The North-East In the North-East, regional aspirations reached a turning point in 1980s. This region now consists of eight States. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, which earlier constituted the North-East region, are often called “the seven sisters”. Sikkim, which has been added to the list is– referred to as the ‘Brother’ to those seven states.
The region has only per cent of the country’s population but about twice as much share of its area. A small corridor of about kilometers connects the region to the rest of the country. Otherwise the region shares boundaries with China, Myanmar and Bangladesh and serves as India’s gateway to South East Asia. The region has witnessed a lot of change since .
Tripura, Manipur and Khasi Hills of Meghalaya were erstwhile Princely States which merged with India after Independence. The entire region of North-East has undergone considerable political reorganisation. Nagaland State was created in ; Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya in while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh became separate States only in . The Partition of India in had reduced the North-East to a land locked region and affected its economy.
Cut off from the rest of India, the region suffered neglect in developmental terms. Its politics too remained insulated. At the same time, most States in this region underwent major demographic changes due to influx of migrants from neighbouring States and countries. The isolation of the region, its complex social character and its backwardness compared to other parts of the country have all resulted in the complicated set of demands from different states of the North-East.
The vast international border and weak communication between the North-East and the rest of India have further added to the delicate nature of politics there. Three issues dominate the politics of North-East: demands for autonomy, movements for secession, and opposition to ‘outsiders’. Major initiatives on the first issue in the 1970s set the stage for some dramatic developments on the second and the third in the 1980s. Demands for autonomy At independence the entire region except Manipur and Tripura comprised the State of Assam.
Demands for political autonomy arose when the non-Assamese felt that the Assam government was imposing Assamese language on them. Note: This illustration is not a map drawn to scale and should not be taken to be an authentic depiction of India’s external boundaries.