Maj Gen Binoy Poonnen
Introduction
India is wedged in between two largest sources of illicit drugs in South Asia-Golden Crescent which encompasses Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran on the North West and the Golden Triangle encompassing Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos on the North East. The Golden Triangle is Southeast Asia’s main opium producing region and one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and USA. The States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland share their border with Myanmar. Drugs including opium, heroin, methamphetamine and many more are smuggled from Myanmar into the North East. Add to this the challenges from terrorism, gun running, ethnic conflicts, large-scale migration and environmental degradation infringing national security, makes this a very volatile border and needs to be addressed in all dimensions.
The rough terrain on the Indo Myanmar border poses a huge challenge to the security agencies as the region consists of high mountains in the north and hills and river channels in the south along with dense tropical rainforests. There is a lack of basic connectivity and the limited roads and tracks get damaged due to natural disasters. Thus, it hampers the movement of security forces and limits their ability to rapidly respond to myriad situations posed by criminals of all hues. Poor state of education, unemployment, poverty, increasing spread of HIV/AIDS, ethnic conflicts are some of the other ongoing challenges. With unemployment rife in this region, there exists a predominant lure to join the criminal and/or insurgent outfits.
Demography and the Golden Triangle Connect
The Manipur hills consist of a series of parallel ranges extending from the Naga Hills in the North and the Mizo and Chin Hills to the South. The hill ranges are divided into the Eastern and Western hills. The Manipur Eastern hills form a continuous chain along the Indo-Myanmar frontier for about 200 kilometres with an average height of 1500 metres. The Manipur valley enclosed by the Eastern and Western hills is a large basin about 70 kilometres long and 35 kilometres wide and an elevation of 760 metres.
The people of Manipur fall into three groups who migrated into the valley from the East and the South from Myanmar. The main group the Meiteis, chanced to settle in the fertile valley by its flowing streams and developed into an agricultural community and thereby a flourishing civilisation. Of the second group consisting of three tribes, the Thangkhuls settled in the hills to the West in the present Ukhrul district, the Maos in the North in present day Senapati, and the Zeliangs in the North and West in Tamenglong district. The third group came from the South and settled in Churachandpur district. This is the Chin-Kuki- Mizo group, comprising several sub- tribes. The main Kuki tribe which is more enterprising spread to other districts and even into the Naga Hills and North Cachar Hills of Assam. The Meitei Rajas controlled the valley and hills and their domain extended well into the Naga hills upto Assam and into Myanmar upto the Kebaw valley.
Insurgency in Manipur – A Quick Overview
Manipur acceded to Indian Union on 15 October 1949. Certain sections of the people who were loyal to the erstwhile King called this as forced accession and started insurgent activities against the established government. The sizeable population of Nagas in two districts of the State follow the pattern of insurgency prevalent in the State of Nagaland. Similarly, other ethnic groups such as Kukis, Paites etc have their own insurgent outfits which promote the narrow political agenda of the extremists of such ethnic groups.
The first insurgent outfit to emerge in the State was the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), which was formed in 1964. Since then several other outfits, like the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), founded in 1978, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) set up in 1977 and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) that came into being in 1980 have emerged in the Manipur valley areas consisting of four districts (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur) of the State. The hill areas of the State have been affected by different types of militancy. From Nagaland, violence by the Naga groups has spilled over into Manipur, a substantial part of which is claimed by the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) as part of Nagalim, the claimed unified territory of the Nagas.
Insurgency by Kuki tribals in the early 1990s initiated their insurgency against the alleged oppression by the NSCN-IM. Following ethnic clashes between the Nagas and Kukis in the early 1990s, a number of Kuki outfits were formed. Several other tribes, such as the Paite, Vaiphei and Hmars have also established their own armed groups. Similarly, Islamist outfits like the People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) have also been formed to protect the interests of the “Pangals‟ (Manipuri Muslims).
Status of Insurgency
All seven states of NER were affected by insurgency in one or the other form. Currently, the areas of concern are Upper Assam, South Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. Balance States remain free of insurgency or the state of insurgency is insignificant. With respect to the security situation, the main region of concern remains the Indo-Myanmar Border where various insurgent groups have bases. The present status of insurgent groups in the North East is explained in subsequent paragraphs.
