Northeast Deserves Devbhoomi Title, Says Union MoS at Tawang

Tawang, October 30: Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, who oversees tourism and petroleum and natural gas, called for the entire Northeast to be recognized as ‘Devbhoomi’. He made the remark during a visit to the historic Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, which took place alongside the 14th International Tourism Mart (ITM).

Gopi was accompanied by Meghalaya Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira. Together, the two ministers prayed at the monastery and learned about the Buddhist heritage that the site has preserved for generations.

During his remarks, Gopi reflected on what the Northeast means to him spiritually and culturally. He said that each visit to the region gives him a new kind of experience and a deeper appreciation of its traditions.

“I am a very religious man. I do not fear God, I love God,” Gopi said, adding that love for the divine leads a person toward a more meaningful and purposeful life.

He emphasized that nature is the basis of life and that its elements must be safeguarded for the benefit of future generations. Gopi cautioned that some development work disrupts the natural order and causes damage, and said nature responds with calamities like landslides.

Gopi also described the monastery visit as a fresh spiritual encounter. He said that sacred places create a bond that enters the heart and renews the spirit, a feeling he said he had experienced at Tawang.

He stressed that the Northeast has been greatly blessed and that its people are warm and good. Those who have heard negative things about the region, he suggested, should spend a day or two with its people to see their sincerity and loyalty to India for themselves.

Shira, who also toured the monastery, described it as one of the biggest in the area. He said he was keen to see it after hearing this from others, and that it compared impressively with the monasteries he had seen in Ladakh and Sikkim.

He noted that more than 500 monks live at the monastery with full dedication. According to him, the site draws a large number of visitors, and nearly everyone who visits Tawang includes it on their itinerary.