Lok Sabha speaker Meera Kumar said despite immense potential the North east states have in terms of mineral wealth, water resources, forests and favourable agro-climatic condition, the region is grappling with multifarious problems of under-development, unemployment, backwardness and insurgency. <br/><br/>She said this while addressing the 12th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference which concluded on Saturday in Shillong. Blaming insurgency for the region’s failure to realize its full potential, the country’s first woman Speaker contended that the region needs peace to catch up with the rest of the country. <br/><br/>She emphasized on the need to take initiatives to bring back those influenced by violence into the mainstream as violence and democracy cannot co-exist. The two-day conference mainly deliberated on the impact of insurgency in the socio-economic development of the region and will give its recommendations to the Centre and the state government for redressal. The speakers and Deputy Speakers from North East states participated in the conference. West Bengal speaker, Mr. Hashim Abdul Halim was the special invitee.