Rijiju said that what couldn't be done in 65 years in the Northeast was accomplished in 10 by PM Modi. The Union Minister also addressed the Manipur issue during the conversation with India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, emphasising the Centre's efforts for peace. Rijiju also discussed the upcoming Waqf Board Bill, asserting it would benefit poor Muslims. Tamang shared initiatives on environmental conservation and the state's 50th merger anniversary celebrations.
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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, once again, welcome to the India Today Conclave 2025.
00:08Few parts of the country are as complex and yet in many ways as alluring as the country's
00:16northeast.
00:18Few parts of the country exemplify the diversity of this wonderful country quite like the northeast.
00:27And in fact, one of the less spoken achievements of the Narendra Modi government has been its
00:32conscious outreach to the states of the northeast.
00:35The prime minister has traveled to the region more often than any other Indian prime minister
00:42and yet as the last 20 months have shown in Manipur, this is a region where which sits
00:50on a powder keg at times and Manipur remains a grim reminder of the challenges that lie
00:55ahead of the center in ensuring a durable peace for the northeast.
01:02Is the sun therefore really rising in the northeast as the Modi government claims or
01:07is this another false dawn?
01:10Does the tyranny of distance lead to alienation of the northeast or are new opportunities
01:16being created?
01:19That's the focus of what we want to discuss with two very special guests.
01:22Please welcome Kiran Rajuju is the face of the northeast in Delhi, Minister for Parliamentary
01:29Affairs and Minority Affairs from Arunachal Pradesh.
01:33Please give him a very big hand, ladies and gentlemen.
01:37And with him is a very special guest as well coming for the first time to the India Today
01:41Conclave representing the small but beautiful state of Sikkim.
01:47He was just chosen as the best chief minister in the country by his own local population.
01:53Prem Singh, welcome to the show, sir.
01:56Welcome to both of you to the India Today Conclave.
02:02Can I start with you, Mr. Rajuju?
02:05If I were to ask you, what is the biggest challenge facing you and what is the biggest
02:12opportunity you see when it comes to the northeast?
02:15Well, you have very aptly described in the very beginning, one of the area which can
02:25become a major hub in terms of economic activities, cultural, social, so many things.
02:33So northeast has limitless opportunities.
02:37So the potential which has been unleashed in last ten years under Narendra Modi government
02:44is making northeast in the forefront of the development.
02:51If you look at the infrastructure which has come up in last ten years, it has almost transformed
02:57the northeast.
02:59So now what I see, I believe in that the hard infrastructure will unleash the potential.
03:07So first job is done, connectivity, digital, physical, moral, heart-to-heart connection
03:15from Delhi to northeast, these are done.
03:18Now the soft development, education, health, tourism, these will come up.
03:25So the foundation has been laid and the result in the days to come will be there for everybody.
03:33Ten years of strong foundation will make northeast one of the most vibrant region of
03:41our country and that is coming.
03:44I'm not saying for the future, it is right there in front of our eyes.
03:48It's interesting you said that, Minister, because a fact, more roads have been built
03:54in the last decade than in the previous six decades in your state of Arunachal Pradesh.
04:00But a region of 45 million has only one university in the top hundred and that's Guwahati at
04:05number 88.
04:07Your primary health centers still do not extend to different parts of the state.
04:11For example, in Meghalaya, one primary health center serves 47,000 people in the Khasi hills.
04:18Massive shortage of specialist doctors.
04:21So you're creating the physical infrastructure but your government hasn't done enough for
04:28the social sector.
04:29So if I'm a young man or woman in the northeast, I have to leave my home state to come to a
04:35Delhi or a Mumbai or any other city for education.
04:40Is that the next challenge?
04:41You have pointed out and I have already responded to that partially.
04:46You know, if you want to make a school, first of all you have to make a road, you have to
04:52make water connection, you have to give electricity connection.
04:57These are the basic amenities for any civilized society in today's time.
05:02So as I mentioned about you, those you had already specified about the achievement in
05:09terms of building infrastructure, now the health, education, other things will start.
05:16Now is the time you wait and see I'll take you to northeast.
05:18India Today team.
05:19Sure, I'll happily come trekking with you across Arunachal.
05:49That's the big challenge which makes a state like Sikkim accessible.
07:19If the road is cut off, there can be a loss of 100 crores.
07:23So apart from NH10, what do you think, because tourism is a very big thing for Sikkim.
