M’laya CM calls Northeast’s concert boom a ‘healthy competition’ driving music economy

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the surge of major concerts across the Northeast should be viewed as a shared regional advantage rather than a rivalry, while reacting to a statement by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

He emphasized that positive competition is strengthening the region's identity as a premier music destination. Highlighting that every state brings its own unique strengths to the cultural and tourism landscape, Sangma underscored that the collective rise of music-driven events will ultimately enhance the Northeast's economy, visibility, and global appeal.

Speaking to media persons in Shillong, the Chief Minister said, "It's a healthy competition. I always feel that positive competitiveness is very, very important, and it is promoting the Northeast as a destination, and it's a great thing."

He added, "Meghalaya and Shillong will always have a niche. Certain factors are different when it comes to Shillong and Meghalaya, and certain aspects are different when it comes to Assam and Guwahati. So each state, each region, each city has its own uniqueness and competitive advantage, and I think playing around those competitive advantages should be the strategy of every state government."

Sangma stressed that Meghalaya does not view the situation as a contest but as an opportunity for collective growth, saying, "We don't see it as a competition. I think overall it is promoting the region as a whole as a destination for music. We have always said that the Northeast region is a music destination, and we welcome this move. We hope that all the Northeast states move forward together in creating a very, very healthy area of competition and promote music and the concert economy for the entire nation and the entire world."

The remarks come days after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the economic potential of large-scale concerts in Guwahati, stating that people from across the region will travel to the city for such events and that Guwahati could become a hub for the concert economy like Shillong if it continues to host shows of similar scale.

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