Ferment in The Northeast

By Udayon Misra

A complicated situation in the Northeast, posing the gravest challenges to the Indian nation-state

TROUBLED PERIPHERY – Crisis of India’s North East: Subir Bhaumik; Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd., B 1/I-1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Mathura Road, New Delhi-110044. Rs.595.

The book opens with an overview of the cultural mix and diversity of India’s North-East region and discusses how colonial intervention triggered a dual process of bringing it under a common administrative unit and at the same time enacting measures for separating the hill communities from those of the plains. The author shows how, after Independence, there was little change in New Delhi’s perceptions about the region, which accentuated the divide between the Centre and the periphery and gave rise to a spate of identity demands. This prompted New Delhi to resort to repressive methods and also create political space for the small ethnic nationalities by breaking up “greater Assam.”

Extensive autonomy

Summing up, Bhaumik says that the “creation of new States and autonomous councils in the North-East have indeed opened up the Pandora’s Box,” although towards the end of the book he himself suggests that the tribes be given “extensive autonomy.” The flux in identities; the unrestricted illegal immigration hampering broader assimilation; the politics of language and script; and the subtle link between land alienation and unrelenting exclusivist ethnic conflict (reflected in massacres like the ones at Mandai and Nellie, and the Naga-Kuki killings) — all these are discussed in detail. Drug trafficking, the presence of foreign hand, the role of pressure groups, the crisis of governance, and the issue of displacement and forced migration also figure.

On the demographic change brought about by illegal immigration in Assam, Bhoumick says: “The alarming scenario that generations of Assamese have been fed on is finally coming true. Groups that would prefer to merge Assam’s Muslim-majority areas with contiguous Bangladesh have finally arrived.” However, some of his views appear far-fetched. Example: his contention that ULFA is seeking to restore the multi-ethnic and assimilative nature of Assamese nationality through the propagation of a multi-ethnic credo. Again, it will not be correct to suggest that the “heavy military presence and amicable civil-military relations” in Arunachal Pradesh have led to the wide acceptance of Hindi. The fact is that Hindi was introduced as part of a wider and well-thought out strategy of the Centre to project the State as an integral part of the Indian civilisational milieu.

National labour policy

Bhaumik has come up with his own suggestions on tackling the situation in the North-East. As a measure to curb the “rampant migration from other Indian States into the region,” he wants a national labour policy that safeguards the interests of the indigenous people. The idea is highly contentious and reflective of the position of outfits like ULFA that target migrant labour from the north Indian States, particularly from Bihar, labelling them as agents of “Indian colonialism,” but play down the massive illegal migration from Bangladesh. Bhoumick of course wants a check on illegal migration from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Burma also. Among his other— sound, even if not new — suggestions are: protection of land rights of the indigenous peoples; “extensive autonomy” for the tribal regions; and “humanisation” of operations by the security forces.

Bhaumik’s journalistic career in the North-East may have given him a “first-hand experience” of the situation in the region. But his claims that his approach differed substantially from that of the “armchair academics” commenting on the region and that he had drawn “primarily on [his] own experience and primary documentation gained during nearly three decades of journalism in the region”, appear exaggerated. Many of his cardinal arguments could be traced to earlier writings by other scholars and media men. The publication would have gained much from some serious editing which could have weeded out the glaring errors and repetition of both facts and arguments. All these notwithstanding, it must be said that the book has attempted to present an overall picture of a really complex and complicated crisis situation in the region, which continues to pose some of the gravest challenges to the Indian nation-state. This in itself is quite a stupendous task.

‘Laburnum…’ on Northeast an Evocative, Powerful Read

Gripping, not in the sense of a thriller novel, but one in which the reader feels compelled to go on as events unfold in each of the tales. Temsula Ao’s collection of short stories, “Laburnum- For My Head” is a sensitively written book, which draws inspiration from the vibrant and troubled region of northeast India.

A bouquet of eight stories, the book is interesting because of its sheer diversity. There is a wide gamut of emotions — heart wrenching, witty and those riddled with irony. There are stories which are inspired from myths and others which are contemporary and very relevant to today’s times.

In short, it has something for everyone.

“Laburnum- For My Head”, the first story in the book, the title of which is same as that of the cover, is about a woman who falls in love with the buttery-yellow Laburnum blossoms- so much so that she decides that instead of a grand tombstone, a Laburnum tree should rest on her burial site and works towards ensuring the same in her lifetime.

Relevant to the present times, “The Letter” is another story in which Ao adeptly portrays the complicated relationship that a village has with an insurgent group and the Indian armed forces, bearing the brunt of both and struggling to balance the two while dealing with their own lives.