07:28If I am a tourist and want to go to Sikkim, can you assure me that in the next two years
07:35I will reach Sikkim easily?
07:37Sure, sure.
07:38Because this is the existing road of NH10, alternatively another road is being built.
07:43So the tender for DPR has been done by the central government.
07:48So now after the train has started, there is no problem.
07:51And after Mr. Modi came to the center, the airport was built in Sikkim.
07:57So there is a little technical problem.
07:59And due to monsoon, sometimes landing is not possible.
08:02And now there is no problem in connectivity.
08:05You are not from BJP, but you are connected to BJP in a way, because you are part of the
08:11Canada Alliance, the Northeast Democratic Alliance.
08:13Is it easy to deal with the BJP?
08:17I am the brother of the BJP.
08:19I get all the blessings from my elder brother.
08:24We are one.
08:25In our state, we are from the regional party, but in the center, we are with India.
08:30You know, that seems to be the model, Kiran Raju, that the BJP has adopted for the Northeast.
08:36I call it mergers and acquisitions.
08:38You have about three or four chief ministers who are former Congresspersons.
08:42In your own state of Arunachal, the entire Arunachal Congress one day overnight merged
08:47and came into the BJP.
08:49Is the BJP simply a Congress-yukth BJP when it comes to the Northeast?
08:56That is not a very correct interpretation of the reality.
09:02What we could not do in 65 years, Modiji did in 10 years.
09:09It's a reality.
09:10I will not give you details now, because the figures are large.
09:14You know, you have to give sector-wise facts and figures.
09:18But when I got elected, there was no BJP in Northeast.
09:22In fact, on the simultaneous polling, same day assembly parliament election, I get elected,
09:30but all MLAs are Congress.
09:32So, it is not that BJP was not there.
09:36So, when I got elected as a member of parliament, there was no BJP government,
09:41no BJP MLA, barring few MLAs in Assam, nowhere in Northeast.
09:46When I became part of the government, only in 2015 late, we started BJP government in the state.
09:55That is because everybody is attracted to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to offer
10:02for the future of Northeastern region.
10:04So, they have the trust, the faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Modiji.
10:09So, that is how the politics in Northeast is revolving around BJP.
10:14And BJP led NDA and in Northeast we say NEDA, Northeast Development Alliance.
10:21So, this Northeast Democratic Alliance is basically an alliance where we are taking a lead role
10:29but we don't want to demolish the identity of the regional parties.
10:34For example, the Sikkim Krantikari Dal of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha of Chief Minister Gole Saab.
10:44It is doing very well. And he has accommodated BJP's requirement,
10:49one MP Rajya Sabha is for BJP, Lok Sabha is for SKM. So, that is how we have divided.
10:56So, they will never feel under pressure or under any kind of threat that will just gobble up the smaller parties.
11:05No. We give space to the regional parties in Nagaland, the Naga aspiration.
11:10We have given space to NDCC, then NDPP, then SKM, likewise in Meghalaya.
11:17It's a working system where BJP has to be in the forefront because we are in the government here.
11:24Prime Minister Modi is the leader of the country. And all the regional parties are extremely comfortable with BJP.
11:31You are only gobbling up the Congress. You are not gobbling up the regional parties.
11:35In the Northeast, you are slowly gobbling up the Congress.
11:38I don't want to sound politics here. But it is a fact that Congress failed Northeast for 65 years.
11:46Otherwise, the abject poverty, the underdevelopment, the kind of difficulties which we had witnessed.
11:53When I was elected as a member of parliament, 70% of the villages were on foot I had to cover.
12:02Today, I don't need to walk even for a village. 100% I can cover either by road or by chopper.
12:11These differences are within just 10 years, 15 years time.
12:14No, I give full credit for what y'all have done on physical infrastructure, sir. But poverty is still an issue.
12:19You know, I found it very interesting. The Association of Democratic Reforms report says,
12:244 of the 10 richest chief ministers are from the Northeast. And yet, all your states are right at the bottom
12:30when it comes to human development index or poverty. Neta, sir, the leaders are becoming rich, the people are not.
12:36Let's be very honest. –Rajdeep, I just want to correct you a little bit about the chief ministers' reach.
12:42I don't know how affluent our honourable chief minister is. I did not see his account, bank account.
12:47But it's true, some of the chief ministers… –Unka naam nahi tha, wo top. –Some of the chief ministers in Arunachal Pradesh may be.
12:54Your chief minister Arunachal Pradesh is the richest. 326 crores. And that is only the assets declared, not undeclared.
