By Witoubou Newmai
Given the big ‘magnitude’ of complexities and also taking into account the extremely delicateness of situation in the North East India region, those organizations endeavoring to get their agenda implemented must not discard the holistic approach with respect to the region as a unit and then diagnose the issues with extraordinary minuteness.
Unfortunately, the people of the North East region have the double-layer epitome to deal with while expressing their anguish. You have the inter-ethnic tussles to be taken care off and in the same breath, you should not write-off the fact that ‘it is always within the Union of India where the final say is’.
In dealing issues, the organizations spear-heading any movement often overshoot the landing space and get crashed. This is to say that though you have the full democratic freedom to exercise your rights, but exceptionally in this part of India , fortunately or unfortunately, the under-current mechanism in the making in order to rope the region into the mainstream Indian tune cannot be ignored. Ethnical jingoism should be checked to avoid any overshooting while voicing ones anguish.
Samuel P Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilization’ is very much taking place in the North East India region among the ethnic groups. In such clashes, as in any other the competition, ‘the winner takes it all’. However, it is not the case here. The interest of the Union of India and its age-old policy cannot be compromised. As you know, the China factor and the nitty-gritty foreign policies of India have been the reasons for the ever increasing interest of the country in the North East region. These are written on the wall.
In short, all the ethnic based groups in the North East India region struggling for one cause or the other (identity) will ultimately face just one Herculean hurdle at the end of the day—the multi-layered security strategies (extremely sophisticated) of New Delhi heaping on the region, thanks to China and foreign policies of the country.
North East India region housing Mongoloid stock has natural ‘oriental tendency’ for affiliation with major Mongoloid stream and this has been the prime factor for New Delhi to spend extra effort and energy in the region.
Until recent past, India was in a ‘feel-good’ mood while trying to exploit the grim economy of Myanmar so as to make the latter dance in Indian tune. However, the reports of the Indian neighbor endeavoring to procure nuclear heads will have different story altogether to tell.
In one of his recent lectures, renowned BBC journalist Subir Bhowmik who is considered as Burma expert commented that Myanmar is trying to gain all modern weapons currently.
This Myanmar case is one of the many cases that are influencing the policies of the government of India in the North East region. The prime case has been pertaining to China .
The numerous projects undertaken by China at the moment have been giving sleepless nights to India . India ’s South Block had noticed at least 17 confirmed projects in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan areas Karakoram Highway upgradation, Pakistan-China rail link, Jhelum Bridge , five bailey bridges on Gilgit-Skardu Road , Mobile communication links: China Mobile is providing mobile services in PoK and certain areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. The claim of China that Arunachal Pradesh belongs to it has given India a serious calculation. These are just few cases cited that have been the factor for blow-hot and blow-cold relationship between the two mighty neighboring countries, forget about the recent visa denial issue. And all the more, the North East rebels cozying themselves in China, Myanmar, Thailand and other south-east Asian countries has given reason for India to spend its grey-matter more in the region.
Given this configuration, the ‘possessiveness’ of New Delhi on the North East India region and Kashmir is bound to increase.
With India ever tightening its grip on the North East, will the various ethnic groups of the region targeting against each other be able to outplay the wit and wisdom of the great Indian nation whose strategies and policies have been refined and re-refined for over thousand times from those great civilizations such as the Indus Valley Civilization ?
Henceforth, the ever mounting inter-ethnic tussles in the region will serve little purpose for the communities confining in the North East India. Policy making and strategies, we are next to zero. Our strength lies in unity. It will be futile to expect miracle.
Thanks to oil and the business minded America , Kuwait was liberated from Saddam’s grip two decades ago but here in our case, India is already an undeclared super power. America never interferes wherever it can invest its interest for it is a known pseudo savior.
The writer is the editor of Newmai News Network (NNN)
