North-East Insurgency

Introduction

The North-eastern region of India contains eight states viz., Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Many ethnic groups are involved in insurgency in the north-east region with their own set of demands. Some call for a separate state, some ask for greater autonomy within the state, and few others demand complete independence. Most insurgent groups are armed and based on ethnic and linguistic lines as the region is home to a diverse tribal population. Internal tension exists between centre and state, between two or more states, and also between various tribal communities within the state. 

• The tension also arises due to the settling of the illegal migrants from Bangladesh into India. The recent clash of Assam- Mizoram (2021) is a prime example. 
• The people in the north-east blame the Indian government for not taking adequate steps to address their concerns and stake claim for more autonomy and greater participation in the governance process. 
• A few examples of internal tensions are the interstate disputes between Manipur and Nagaland because of the demand for an independent nation by Nagas, which includes the territories of Manipur and other states. 

The insurgent groups in other north-eastern states like Assam, Mizoram and Tripura demand independent status or greater regional autonomy. The general features are: 

• Almost all of the region’s 5,484 kilometres of borders are international borders, with Bangladesh (1880 kilometres), Myanmar (1,643 kilometres), China (1,346 kilometres), Bhutan (516 kilometres), and Nepal (99 km.). 
• The north-eastern region is also an ethnic minefield, with roughly 160 scheduled tribes and over 400 tribal or sub-tribal clans and organisations. 
• In contrast to the rest of the country, the north east is strategically important since it shares borders with neighbouring countries such as China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. 
• The status of socio-economic development, as well as historical variables like language/ ethnicity, tribal rivalry, migration, control over local resources, a pervasive sense of exploitation and alienation, and topography, have resulted in a fragile security situation in the north-eastern states.
• As a result, many Indian insurgent groups have used violence and made various demands (IIGs). 

At present, these tensions have considerably eased due to the continuous efforts of both centre and state governments. Insurgency in Mizoram has completely subsided; the Indian government has made a number of ceasefire agreements with various insurgent groups and recently signed a historic accord with the Nationalist Socialist Council Nagaland – NSCN (IM) to end the Naga insurgency. But still, the insurgency does continue to thrive in various pockets of the state. Another dimension is the new challenges of states getting into violent conflicts, as seen in Assam- Mizoram Border Disputes (2021).