13:01I said, I am not going into the bank accounts of the chief ministers or the politicians.
13:05What I am saying is, the poverty what you are talking about, the yardstick to measure the level of poverty in Northeast is different.
13:14In fact, the chief minister will agree with me, in the hills, there is no poverty. Technically there is no poverty.
13:23Because everybody owns land. Everybody has a farmland. Everybody has a house.
13:28Everybody has enough to eat, survive and also to take care of the family members.
13:34So, the poverty rate what you count in rest of the country will not be applicable in the hill states of Northeastern region
13:42because the lifestyle, the whole process of running the society itself is different.
13:48I take that point. But are you, Tamang Sahib, aapko centre par bahut dependent hona padta hai aapke funds ke liye.
13:56Aap ek bada dam ab bana, you know, you have to complete the teesta, the new dam that you are completing.
14:01Uske liye aapko jitne bhi funds centre se milne chahiye.
14:04Kya yeh aapke liye ek challenge hai, funding from central projects?
14:09Kyonki pehle yeh ilzam lagta tha, funds aate the, lekin funds us project mein nahi jaate the, netaon ke bank account mein jaate the.
14:17Kya wo badal gaya hai? Kya aapko lagta hai, jo funds aa rahe hain, wo waqe logon ke sewa ke liye istimaal ho rahe hain?
14:25Jo ek sauce tha pehle, ki fund jaayega aur wahan project mein kaam nahi, nahi, yeh galat hai.
14:31Jitna bhi abhi fund, fund aapne baat kiya ki funding ka problem ho gaya hai, koi challenge nahi hai funding ka.
14:39Pura, jitna bhi North East pehle, mai aapko batana chahata hoon.
14:422014 se pehle North East is like a political platform, only a political platform.
14:48Now after 2014 is a developmental platform ho gaya hai.
14:53Abhi Modi sahab aane ke baad, North East is a developmental platform ban gaya hai.
14:57Toh koi fund ka problem nahi hai, jo project mein, yahan se sanction ho, isi kaam mein, wahan implement ho gaya hai.
15:03Aur Sikkim toh aisa state hai, sabse zyada implementation, execution Sikkim mein hota hai.
15:08Koi aisa misuse nahi hota hai.
15:10Kyuki aapke saamne ek challenge hai, tourist ko attract karna.
15:13Aur saath saath climate change ek bahut bada challenge ban raha hai.
15:17Jis tarah se flooding hui thi Sikkim mein, unprecedented flooding.
15:22Yeh climate change kya logon tak pauchta hai?
15:26Aapki jaisi sarkar jaan gayi hai, yeh bahut bada challenge agle 10-20 saal mein hai.
15:32Ki Sikkim jaise land mein, biodiversity, forestry, you will have to spend, invest in climate change.
15:39Definitely, hum log isi mein poora kaam kar raha hai.
15:42Kyuki humara Sikkim mein bahut saare lakes hai, jo danger zone mein, usmein hum log kaam kar raha hai poora.
15:48Pakit centre government ke poora support se hum log isi mein kaam kar raha hai.
15:51Poora hum log, jitna bhi humara nagarik hai, unko poora aware kar raha hai, ki hum log climate change mein kaam kar raha hai.
15:57Usmein hum log focus kar raha hai.
15:58Jaisa hum log mein, regarding the preservation of the environment, usmein bahut saare kaam kar chuka hai.
16:03Jaisa, maane ne Pradhan Mantri ji ka ek parikalpana hai, Ek ped maa ke naam.
16:09Is very very, is a good initiative.
16:12Usi ki parikalpana ko poora karne ke liye, Sikkim Rajya ne suru kiya hai,
16:16Meru Rukh Meru Santidhi is a local language.
16:18Aur iska madlab hai, ek ped, mera ped, mera parivaar.
16:24Taaki ek bachcha ke janma hone ke baad mein,
16:28wo bachcha ke naam mein, 108 ped aapko plant karna padega, compulsory.
16:33Aur register karna padega forest mein.
16:35Aur uske baad jab plant karenge, unko apna jameen mein bhi kar sakta hai,
16:39aur forest land mein bhi kar sakta hai,
16:41108 trees.
16:42To uske baad unko khud preserve karenge unko.
16:44Sangrakshan wo hi denge.
16:46Aur uska naam mein, wo bachcha ke naam mein,
16:4810,800 hum log fixed deposit kar raha hai for the 18 years.
