Geopolitical Context
The northeastern territory of India is a vast landlocked tract stretching from the eastern flanks of Bangladesh to the Chinese border in the north, Burmese hills and jungles on the east and Bhutan in the west. The region covering a total area of 2,55,037 sq.km. inhabited by a population of 3,19,53,771 belonging to a number of religious, linguistic and ethnic groups, remains a backward region within the general framework of underdevelopment of the country as a whole. As it is today, the region is divided into eight States with equality of status guaranteed by the Constitution Of India; Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the latest entry into Indian polity.
And though politically separated, from the academic angle of ethno-sociological dynamics and geo-political logistics, Bhutan, Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh and Chin hill-Patkoi region in Burma are intimately linked with the North East. This compact geographical and ethnic zone, play important roles, directly or indirectly, in shaping the events in this region of South Eastern Asia. Emergence of the North East as a discordant identity in the body politic with its Mongoloid root is a post-independence phenomenon. A new identity is, indeed, discernible –an identity born of years of dilemma and dichotomy, confusion and conflict slowly leading to a unique awakening in tune with the compulsion of history and geography. Recent times have witnessed many volatile quests in the North East for self-discovery, and the convulsion associated with these exercises –hangovers of which still haunt the region. In this process, or rather as an outcome of it, the North East is facing turmoil in all spheres –society, religion, politics, economy and ecology.
The North East has shown angry confrontation yielding to reasoned cooperation, discord to accord and diffidence to confidence. That is why the North East promises fascinating tales of isolation as well as integration, alienation and assertion, exploitation and exploration, discrimination and determination.
And though politically separated, from the academic angle of ethno-sociological dynamics and geo-political logistics, Bhutan, Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh and Chin hill-Patkoi region in Burma are intimately linked with the North East. This compact geographical and ethnic zone, play important roles, directly or indirectly, in shaping the events in this region of South Eastern Asia. Emergence of the North East as a discordant identity in the body politic with its Mongoloid root is a post-independence phenomenon. A new identity is, indeed, discernible –an identity born of years of dilemma and dichotomy, confusion and conflict slowly leading to a unique awakening in tune with the compulsion of history and geography. Recent times have witnessed many volatile quests in the North East for self-discovery, and the convulsion associated with these exercises –hangovers of which still haunt the region. In this process, or rather as an outcome of it, the North East is facing turmoil in all spheres –society, religion, politics, economy and ecology.
The North East has shown angry confrontation yielding to reasoned cooperation, discord to accord and diffidence to confidence. That is why the North East promises fascinating tales of isolation as well as integration, alienation and assertion, exploitation and exploration, discrimination and determination.
posted by marvin at 10:48 PM
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