Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has said that the surge of major concerts across the Northeast should be viewed as a shared regional advantage rather than rivalry, while reacting to the statement of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He further emphasises 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, there are certain factors that are different when it comes to Shillong and comes to Meghalaya and certain aspects are different when it comes to Assam and Guwahati. So each state, each region, each city has got its own uniqueness and own competitive advantage and I think playing around those competitive advantages is what should be the strategy of every state government.”
Sangma emphasised 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 Northeast region is a music destination, and we welcome this move, and we hope that all the Northeast states move forward together in creating a very, very healthy area competition and promote music, and concert economy for the entire nation and 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.