The story ends on a poignant note, but not before leaving the reader with an afterthought – what drives ordinary people towards extremism?

On the lighter side is the story of a young Naga boy, Pokenmong, who runs away from his home to the neighboring state of Assam and does odd jobs to make a living because of his street smart ways. “The boy who sold an airfield” narrates how this boy, with his wit, sells an airfield to unsuspecting villagers.

Some other stories tell the tale of a young girl, who loses her lover in her fight for an independent motherland and is left with a frightful legacy; of a woman’s terrible secret that comes full circle, changing her daughter and grand daughter’s lives; of an expert hunter, who is haunted by the ghost of his prey and asks for forgiveness.

Indeed a powerful, evocative and a brilliant read.

Reduced Militancy Providing Relief to Northeast People

Guwahati / Kohima, Apr 13 : People in the Northeast can have a sigh of relief as militancy appears to be on the way out. According to the Centre, the region has never been as peaceful as this since January 2009.

As per the Union Home Ministry’s data for six northeastern states, excluding Mizoram, the last 15 months have witnessed lowest number of civilian and security force casualties since January 2000.

In this, the Nagaland has witnessed dramatic change. In 2010, Nagaland did not witness a single militant related casualty. The death toll declined from 213, including 140 extremists in 2008 to 31 in 2009.

Credit for this is attributed to the ceasefire agreement between National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN -IM) and the Union Government.
People have are of the opinion that militants should join the mainstream and renounce violence.

“With peace and harmony coming back to Nagaland, a lot of development has taken place and when it was back 5-10 years and I urge all the right seeking people to come and join mainstream,” said Pezanguli, a local, Nagaland

With the ceasefire agreement, developmental activities in Nagaland are in full swing. “The place was much more developed 10 years back, there were so many conflicts and because of that development was not done. There is not much killing so I should say the place is much developed,” said Pfoshuo Ariicho, a local, Nagaland.

The situation is Assam and Tripura has also improved a lot. The ongoing efforts of the Centre to bring United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) to the negotiating table and ensure the surrender of groups like the KLNLF and the DHD (J) has given hope to the people of the region.

Now, there were 424 incidents of insurgency, which resulted in 174 deaths of civilians and security personnel in 2009. The forces eliminated 194 extremists, the highest since 2003. In Assam also there is a considerable reduction in militant incidents.

“If I look back few years back, the security situation was really bad in the state. There were too many bomb blasts and in the morning when we used to see the newspaper, we get scared to go to office or anywhere but now things have changed and violent activities have come down,” said Pushpa Gogoi, a local, Assam

Low militancy levels has given a great relief to locals. “It is a matter of great relief that there is a decline in level of insurgency and there has been a good amount of minimization insurgent activities in the last few months and we have to be grateful to the peace prevailing and thank government of India and peoples group working towards it,” said S Barua, Jorhat.

Among all northeastern states, Manipur continues to be worst affected. Militant groups active in the state are responsible for instability and violence.
Blasts, extortion, hurling grenades in markets and at residences are a common strategy of militants to terrorize the people.

However the people here want an end to bloodshed and have expressed their complete faith in the constitutional framework of the country.
Most of militant groups are indulging in extortion.

“Regarding militancy in Manipur, there is less insurgency but a kind of extortion is going on and on this point, there are so many gangs and groups are coming only for money,” said L Regald Singh, a student, Manipur

“When we see the violent activities committed by the different sections of antisocial elements and militants, then we say extortion case, demand or kidnapping. I think the economic factor comes in between as militants are not guided by the ideology and the antisocial elements are committed into it mainly for money,” said Ksh Bimola Devi, Professor, Manipur University

Northeast has long been affected by militant activities and this has led to a delay in the development of the region. But it seems the situation is changing. And as peace and normalcy return, developmental work will certainly gain momentum.

Hundreds Dying in Northeast India From AIDS

Guwahati, Apr 13 : A large number of people in India’s northeast living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are struggling for survival. Hundreds are dying with no access to treatment.

’People are dying regularly and suffering a lot, unable to access Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) because such medicines are very expensive,’ said Dipak Singh, president of the Manipur Network of Positive People (MNPP).” A large number of people in India’s northeast living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are struggling for survival. Hundreds are dying with no access to treatment.

”People are dying regularly and suffering a lot, unable to access Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) because such medicines are very expensive,” said Dipak Singh, president of the Manipur Network of Positive People (MNPP).

