Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday made an appeal for peace in the North East as peace is the path to development, and said recent events that took place in the region were extremely painful for everyone as a society and as human beings.

Speaking in Shillong at the inauguration of the 20th Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Zone-III, he said “Our behaviour with no one should cause any kind of pain to women and should not hurt their dignity.”

Birla said the North Eastern region is going through a massive transformation. Apart from development of infrastructure, efforts are being made at the level of international dimension to create a ‘focal point’ of regional cooperation and connectivity in Asia.

India’s Act East Policy will enhance regional solidarity at the political, economic and social level, he added.

The entire North East region is now poised for a transformational change but in the process of development, “we have to pay attention that we do not deviate from the path of human values and ethics and it is the collective responsibility of all of us to protect our tradition, heritage, and culture,” Birla said.

The North East is a hotspot of biodiversity, he said, adding, any ecological disturbance here can have far-reaching implications on environmental stability across India. Therefore, there is a need for better preparedness for disaster risk reduction and management in such sensitive areas, the Lok Sabah speaker said.

He further said to deal with these situations, it is necessary to formulate policies that prevent irreparable or excessive damage to ecosystem due to natural disasters. He stressed on awareness among people about the dangers of natural calamities.

Speaking about the disaster management policy, Birla stressed that “we need to focus on the prime minister’s 10-point agenda, which emphasizes the need to build local capacities and initiatives.”

The Indian development model is based on sustainability and over the period of time, with the use of technology and optimum utilization of human resources, “we have strengthened disaster preparedness and management,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh applauded the Presiding Officers of the northeastern region for taking the initiative to consistently engage on various subjects of regional importance.

Underlining the improved connectivity, the deputy chairman emphasised the importance of sustainable development and planning for the impact of climate change. He said for hill states, climate change poses an even bigger and immediate concern that requires more emphasis on adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Therefore, it is important to note that planning for disaster management is no more an isolated policy but they must feature in the broader plan to tackle climate change in every state, he said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma; Arunachal Pradesh Speaker and Chairman, CPA India Region Zone III Pasang D Sona; Members of Parliament; and Members of Meghalaya State Assembly attended the conference.