16:52Wow.
16:53Wo hamara ek, hamara, hamara,
16:56hamara, Shishu Samridhi Yojan hai ye.
16:58Shishu Samridhi Yojan.
16:59Kyunki kayi aise humare rajya hai, jahaan deforestation bahut ho raha hai.
17:04Jiski Himachal lijiye, aur aapne dekha hoga,
17:07Himachal mein pichle saal kis tarah se landslides hui.
17:10Kyunki agar aap climate change,
17:12forestation par zor nahi denge,
17:14to aapka tourism ka nukhsaan hoga.
17:16Jaroor.
17:17To kya aap maante hai ki ye aapke saamne badi challenge hai,
17:19ki ye jo rajya hai, jaise tourism badegi,
17:22hotels banne padege,
17:24will Sikkim retain its greenery?
17:27Yes definitely.
17:28Aapki jo haryali hai.
17:29Greenest state of India.
17:30It is the greenest state of India,
17:32you have the lovely lakes of India,
17:33wo rahenge ya nahi rahenge ye challenge hai?
17:35Rahenge.
17:36Is preservation mein hum log kaam kar raha hai.
17:37Aur Sikkim ke standar mein agar baat karein to,
17:40hamara jo forest ka, forest land hai, wo bad raha hai.
17:43Abhi hai 47% abhi hua hai.
17:4547% of forest land.
17:47Abhi hamara 2.57% mein abhi bad raha hai hamara.
17:51You know, because these are very good ideas,
17:53initiatives that the Chief Minister just gave Mr. Rejuju,
17:56but as always in India,
17:58there is a huge gap between promise and performance.
18:018 of the worst performing smart cities are in the Northeast.
18:05So smart city is good idea,
18:07but 8 of the 15 worst are in the Northeast.
18:09Somewhere the gap has to be filled between promise and performance.
18:12Even deforestation is taking place in large parts of the Northeast.
18:16Let's be honest, there are parts of the Northeast which were forested,
18:20but today are getting deforested.
18:22Are these the challenges that politicians realize?
18:25Development is not just about road building.
18:27It's about involving people and their ecosystem in development.
18:33See, when you talk about development,
18:35it's not only the government that,
18:37we often make mistake that everything has to be done by the government.
18:41Government is the catalyst.
18:43It's the responsible stakeholder.
18:45But the whole issue is about the people.
18:49If people are aware of their responsibilities, their obligations,
18:54all the issues can be solved.
18:57Like climate change is a large issue.
19:00I'm not going into the policies of the climate change, the environment issue.
19:05But coming to the crux of the environmental degradation,
19:10what we have witnessed across the globe,
19:12of course, Northeast has seen large areas under deforestation.
19:17Especially Arunachal Pradesh, which has the largest forest cover in the country.
19:21People have misused the opportunity which they had.
19:26I can accept that.
19:28But thanks to the Supreme Court order, the tree failing was prohibited.
19:33Now, Sikkim is doing slightly better.
19:35And Sikkim's per capita income is highest in the country.
19:39It's much higher than Delhi, Chandigarh and Goa.
19:42So, Sikkim is the richest state.
19:44And per capita wise, highest.
19:46What I see for a state like Arunachal Pradesh,
19:49which is more resourceful, bigger and more resourceful,
19:53it can catch up with Sikkim.
19:56I've told people of Arunachal on the statehood day the other day,
20:00that the growth rate in which Arunachal is progressing
20:03can very well catch up Sikkim in the next seven to eight years' time.
20:07And the per capita of Arunachal will shoot up.
20:09If you see all the, I will not go into the detailed projects,
20:12but if Arunachal can harness the entire potential,
20:16it will have the per capita income equivalent to any of the Gulf countries.
20:21That is the potential.
20:22But not at the cost of environmental degradation.
20:26Not at the cost of exploiting to the hilt.
20:30Just for economic prosperity.
20:33So that is why I appreciate the Sikkim model.
20:36The Chief Minister has been not only a kind-hearted person,
20:40but very progressive.
20:41We have been friends for a long time.
20:44And we share so many things.
20:46We always keep in touch.
20:47And I also tell the other northeastern states,
20:50especially the hill states,
20:51to pick up some good lessons from Sikkim.
20:55And he also can learn other things from other states.
20:58I have to pivot to ask you though, since you are the minister,
21:02in a way the face from the northeast,
21:04the Prime Minister has done 60 visits to the northeast
21:07more than any other Prime Minister put together in the past.