Naga Groups: These are active in Nagaland, South Arunachal Pradesh and Northern part of Manipur. All insurgent groups emanate from NSCN and all but one are in ceasefire with Government of India. NSCN-IM is the most important group in terms of strength of cadres and quantum of weapons. The ceasefire has allowed NSCN to establish camps at designated places having weapons inside. Balance NSCN factions are under a coalition called NNPG having cadre strength of approximately 1400 and 250-300 weapons. The non-ceasefire group is NSCN faction K-YA, a predominant Konyak Naga group having majority of cadres from across the Indo Myanmar Border. All ceasefire groups have intimate links with various Civil Society Organisations.
Assam: The last potent group of Assam is ULFA under the leadership of Paresh Barua. The group is active in Upper Assam and is now heavily involved in kidnapping and extortion. The group has an active cadre strength of about 100-125 and is in possession of about 100 modern weapons. ULFA also has camps across Indo Myanmar Border and it maintains close links with NSCN-KYA.
Manipur: Manipur, with 56% Meitei population, is marred by Meitei-Kuki-Naga ethnic dynamics. At the peak of insurgency, the State was home to over 50 insurgent groups. Since 2008, majority of Kuki groups are under Suspension of Operations (SoO) and Pangal groups surrendered in 2012. Meitei groups i.e., the Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs), till date have refused to negotiate for peace. Though the potency of these groups has declined over the years, they refuse to lay down arms. These groups also enjoy alliance with Myanmar Army as evident in the turn of events post-coup in Myanmar.
Myanmar – An Unstable Neighbourhood
Coup d’etat: This was staged on 01 February 2021 when democratically elected members of the country’s ruling party, the National League for Democracy, were deposed by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s military). Acting President Myint Swe declared a state of emergency and declared that power has been transferred to the Commander in Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. It declared the results of the November 2020 general elections invalid and stated its intent to hold a new election after lifting the state of emergency. The Coup occurred a day before the President was to swear-in the members elected at the 2020 elections. The President and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained along with ministers, their deputies and members of Parliament.
Cross Border Migration: The influx of migrants from the Indo-Myanmar border after the military coup to three North-eastern (NE) states – Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland – is a matter of concern for India as it may inflate the issue of insurgency problems once again in this region. Currently, more than 22,000 Myanmarese migrants have taken refuge in these states and more numbers are expected in the near future. This is a matter of serious concern because should rebel outfits also cross over, it will fuel the Naga and Manipur insurgents. In fact, the entire North East region will witness an upsurge in insurgency related activities.
Narcotics Terrorism: Criminal groups find safe havens along the porous Indo-Myanmar border. The inhospitable terrain and dense forest cover offers ideal conditions for all kinds of groups to move about undetected. Proximity to the Golden Triangle, ethnic conflicts, poverty and unemployment are other reasons which contribute to drug trafficking. Many ethnic war groups in Myanmar such as the Kachins, Karens, Mon, etc., have linked insurgent activities along with drug trafficking. There is also an alarming nexus between local ethnic insurgent groups of North East India with their counterparts across the border. Thus, narco-terrorism is getting to be a common feature and portends a grave risk to the security of the country.
India’s Security Concerns
Amongst all the other states of the North East, strife torn Manipur gets highlighted as a pot boiler. India’s Look East policy is an effort to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia to bolster its standing as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of the People’s Republic of China. But are we looking too distant into the East? There is huge trouble brewing at the Indo Myanmar Border which, outwardly, may appear to be only simmering but has the potential to erupt into monstrous proportions if not dealt with right now. A few aspects of India’s security concerns are outlined in the following paragraphs with special reference to Manipur.
The China Factor: China has made inroads into most of our neighbours especially Myanmar. There have been numerous clashes between civilians and rebel groups on one side and the Tatmadaw on the other. It is now fairly well established that China is playing a double game by supporting both sides. Our Act East Policy hardly addresses issues such as these nefarious linkages that China has in our neighbourhood. Every effort is also being made by China to complete the China Myanmar Economic Corridor and to bring Kyaukpyu Port within its influence so as to gain direct entry into the Indian Ocean. A direct threat to Andaman and Nicobar Islands as also a land incursion is a real threat to India’s defences. With the drug trafficking in place, extensive narco-funding of rebel groups is an obvious outcome. All this has all the trappings of creating a very unstable neighbourhood which meets the objectives of the Chinese. India has to exert maximum influence upon Myanmar by engaging it in various spheres of activity to ensure that Myanmar remains, atleast, neutral. Towards achieving this, irrespective of who is in power, India must engage it with effective vigour. The ultimate aim should be to assist Myanmar towards a genuine and perceptible shift into a democratic mould. Only then can our neighbourhood be stable. The Indian Army and the Paramilitary forces too have a major role to play in providing fresh impetus to the existing Indo-Myanmar Border Management arrangements.
