[Assam] NE insurgency may end, not sub-national identity - Wasbir Hussain/Sentinel

[Ram Sarangapani]

Pretty interesting take by Hussain. The column also seems to correctly gauge
how the public view the insurgents for what they are:

"They are rather clueless although occasional cries to expedite the peace
process can be heard from groups and individuals in the region. The rebel
commanders on the ground are not seen as leaders. They are seen as nothing
but ruthless militant dons who carry out extortion and carry out subversive
acts to make their presence felt..."

and the last paragraph:

"The aspirations of the people in the region is here to stay, but the fact
that the Government of India seems to have recognized the issue and is
taking it seriously is something that is worth appreciating. It is this
understanding that can help resolve matters on the ground in the Northeast."

is also a welcome development.

--Ram
______________________

NE insurgency may end, not sub-national identity

*DATELINE GUWAHATI/Wasbir Hussain*

In the long run, the issue of sub-national identity or identities rather
than insurgency can turn out to be the Government’s biggest challenge in the
Northeast. From the manner in which Bangladesh has been cooperating with
India, it is clear that this populous neighbour of ours may no longer be a
safe sanctuary for insurgent leaders from the region to stay there and
engage in anti-India acts. In the past six months, Dhaka has captured the
chiefs of the region’s two dreaded separatist groups, the ULFA and the NDFB,
besides a host of other militants. These rebel leaders have been duly handed
over to Indian authorities and Dhaka has also lately acknowledged such
handovers. Bhutan is no longer a staging area for the Northeast militants
and Myanmar remains their only bet, as of now. With ties between New Delhi
and Yangon improving, even Myanmar cannot be taken for granted by these
insurgents.

Lack of sanctuaries in our foreign neighbours has been the biggest setback
for the rebels from Assam and elsewhere in the region in recent years. Most
top insurgent leaders from the region have lost mass contact with the people
they are supposed to be fighting for and after their arrest, they are yet to
really find their ground. They are rather clueless although occasional cries
to expedite the peace process can be heard from groups and individuals in
the region. The rebel commanders on the ground are not seen as leaders. They
are seen as nothing but ruthless militant dons who carry out extortion and
carry out subversive acts to make their presence felt. In such a scenario,
it is not surprising to see militant leaders or local commanders falling
into the security dragnet at ease. The rate of ceasefires being struck or
rebel cadres laying down arms is also an indication that the rebel groups
are finding the going really tough.

Taking these into consideration, one wonders if insurgency will continue to
stir the imagination of the people anymore. But, what may not disappear so
soon are the sub-national aspirations of ethnic groups and communities in
the region. It is to some extent surprising that there are people in the
Northeast who feel they are different and who feel they have a different
identity altogether even more than 60 years after independence. People in
north India, for instance, would find it difficult to imagine that they have
anything other than an Indian identity. But, there are people in the
Northeast who talk of a Naga identity as distinct from an Indian identity,
for instance.

In fact, the perceived feeling of distinctiveness is reinforced by the sense
of ‘discrimination’ by the Indian mainstream that some of these groups and
individuals in the region still have. Incidents of rape, molestation or
harassment of girls from the region in places like Delhi add fuel to the
fire. Moreover, the quest for autonomy or the desire to live or manage their
own affairs without interference from distant Delhi has managed to keep
sub-national aspirations alive. There are three levels of organized
sub-national movements in the region — one is led by the student
organizations that each of the ethnic groups in the Northeast have; the
second is the identity politics being played by mainstream political parties
who talk of autonomy for the groups and communities they seek to represent;
and the third, of course, is the radical homeland agitation led by violent
insurgent outfits supposedly representing communities and groups.

Identity politics have actually become a survival tool for student groups,
politicians and insurgents. This is quite a heady cocktail and while the
objective of all three varieties of leaders remains the same, only the
method to achieve the aim differs. This has, therefore, become a big
challenge to the Government.

The remarks attributed to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in recent weeks
indicate the Centre’s deep worries on this count. Chidambaram has been
quoted as saying thus: “We must not hesitate to make whatever changes in the
governance sector that is necessary within the Indian Constitution. Whatever
changes in the governance sector that is necessary must be met so that the
people of Northeast feel that they are a part of India, that they are able
to govern themselves. I promise that would be the endeavour in this year
(sic)…”

The Union Home Minister also talked about the need to ‘spend more money in
the Northeast’, although there has been no shortage of fund allocation to
the region. What is significant is Chidambaram urging MPs who do not come
from the region to travel to the Northeast to understand the place and the
people. “When northeastern girls and boys come to Delhi or Mumbai, there are
a lot of people who look upon them as if they are foreigners, and they (boys
and girls from the region) feel very unhappy. I think we need to mainstream
our minds rather than ask the Northeast should be mainstreamed…” Chidambaram
said.

The aspirations of the people in the region is here to stay, but the fact
that the Government of India seems to have recognized the issue and is
taking it seriously is something that is worth appreciating. It is this
understanding that can help resolve matters on the ground in the Northeast.