"If Britishers had not come to India, then perhaps North East would have been put off to China". It is not the BSF, armed forces who are at fault, it is politicians who are at fault," he said. The kind of awardees we saw this year, she deserves to be given Padma award," Satpathy said. "Iron Sharmila deserves to be given Padma award for her perseverence. He said the attitude of successive governments towards North East has been "convoluted or perverted".

Source: Times of India August 08, 2016 22:57 UTC