Two MNPP members died earlier this week allegedly due to lack of medication. ”Hundreds have died with no access to treatment,” Singh said.

Although it is not a cure, ART is a combination of medicines that helps a person living with HIV to fight off infections and live a longer life.

Besides, ART also significantly impacts transmission by reducing the viral load concentration and minimizing risk of transmission to their sexual partners.

A person living with HIV requires drugs worth about Rs.1,200-1,600 a month and the cost doubles if someone has to go for second line therapies depending on the nature of their immune system.

India accounts for about 5.2 million HIV-positive people, second only to South Africa. The northeast has been declared as one of the country’s high-risk zones with close to 100,000 people infected with the virus.

The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), India’s apex government agency to combat HIV/AIDS, admitted in a recent report that non-availability of adequate ART in the northeast was a matter of concern.

Fashion Designing Catching The Fancy of Northeast Youngsters

By Peter Alex Todd and Peter Chachei

Guwahati / Kohima, Apr 13 : The fashion industry in India’s northeast region is looking up with militancy on the wane. The industry is actualizing its potential, not just in trade and commerce, but also in terms of style.

Mega Miss Northeast Industry Managing Director Abhijit Sinha said: “Being nostalgic, getting back to 8 years from now, I have started the fashion and beauty industry. It has grown in an immense way.”

Fashion designing institutes like the NIFT, the Guwahati Institute Fashion Technology, and the J.D Fashion Institute and the MORPH are grooming students in this field.

Students feel that the scope for the fashion industry in northeast India is good. “It seems that in Assam, there is good scope. Competition will be there and development can also take place in Assam,” said one student.

Fashion designers from Northeast have made their presence felt across the country.

For example, Atsu Sekhose, a young Naga designer recently showcased his collection at the Wills lifestyle India Fashion Week.

Aien Longchar, another Naga fashion designer trained at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology in Assam is now successfully promoting her brand “Blizz” in Nagaland.

“With peace and harmony returning, the industry is slowly growing. Moreover, a peace talk is being continued and I hope it will bring positive results.

So, only after this, not only fashion industry but also other industries will also flourish,” said Longchar. Modeling too is also gaining popularity.

Monikangna Dutta, Esther Jamir, and Cyndy Khojol are a few big names in the world of fashion from northeast.

Recently, Sangeeta Phukon, a model from Jorhat, won the Miss Barak contest in Manipur. Young models of the northeast are even planning to contest in the Miss India competition.

“I feel very happy after winning this contest and want to represent northeast in Femina Miss India,” said Sangeeta Phukon, model.

“Ten years back, fashion was not given much importance. But now, I think we can see around people of Nagaland are so fashionable. They are really interested in fashion. They have so much talent in modeling, looks and height, said Chonchibeni, a model from Nagaland

The way things are changing in the northeast, it would not be surprising to see a greater contribution from the region in the years to come.

Indian Tribals For Movement Against Tipaimukh Dam

By Ehsanul Haque Jasim

New Delhi, Apr 12 : The indigenous and tribal peoples of three states of India those are Assam, Manipur and Mizoram and particularly the people from different communities of Cachar, are taking preparation to form strong movement against the proposed Tipaimukh Hydro Electricity Project, located at the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers in Manipur.

If the Tipaimukh dam is constructed it would have adverse impact on the sensitive and vulnerable indigenous peoples as well as on their social, cultural, economic, political, demographic and environment prospect in the three States.

So the indigenous and tribal peoples of the areas are more vigorous against the dam. The vigorous indigenous and tribal communities are Hmar, Zeliangrong, Reang, Khasi, Manipuri, Rongmei, Naga Kuki, Jishnu, Nanu Ngai and Bengalis.

The people of Cachar under the banner of Committee of People and Environment (CPE) on last Wednesday staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar demanding scrapping of the Tipaimukh Dam Project.

Hundreds of demonstrators urged the government to make necessary steps to cancel the dam project saying that the dam will bring more miseries to the people of southern Assam, Manipur and Bangladesh.

They have already submitted memoranda to the Indian President, Prime Minister, Union minister for Forest and Environment and Chief Ministers of Assam and Manipur through the Cachar DC in support of their demands of stopping Tipaimukh Dam.

CPE general secretary Pijush Kanti Das on Thursday told the Mizoram Express, a media of India, that on several occasions we highlighted the possible disastrous implications of the Rs 9000 crore project on life, economy and environment of the region. So far southern Assam areas go, Barak and Kushiara rivers will dry up if the 163-meter high dam at Tipaimukh is built. The agriculture-based economy of the region will ruin besides destruction of flora and fauna, he added.