21:10And yet he hasn't gone even once to Manipur in 20 months.
21:14A state where more than 200 people have died in ethnic violence.
21:18It almost seems as if the government doesn't want to even discuss Manipur.
21:23It reflects the complexity, the difficulties.
21:25We can discuss all the good things you have done.
21:28Are you willing to confront some of the problems that you face?
21:31And Manipur is a classic example.
21:33The Prime Minister has not gone even once, sir, in 20 months.
21:37Now, if anybody here to the question what you have just framed,
21:43anybody would also put same kind of question
21:46without understanding the reality.
21:50Now, what do you mean by Prime Minister just visit to a place when there is a problem?
21:55Prime Minister should know the problem. That is more important.
21:59Visiting and making a statement is another thing.
22:03This Prime Minister is the only Prime Minister
22:07who has gone to the root and to ensure
22:10that the problem what is being faced by the people of Manipur
22:15will be settled and solved for the years to come forever.
22:21There were times, I give you one small example.
22:25Manipur had gone under some kind of a civil war like situation in the past
22:31where Meiteis and Kukis, Meiteis and Nagas, Nagas and Kukis.
22:36So, three dominant ethnic groups having, you know, run into each other in numerous occasions,
22:43years of isolations, ban calls, thousands killings had taken place in the past.
22:50Now, one occasion, more than thousand people got killed
22:56and there was a question in the parliament.
22:58The question was, what is government doing?
23:03Forget about the Prime Minister, the Home Minister or anybody.
23:07The MOS, the Minister of State in the ministry gave a small written reply.
23:15And when it was asked that who has visited Manipur,
23:20forget about the Home Minister, forget about the senior officers.
23:26One joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs visited Manipur,
23:31went same day in the morning and came back in the evening.
23:35Home Minister Amit Shahji visited, stayed there for four days in the beginning
23:41and appealed to all the warring factions to surrender their arms.
23:45Without dialogue, you can't bring peace.
23:48So, for peace and for dialogue, you have to surrender arms.
23:52Now, when the presidential, this rule is imposed,
23:56the governor has already made an appeal and the arms are being surrendered,
24:01good news are coming.
24:03The unfortunate incident what we saw in past one year time in Manipur
24:07is unfortunate for everybody.
24:09But remember, I'm just giving you one important line,
24:11don't mistake or don't extrapolate things into different situation.
24:17The fight is not the fight of people of Manipur against government of India or against state.
24:25It is unfortunate conflict between two communities.
24:29Government of India cannot use arms, cannot use force to bring peace.
24:34You have to appeal, you can't use force.
24:37So, that is why it is not a struggling in the past.
24:41In the past, it was a struggle against Indian state.
24:44This problem in Manipur what you saw, what you witnessed is unfortunate,
24:49but I'm very hopeful with the hands-on approach by the Prime Minister,
24:54the Home Minister is driving, we all are equally focused and concerned
24:59and I'm very hopeful with the support and cooperation of all the factions of the state of Manipur,
25:06we will bring peace and normalcy back to Manipur.
25:10Because so much of development has happened in Northeast,
25:13one incident in Manipur is bringing a kind of a bad image,
25:19which is an unfortunate thing, but I'm very hopeful for the near future.
25:24I'm glad to hear that from you, Minister. Let's talk of the success story,
25:28which is your state of Sikkim and we have special reason to celebrate this year.
25:32On the 16th of May, Sikkim will celebrate 50 years since it merged into the Indian Union.
25:39And at that time, it was seen as a big battle.
25:43Today, you are very much an integral part of this country.
25:47It's a reason for you to celebrate. How are you going to celebrate your 50th golden anniversary?
26:18We will celebrate it for the whole year.
26:20You are going to celebrate it for the whole year?
26:22Yes, from this, after integration by the Prime Minister.
26:26And I wonder, if there are people in the audience who want to come to Sikkim,
26:31what would you say are the three things that they should definitely see when they come to Sikkim?
26:36One is that Sikkim is a beautiful state.
26:43And the law and order is very, very maintained there.
26:47It's the most peaceful state.
26:49And the connectivity is also getting completed.
26:55So, there is peace in Sikkim. It's very beautiful.
26:58And the culture of the people there is very good.
27:03And there is good wildlife as well.
27:05Yes, definitely.
27:06You can see some beautiful wildlife.
27:08Beautiful wildlife, yes.
