‘Power-locked, not landlocked’: Scindia hits back at Yunus' Northeast remark

Guwahati, April 8: In a sharp rebuttal to Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus’s recent “landlocked” remarks on the Northeast, Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, mounted a spirited defence of the region’s capabilities and growth at a summit in New Delhi.

“While some countries might not be landlocked, they are certainly power-locked,” Scindia said, taking a veiled swipe at Bangladesh’s positioning.

He referred to the eight Northeastern states as “Ashtalakshmi,” underlining their growing economic and strategic significance in India’s development narrative.

“All eight Northeastern states are growing at 12–12.5%. These regions are the engine of the train that drives India,” Scindia said, highlighting the double-digit growth across the region.

Drawing on his experience as former Civil Aviation Minister, he cited examples such as pineapples from Tripura being exported to Germany and chillies from Nagaland finding markets in Dubai.

“Our capability to impact both the Global North and the Global South from the Northeast is phenomenal,” he asserted.

Scindia also highlighted the region’s vast international border—over 6,000 km—which, he said, provides unmatched connectivity with the Global South.

“It is imperative that we look not only towards the Global North but also towards the Global South,” he added.

He dismissed Bangladesh’s narrative as an attempt to reshape regional geopolitics without acknowledging the ground realities.

“The narrative must be about lifting the truth and showcasing the comparative and competitive advantages that the Northeast offers,” he concluded.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed similar sentiments en route to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand, asserting that the Northeast lies at the heart of inter-regional cooperation.

His comments came days after Yunus’s controversial remarks and ahead of a possible bilateral meeting between the two leaders on the summit’s sidelines.

Modi and Yunus met for the first time during a dinner hosted by Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. It marked their first interaction since Bangladesh’s interim government took office in August 2024.

With inputs from agencies.