He said that if the dam is constructed, it will have negative impacts on 9,126 sq km area in Manipur also. A large number of indigenous communities, mostly belonging to the Zeliangrong and Hmar people, will be permanently displaced and deprived of their livelihood.

Other organizations of India are also protesting the construction of Tipaimukh Dam. Those are Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNAR) and Action Against Tipaimukh Project. The organizations recently jointly observed International Day of Action for Rivers under the theme ‘Reclaiming Barak River’ at the confluence of Tuivai and Barak rivers at Tipaimukh.

The Hmar, Zeliangrong and Meitei community and different organizations from the Barak basin resolved to stand united against any initiative that would disturb the inseparable relationship between Barak river and indigenous people of the river basin.

Declaring that Barak river must be allowed to flow at its natural course, the participants also resolved to stand against any intervention that would disturb the natural flow of the river due to construction of Tipaimukh Dam.

It may be mentioned that the river is the only route that served import of relief materials during the famine of 1960. So the river still continues to serve Hmar villagers as a key trade route.

Hmar Students Association (HSA) which is very vocal against Tipaimukh Dam, is also opposing the construction the Tipaimukh Dam that Hmar people would be submerged under water if the dam is constructed.

The Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation (SIPHRO) is also one of the Indigenous People’s organizations which is more vocal against the dam construction.

SIPHRO will organize public meetings, public hearings, discussions, debates, seminars, press conferences, and photo exhibitions in different villages, towns and districts in the three States on Tipaimukh Dam issue, says Imphal, an Indian media.

Rail Link From Manipur to Vietnam on Cards: Tharoor

Sinlung Says: Not sure if Tharoor is serious or just one of those Cattle Class dialogues, if this is a plan in the pipeline, it really give hope and we surely believe Northeast India will shine brighter than its mainland counterparts….But that where the Crux is…Does the India govenrment really want Northeast to develop?

Shillong, Apr 10 : As part of initiatives to improve connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asia, the government is considering a rail link from Manipur to Vietnam, Union minister Shashi Tharoor today said.

“Efforts are underway to have a rail link from Jiribham (close to the Assam border) to Hanoi in Vietnam passing through Myanmar,” Tharoor told a seminar ‘From Land Locked to Land Linked: Northeast India in BIMSTEC’ here.

The Union minister of state for external affairs said improved connectivity between the Northeast and the Southeast Asian countries will not only help the region to discover a larger market, but also will integrate India with the those countries.

“The Asian Highway Network which is being coordinated through the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific office in Bangkok, envisages a comprehensive network of roads connecting the countries of Asia. There is separately an East-West Highway Project running from Vietnam through to Myanmar, through which India could get access to all mainland Southeast Asian countries,” he said.

He underlined that from India’s perspective, the Trilateral Highway Project between India, Myanmar and Thailand, was very critical. “The project is under construction. Thailand and India in fact have completed construction of the link roads on either sides,” he said.

According to Tharoor, some portions of the internal road connectivity in Myanmar remains to be completed and that country has requested for grants and funding to enable this project to be completed which will eventually link the Northeast to the East West Highway and the Asian Highway Network.

The requests, he said, are under consideration of both India and Thailand.

“We are also working on enhancing digital connectivity with the Southeast Asian region. An optical fibre cable link between Morek in Manipur and Mandalay in Myanmar is being set up,” he said.

Easter Celebrated With Prayers in Northeast India

Aizawl, Apr 5 : Easter, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, was celebrated Sunday in churches across northeast India with special prayer and worship programs.

Over 5.3 million Christians live in Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur while there are some Christians in the other northeastern states.

“The Salvation Army band party played “He’s risen” in Aizawl, Kohima and several other places in the northeast,” a Church head Zosangliana Colney told reporters here.

Members of the Catholic Church broke their week-long traditional fast to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Christians celebrate the resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday two days after Good Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion.

Churches in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya play a very active role in the life and culture of the northeast states.

“Christianity is the harbinger of modernity as well as women’s liberation in Mizoram. The Christian missionaries, therefore, are regarded as a symbol of modernization, leading to gradual changes in the conservative attitude of men towards women,” Colney added.

Northeast India Peace Claim

By Archis Mohan

New Delhi, Apr 4 : The Centre has claimed that India’s Northeast has never been as peaceful this century as it has been since January 2009. The “peace”, however, appears to have flowed from the barrel of a gun.

The last 15 months have witnessed the lowest number of civilian and security force casualties in the region since January 2000, according to Union home ministry data for six northeastern states (minus Mizoram) released today.