Border Management: Under the Free Movement Regime, both governments have allowed the free movement of Indians and Burmese within 16 Kms of the border without visa restrictions. In view of the vexed and changed circumstances should this arrangement continue? This calls for a deliberate joint study by both countries. Technological solutions like employment of UAVs to monitor activities in specific parts of the border need to be taken up seriously. Coordination between the security agencies on the border is most important with specific emphasis upon intelligence sharing.
Comprehensive Development: The pace of development in the North Eastern states is still a far cry from the rest of the nation. The poverty index and thereby the levels of insurgency must be brought down with a very focused effort on bringing up the infrastructure especially communications to include roads, rail, Inland Water Transport, telecom, airports, and power. The Border Area Development Programme that was extended to the North East in 1993-1994 has not, according to a Niti Aayog report, met the intended targets of development.
Legitimate Trade: Every effort must be made to ensure that our Land Custom Stations in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal and Mizoram are energized to monitor and encourage legitimate trade. As of now, it is only Moreh in Manipur that is beset with handling more than 95% of trade, which is also an indicator of heightened levels of illegitimate trading of narcotics, gun running, etc., from this particular region.
Empowering Civil Society: The North East Region has many unique close knit societies which have the potential in assisting the State in controlling drug trafficking and abuse. Awareness campaigns by these societies assisted by the army and paramilitary forces will have a telling impact upon an uneducated and distraught community that have settled along the Indo Myanmar border and surrounding areas. Women who fall prey to drug abuse and allied ills need to be rehabilitated lest they join the ranks of insurgents or turn to drug and flesh trade.
Governance: There are systems of tribal customs and panchayats in Manipur. The Manipur valley has adopted the panchayat system, while hill districts still follow the tribal customs. There is a requirement to harmonise both systems with more financial powers and review of responsibilities. To be more economically viable both regions require distinct engines of growth, not depending only upon agriculture. Infrastructure development is riddled by opposition as the valley inhabitants feel that more tribals are pouring in (and vice versa). The Government needs to rebalance this issue with a long term strategy.
Maintaining Ethnic Balance and Identity: The delicate ethnic balance of the region has been affected by stratification and class formation in the earlier classless tribal society. This has resulted in more fissures and is damaging the social and cultural fabric. There is a requirement of correctly assessing the interests of tribals and non-tribals so as to chart a strategy for inclusive development. Historically, Manipur flourished as multi-ethnic society by ensuring that the delicate balance of communities is maintained in culture and traditions despite differential in the pace of economic growth in hill and valley regions. To overcome ethnic divisions, there is a requirement of all-inclusive development drive with review of the colonial land laws.
Conclusion
The North Eastern region of India and Manipur in particular has suffered for many decades now at the hands of inimical forces. Insurgency and drug trafficking and the intrinsic linkage between both have contributed to instability and rife in this part of our country apart from other factors like inadequate development and poor governance beset with corruption. With an unstable Myanmar in the neighbourhood and the overarching influence of China in supporting the Tatmadaw and the rebel forces (the ruling and the opposition) with a view to expand its global outreach and influence, we have a precarious situation at hand which needs to be balanced immediately. The Act East Policy must now factor in our security concerns with greater emphasis and Myanmar must be engaged on all fronts to wean it away from the Chinese influence.
References
– R, Constantine, Manipur : Maid of the Mountains.
– South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), “Insurgency North East: Backgrounder”, Available at https://www.satp.org/backgrounder/india-insurgencynortheast-manipur
– Romesh Singh (2019), “Problems of Insurgency: A Holistic Understanding from Manipur, India”, Journal of North East India Studies, Vol. 5(1), Jan-Jun-2015
– Reuters, “India frets as Myanmar’s pro-democracy fighters cross border”, The Economic Times, 10 June, 2021, Available at https://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-frets-asmyanmars-pro-democracy-fighters-cross-border/articleshow/83399573.cmd, accessed on 26 August 2021
– M.Ramunny. The World of Nagas
About the author: Maj Gen Binoy Poonnen, AVSM, VSM, was commissioned into the Mahar Regiment in 1978. He has served in all states of the country, including three tenures in Manipur and also abroad in three countries. He commanded the Red Shield Division which is headquartered in Leimakong. Both his sons are army officers.