27:09Okay, so, if you want to go this year, summer, please visit Sikkim.
27:12The Chief Minister will personally meet you, right?
27:15I would like to welcome all the people present here from the bottom of my heart.
27:23They should come to Sikkim.
27:25Sikkim's traditional farming, tourism, infrastructure, tradition, everything should be seen.
27:35I want to ask you, Mr. Rejuju, one final question.
27:38You see, you are in a very difficult position at the moment.
27:41You are Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Minority Affairs Minister.
27:45And there is a major legislation that you are hoping to push through Parliament
27:49or move in Parliament in the coming session.
27:52The Waqf Board Bill.
27:54Are you confident that the Waqf Board Bill will pass through,
27:57that all your allies are on board, whether it's JDU, TDP,
28:01and you will be able to overcome all the dissent that is there,
28:07the questions that are being raised of interference with a particular religion
28:11through this Waqf Board Bill?
28:13Well, this coming budget session, second part, will be very interesting as well as very fruitful.
28:24Because numbers of bills are to be considered in the coming session.
28:28Because the first part, we devoted to the budget.
28:32Second part, after the excess demand of grants is done,
28:37then we will go on the passing of the bills.
28:40Historic bills are coming. I will not name…
28:43No, no, the Waqf Board is your bill. Will the Waqf Board Bill be passed?
28:46See, Waqf Amendment Bill is one of the bills, but it's an important bill.
28:50I will be piloting it. Of course, it comes under my Ministry of Minority Affairs.
28:55I have to tell you one thing.
28:58We have to pass the Waqf Amendment Bill as soon as possible.
29:01All the Waqf Boards require a basic heart therapy.
29:07You know, that bill provides all the solutions.
29:10One thing which you have to remember and all the audience of the India Today group,
29:16the Waqf properties in India, it's not a small thing.
29:22We have the highest private owned properties in the world under the Waqf Boards in India.
29:30Some people very casually make remarks that Waqf Board has the third largest land in India
29:37after defence, railways, then Waqf Board.
29:40This is a mistake. Don't say that.
29:42The lands owned by railways, thousands and thousands of kilometres of railway tracks,
29:48this is not for railway personal property.
29:51This is a property on which we travel.
29:53The defence land, all the battlefield, all the centres, military, army, navy,
30:00these are, you know, nation's property.
30:03Waqf property is a private property.
30:05So, don't say Waqf property has the third largest.
30:08Waqf property has not only the largest property in India,
30:12but it has the largest property in the world.
30:15Secondly, no country has given so much of support to the minorities,
30:21the way in which the government of India is doing.
30:24So, if such a committee or anybody says that Muslims are having the largest numbers of
30:31poverty rate population, then having the largest numbers of properties,
30:37not using it for the welfare and well-being of the Muslim community,
30:43the poor Muslim community, is unfortunate.
30:46So, my final line is, this Waqf Bill will be brought in.
30:50It is important only and only for the well-being of the Muslims,
30:56particularly for the poor Muslims, backward Muslim communities, women and children.
31:02And there will be transformative change which will bring in if and when we pass the Waqf Amendment Bill.
31:10We will have a separate debate on the Waqf Board when Parliament is there, Mr. Rejuju, with your permission.
31:17But don't go by some of the MPs who are speaking against the Waqf Bill,
31:23because they have to speak against the Waqf Bill because that is their political requirement.
31:27I am going by what is good for the country.
31:30Okay. Some of those are your allies. We will discuss that. Some of those are your allies also who have reservations.
31:36You are unnecessarily painting our allies as opposed to the Waqf Bill. No.
31:41We will debate that separately. I think our focus has been on the Northeast. It's a wonderful part of the country.
31:47It's a part of the country that is integral to India. And we hope that the alienation that
31:54supposedly existed over time is eliminated, evaporates, and we see a prosperous Northeast.
32:02And Sikkim, in a way, becomes a prototype of a peaceful, harmonious Northeast is what we would like to see.
32:09The Chief Minister, for coming here, Prem Singh Tawangji, thank you so much. And Mr. Rejuju, thank you so much.
32:16I have to say, whenever you meet people from the Northeast, they always look young. Mr. Rejuju looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago.
32:24Not a single black hair, not a single gray hair unlike mine, even though he has far more difficult and onerous responsibilities.
32:32So, stay young and keep the country looking young. Mr. Rejuju, Mr. Tawang, thank you very much at the India Today Conclave.