At the same time, the security forces have eliminated a large number of militants in 2009-10, particularly in Assam and Manipur. The ministry data show that 571 militants were killed in 2009 — behind only 2008 (640 killed), 2001 (572) and 2000 (586). Some 81 rebels have been killed till March 15 this year.

The state-wise break up suggests a sharp drop in violence in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.

“In Nagaland, the renewed peace talks from 2008 between the Centre and the NSCN-IM have made a difference,” an official said. The rebel outfit and the Centre’s interlocutor, R.S. Pandey, are now holding the 67th round of the talks, started in 1997.

Nagaland has not reported a single insurgency-related death in 2010 yet. The death toll in 2009 was a low 31, which did not include any security personnel. In 2008, Nagaland had reported 213 deaths, including that of 140 extremists.

In Assam and Manipur, the situation remains relatively grim, with a marginal fall in insurgency-related violence and fatalities. Assam reported 424 incidents and the deaths of 174 civilians and security personnel in 2009. The forces eliminated 194 extremists, the highest since 2003.

This “peaceful” period has coincided with P. Chidambaram taking over as the Union home minister in December 2008 after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Revisiting The Northeast With Sonnets

By Madhusree Chatterjee

Book: ‘Dancing Earth: An anthology Of Poetry From Northeast India’; Publisher: Penguin Books-India; Price: Rs. 350

The northeast has long been on the fringe of mainstream literary consciousness, edged out by its complex socio-politics, crisis of identity and the prolonged rule of the gun.

The literature from the region is a mirror of the angst.

‘The Dancing Earth: An anthology Of Poetry From Northeast India’, edited by Robin S. Ngangom and Kynpham S. Nongkynrih, is a saga of life as experienced by the seven sisters in the northeast and by Nepal, and told in blank verses and sonnets.

The collection brings together some of the best-known poets from the region irrespective of the state to which they belong in English translations.

The poems manage to bring out the style and the essence of the emotions of the original sonnets.

They draw from narrative folklores, songs, social rites, ethnic religions, individual memories, suffering, volatile politics, terror and the loneliness of a breed of young poets.

The poetry addresses two important issues: the question of regional identity in a land that has been described as a contiguous swathe with ethnic diversity, who share a common history, and how violence has seeped into the poetry to breed a gut-wrenching contemporary melange of content and poetic metres.

Temsula Ao, a poet belonging to the Ao tribe of Naga origin in upper Assam, has published four books of poetry and a collection of short stories. She was a Fulbright fellow at the University of Minnesota in 1985-86.

Ao’s poetry in this book focuses on the lores of the birth of her tribe — how the rocks, the trees, the earth and the wild have moulded the destinies of the Naga ethnic groups.

Her poem ‘Lungterok’ that the poet has translated in English literally means six stones.

Ao legends say the ‘forefathers of the tribe – three men and three women – emerged out of the earth at a place called Lungterok’.

Some of the stones are still found below a village called Chungliyimti in Nagaland. The poet describes the early Ao elders as ‘stone-people. The poetic and politic, barbaric and balladic, finders of water and fighters of fire’.

Poet Navakanta Barua, born in Puranigudam in Assam’s Nagaon district in 1926, has written 38 books that include poetry, fiction, critical works and books for children.

His poem ‘Measurements’ translated by D.N. Bezbaruah in the anthology speaks of the emptiness of human existence.

‘It is evening now, Let’s go to the tailors to get measured. Measurement of neck, chest, hands and arms, measurement of the thumb… Fresh new measurement, when will someone stich the garment to fit man,’ Barua says in his poem.

The sonnet is a sign of the times in northeast – when the prolonged reign of terror and its impact on the socio-economic space bred a fatalism that refuses to ebb despite the redressals.

Rajendra Bhandari, a poet of Nepalese origin, was born in Gangtok.

His poem ‘Father and My Birthday..’ translated from Nepali by the poet himself is an ‘ode to the poet’s father who toiled on the fields to make fallow land arable’.

And what the poet definitely knows ‘…is my features gradually form to resemble my father’s’.

The poem written in Wordsworthian style of ‘contemplative reflection’ is symbolic of the Indian concept of carrying forward the bloodline — when the son becomes a father — in an essentially rural hierarchy of heredity.

The volume also comprises poems by Anupama Basumatary, Lutfa Hamum Selima Begum, Soso Tham, Sameer Tanti, Niranjan Chakma and several other poets from the region.

(Madhusree Chatterjee can be contacted at madhu.c@ians.in)