PROF (DR) SUKAMAL DEB

If you love cherry blossom flowers, you must be aware of the famous cherry blossom festival in Japan. You want similar vibes, come to Shillong. See North East India with the heart, rather than just through the eyes. Her beauty, her tradition, and her people will mesmerise you. My love for her knows no bounds

We are delighted to share that we are embarking on a journey that has never been done before! This special moment marks our step forward in a collective journey to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary geographical paradise that silently lived in my heart for decades with affinity.

We need to create individuals, the changemakers who are on their journey of lives transforming lives and strengthening communities through meaningful social impact. We have been inspired by countless stories of courage, innovation, compassion, and commitment. This time, we look forward to discovering even more remarkable contributions that embody the spirit of service and positive change.

We are on a journey to discover someone whose work is making a real difference, but in silent oblivion. We would like to invite you, all of you, to come forward. Your participation could amplify the impact and help shine a light on stories that deserve to be heard.

We are a few like-minded persons committed to doing something good for our Region, have come together and planned for this Rally initially. As time went by, we became stronger and stronger, with many joining us almost every day. As we say, the Rally is about ‘Discipline and Not about Speed’.

The Rally is not a Competition but a ‘Campaign to Explore North East India’ through a structured platform for Peace and Prosperity. It’s an initiative celebrating unity, culture, and the vibrant spirit of the Region. We are working with the philosophy of 5E (Education, Employability, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Emotional Intelligence) for success.  

We will document the languishing Crafts of the Region, which were once our pride but have been facing the danger of extinction, as we believe these are our identity. We are to boost the morale of our artisans, the women, whose creativities are yet to be celebrated.   

We are about to begin the cherished journey of one month and one day, from 4^th January to continue till 4^th February, 2026.  Those who are tracking us can imagine our passion that has been flowing for months, our plan to organise a North East Integration Rally, 2026. Finally, the rally flags off from Kolkata on 4th January 2026 and culminates in Guwahati on 4th February 2026, after traversing through all the North East States.

TheNorth-Eastern Regionis best described as a rainbow country, extraordinarily diverse and colourful, mysterious when seen through parted clouds. One of the world’s most biologically diverse regions is flanked by hills, and with the mighty river Brahmaputra slashing a central path between its north and south, ours is potentially one of the richest geographical units of the country.

It is a land where tea is an industry, handicrafts a major occupation.  The isolation of the NER began earlier as a result of British imperialism, when the Region was cut off from its traditional trading partners (Bhutan, Myanmar & Indo-China).The western side of the NER is connected to the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent by a narrow land corridor, referred to as the Siliguri Neck, of width 22 km. For decades, we have yearned for integration.

We deserve special attention, an identity with commonness due to our peculiar physical, economic and socio-cultural characteristics. The North East Integration Rally is a drive to deeply sensitise this deep below the skin, the appreciation for the region,and how worthy we are. The isolations, of all forms, we will have to be expunged, so we say the Rally of Integration!!

The NER covers an area of 2.62 Lakh sq. km, accounting 7.9% of the country’s total geographical area. With a total population of 45,587,982 (Census 2011), it accounts for 3.77% of the total population. About 98% of the border of the region forms international boundaries (4,500km).

Throughout its history, the NER is known to have been an important physical and cultural bridge between India and Southeast Asia, an important focus area for archaeology. The proportion of the tribal population ranges from 19.3 per cent in Assam to 94.5 per cent in Mizoram, largely rural with over 70 per cent of people living in country-side. It has over 160 Scheduled Tribes and over 400 other Sub-tribes.

The region with over 220 ethnic groups and an equal number of dialects makes it hugely diverse. Its immense export potential and unique location make it an ideal case foran economic boom. For Assam, tea is an industry. Hand-spun and hand-woven textiles have a deep-rooted historical connection, as clothing was a challenge among all tribal communities of the region.

The women weave odes on their looms, a mark of distinct identity. Handicrafts are our festivals. We celebrate our rich culture all year round, and we keep it close to our hearts. The aura of atithi deva bhavo (a guest is akin to God) embodies the tradition of the North East. Our hospitality mesmerises human feelings, connecting heart to heart with indelible impressions of love, and our delectable culinary creations are hard to miss.

We have the brave hearts, we are storytellers of great deeds, we participated in India’s freedom struggle prominently; we have a reservoir of talents and creative people. We believe in liberty. So, Zubeen Garg, the great artist, once said, an artist cannot be dictated to. He said he would live with his own freedom.

We are on wheels with great hope. The Rally, down the lane, is going to be a lasting movement binding us all together cohesively, promoting the proud presence of North East India, at the eastern-most part of India. Maybe we are linked with the Indian heartland through a narrow Siliguri Corridor created by the Radcliffe line, but we are wider beyond, in our worth.

Our mission is to soothe all forms of conflicts, the inter-tribal conflicts, combat the youth unemployment, promote entrepreneurs and enterprises, our youths have to compete with business monopolies, check illegal migrations and be custodians of our resources for our faster prosperity. We dream of the region as a zero-conflict zone, a no-violence and a no casualties zone, prominently representing us in all fora.

We voice the genuine grievances of our people democratically. The North East has to shine forever, has to become one of the brightest spots in the world geography, so the Rally is. Through our wholehearted efforts together, the North East is becoming a key enabler of Viksit Bharat’s vision, day by day, brick by brick.