Northeast India

Nagas and Meiteis need to practice reciprocal restraint, generate new inclusive political narratives that focus on common values and ties, and establish a reconciliation forum to promote harmony.

• Namrata Goswami
• May 11, 2010
• IDSA Comments

The issue of Bangladeshi illegal migration has troubled the state of Assam for decades now. Assamese political and social discourses fear that this unchecked migration from across the border will subvert their way of life and change the demographic profile of the state in the near future.

• Namrata Goswami
• January 14, 2010
• Issue Brief

New Delhi and Dhaka may have reached a tacit understanding that Northeast rebels based in Bangladesh will be simply picked up and handed over to India.

• Anand Kumar
• November 18, 2009
• IDSA Comments

In recent years India, along with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been following a policy of diplomatic engagement with Myanmar. India has also clarified its diplomatic stand that such a policy engagement will positively serve its national interests.

• Pradip Saikia
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

Indian insurgent groups are re-establishing camps in Bhutan and are also forging links with Bhutanese rebel groups.

• Balaji Chandramohan
• October 05, 2009
• IDSA Comments

The case of Mizoram in India provides informative lessons for conflict resolution. Factors such as addressing the root causes of the conflict, de-escalation in violence, empathizing with the conflicting actor, surrender policy for insurgents, indigenous mediators, absence of peace-spoilers, strengthening of local institutions, formation of a pan-Mizo identity and limited 'use of force' policy all played a role in establishing peace in Mizoram.

• Namrata Goswami
• July 2009
• Strategic Analysis

Given growing internal security challenges, the Indian government needs to formulate a comprehensive national security strategy, and improve co-ordination among various law enforcement agencies as well as among Central and State agencies.

• MP-IDSA
• June 17, 2009
• Policy Brief

• K. Sreedhar Rao
• March 2009
• Strategic Analysis

Although insurgency in several areas of the North-East region of India has declined, external manipulation and support to insurgency in Assam, the most populous State in the region, continues to be a problem.

Three States in the region, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim, are mostly unaffected by insurgency, while there has been substantial decline in insurgency in Tripura and Meghalaya. Thus, insurgencies in the region are largely confined to Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

• M. Amarjeet Singh
• February 19, 2009
• IDSA Comments

It is perhaps a truism that issues concerning India’s internal security like terrorism, Naxalism and insurgencies in the North East require a dynamic multi-pronged approach spread across states to manage and resolve them. Such a management and resolution package would possibly require crafting a national strategy capable of bypassing local political divisions and enabling India’s multiple political parties to work towards a consensus on issues concerning the nation.

• Namrata Goswami
• January 20, 2009
• IDSA Comments