State Policy And Conflicts In Northeast India

This book discusses the history of unrest and conflict in Northeast India from 1947 to the present day. A perceptive study on public policy and its delivery in the region, the volume highlights that a crisis of governance, security and development has emerged in the Northeast because of the way various government institutions and agencies have been functioning in the area. It uses case studies to illumine conflict dynamics in the two erstwhile princely states of Manipur and Tripura, along with in-depth discussions on Assam and Nagaland. Drawing upon major policy documents, on-the-ground experience and rare insight, the book examines centre–state relations, the armed forces, special acts, human rights and larger policy-level questions confronting the region. It also underlines the key role of the northeastern states in India’s ‘Look East’ policy. Cogent and authentic, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of security studies, peace and conflict studies, area studies, Indian politics and history, particularly those concerned with Northeast India.

Northeast India comprises of seven states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. This region has been the theatre of insurgency and ethnic-based armed conflicts for more than half a century making the region one of South Asia’s most disturbed areas. The instability in Northeast India is characterized by two distinct factors – ethnic clashes among the indigenous groups and political movement against the Union Government. The conflicting dynamics in the Northeast ranges from insurgency for secession to insurgency for autonomy, from terrorism to ethnic clashes, to problems of continuous inflow of migrants and the fight over resources. Moreover, vested interests and inter tribal and inter factional rivalry have led militant groups to continually clash among themselves, plunging the region in a vicious cycle of militancy, social violence and lack of economic growth. These armed conflicts have given impetus to small arms proliferation, narcotics trade and a parallel economy. The democratic deficits and how the Central Government and the states have addressed these concerns are of interest. The location of the region, politically and geographically, has a fundamental bearing on it and its people who aspire for different goals and how they try to reach these goals. The region shares borders with four countries: Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Tibet/China and is connected to the Indian mainland by a narrow stretch of land. This adds to the trans – border ramifications to the conflicts. To address these issues CSA with the help of Centre for Northeast Studies and Policy Research, Guwahati engaged a few experts who have contributed papers which were presented at the Seminar in New Delhi in July 2010 and the same stand published through this book.

This Volume Comprises Of Papers Presented At A National Seminar Organized By Dibrugorh University In 2004.

In the case of Northeast India, a number of researchers were engaged to study different and multi-layered dynamics of the conflict and the consequences. This is the second book that encompasses the studies presented by many researchers on different facets of this conflict.

From the days of election campaign for 2014 Lok Sabha, Northeast India occupied a special attention to Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat. After taking oath as India’s Prime Minister, how his visionary ideas helped Northeast to become a ‘Development’ zone from a ‘Conflict’ zone, is the main crux of this Book. This book tries to test the hypothesis that “state versus community conflict in Northeast India can be managed through integrated thrust over ‘Development’ and ‘Security’ policies”. The idea of connections between security and development thinking is not a new phenomenon, but intermingling both as a nexus and using this nexus for conflict management is a post-Cold War phenomenon. There are already some studies done on countries like Sudan, Sweden, Liberia, Afghanistan etc. – to test development-security nexus as a conflict management tool. But no study has yet done on India, where, in recent times, we see growing emphasis on this approach. In the post-Cold War era, we can underline a change in the mode of conflict management in India’s North-eastern part. While, many theorists and policy-makers exemplify federal solution of violent ethnic identity demands as an ideal tool, both Central and State policies are relying more and more on development-security nexus. From the day of getting office as Premier, Narendra Modi has clearly shown his inclination towards this nexus for bringing peace and stability in Northeast. In different speeches and policy formulations, he seems stubborn towards insurgent groups’ federal demands, and emphasizing and implementing an integrated development plan for North-Eastern Region alongwith the rest of India. His well-acclaimed policies like ‘Act East’, and ‘Neighbourhood First’ also helping in both development and securitisation of Northeast. In this Book, the propositions of this Nexus will be empirically tested in five years of NDA regime (2014-19). Broadly, this Book will delve in the questions like – What do we mean by ‘Development- Security Nexus’?; How the ‘Development - Security Nexus’ is differently imbued with meaning and ultimately employed in India?; What are the ‘new’ policies of Indian Government during Modi-led NDA Government (2014 – 2019)?; What are the development policies and initiatives of NDA Government (2014 – 2019) in development arena of India’s Northeast?; What are the security measures of NDA Government (2014 –2019) in NER?; How far Development-Security Nexus is successful in mitigating or managing conflict in India’s North-eastern part? This Study is qualitative research, in which content analysis technique is applied to study variety of data sources. In this Study, the Governmental documents from different ministries - like Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Ministry of Defence etc. - was interpreted to test the hypothesis. Some reliable non- Governmental sources - like data of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt. Ltd., Environmental Systems Research Institute and South Asia Terrorism Portal etc. - was also examined for the information and their analysis. As the topic is very much contemporary and we have paucity of secondary sources, print media and multimedia sources were also considered from reliable sources. I hope, this Book will be a benchmark for the society as well as policy making bodies as a comprehensive comparative database of the tested hypothesis that state versus community conflict in Northeast India can be managed through integrated thrust over Development and Security policies.

India’s Northeast has long been riven by protracted armed conflicts for secession and movements for other forms of autonomy. This book shows how the conflicts in the region have gradually shifted towards inter-ethnic feuds, rendered more vicious by the ongoing multiplication of ethnicities in an already heterogeneous region. It further traces the intricate contours of the conflicts and the attempts of the dominant groups to establish their hegemonies against the consent of the smaller groups, as well as questions the efficacy of the state’s interventions. The volume also engages with the recurrent demands for political autonomy, and the resultant conundrum that hobbles the region’s economic and political development processes. Lucid, topical and thorough in analysis, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers in political science, sociology, development studies and peace & conflict studies, particularly those concerned with Northeast India.

Northeast India, apart from being the rainiest in India, is drained by two large river systems of the world – the Brahmaputra and the Barak (Meghna) – both transnational rivers cutting across bordering countries. The region, known for its rich water resources, has been witnessing an increasing number of conflicts related to water in recent years. This volume documents the multifaceted conflicts and contestations around water in Northeast India, analyses their causes and consequences, and includes expert recommendations. It fills a major gap in the subject by examining wide-ranging issues such as cultural and anthropological dimensions of damming rivers in the Northeast and Eastern Himalayas; seismic surveys, oil extractions, and water conflicts; discontent over water quality and drinking water; floods, river bank erosion, embankments; water policy; transboundary water conflicts; and hydropower development. It also discusses the alleged Chinese efforts to divert the Brahmaputra River. With its analytical and comprehensive coverage, 18 case studies, and suggested approaches for conflict resolution, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of development studies, governance and public policy, politics and international relations, water resources, environment, geography, climate change, area studies, economics, and sociology. It will also be an important resource for policymakers, bureaucrats, development practitioners, civil society groups, the judiciary, and media.