The north-east mosaic

By Sanchet Barua

The foremost feature of the social order of the North-Eastern region is its plurality. It consists of the hills as well as the plains and is inhabited by three distinct groups - the hill tribes, the plains tribes and the non-tribal population of the plains. All three groups are heterogeneous. The hill areas alone have more than a hundred tribes of Mongoloid origin. There are ethnic groups with their origins among the Burmese, Tibetans, Kuki-Lushais, Meities, Chin-Kukis, Shan-Tais and the Aryans.

Each tribal group has its own languages and culture and more than 400 dialects are spoken. All the tribes, sub-tribes and other ethnic groups have a profound distrust and antipathy towards outsiders mainly because they fear exploitation. While a majority of those living in the plains are Hindus and Muslims, a very large percentage of the tribals in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya are Christians. In Manipur also, tribal communities in the hill districts have adopted Christianity as their religion and the Roman script for their languages. In addition, there are Buddhists as well as Animists. The plains tribals have links with the hill tribes but these have weakened over the years, they have, however, forged links with neighbours in the plains in terms of language and economic activities.

The region is surrounded by China in the North-East and Myanmar in the east and Bangladesh to the further South. Geography has always played especially important role in the economy, politics and administration of the region. The chief geographical features are: (i) the hills; (ii) the Brahmaputra valley; (iii) the Barak and the Imphal valley.

The diverse ethnic origins of the people naturally led to the growth of centrifugal forces stemming directly out of various ways of living, different forms of worship and separate dialects. Nonetheless, over the years emerged cultural links which greatly contributed to social cohesion. In the years that followed, the policies pursued by the British had both positive and negative effects on the process of integration. The establishment of administrative headquarters at Shillong in 1874, helped in the socialisation process between the plains and hill peoples.

Similarly, the modernisation that began with the construction of railway lines and roads, the setting up of schools, colleges, universities, printing presses, hospitals and dispensaries and the beginning of political institutions, with the advent of the Legislative Assembly, political parties and association encouraged people in the region to view themselves as part of the country and to know more about its cultural heritage, tradition and values, leading to the growth of a sense continues and an undercurrent of sub-nationalism also follows in the region.

Pandit Nehru used to say that he would hate to come in the way of tribal customs when many of them were of a democratic nature. He did not want the tribals to feel that anything was being imposed upon them without their consent. He sincerely felt that they must grow according to their own genius.

But neither the most difficult terrain nor the inaccessibility of this region could prevent the clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from reaching the hills, dales and hamlets of this isolated region. Because of the strong patriotic and nationalist leadership of Assam in those critically years, the design of the imperialist schemers could not materialise, although a powerful section of Naga leadership was fighting for independence under late A.Z. Phizo. The various tribal groups were also keen on being completely freed from all manner of administrative control exercised over them by Assam.

Constant hostility from various ethnic groups posed real and serious challenges to the peace and stability of this region and to the integrity of the country. On the one hand, the emergence of Maoism in China provided the militant young men and women content and a philosophy for launching armed people's movements. On the other, various ethnic groups had their aspirations too, as they could see a ray of hope after centuries of neglect, when India became free from imperialist domination. They wanted to retain and safeguard their identities.

Through decades of strife, and patient dialogue and discussions, at times appearing to be somewhat frustrating, the North-Eastern region has blossomed forth into seven beautiful flowers, each retaining its separate identity and richness.

There are some ethnic groups in this region, which still genuinely apprehend that they are being rapidly absorbed by other communities and they are being deprived of their legitimate shares from the gains of various development programmes and in the administration of their areas. They genuinely feel that they are lagging behind in the field of economic progress and development.

The Bodos feel that they are being overshadowed and administered by others. The people in Karbi Anglong and Haflong and the people living in the hill areas of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and in other isolated areas in the region nurture the same feeling.

A large section of people in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam genuinely feel that systematic and planned infiltration of people from a neighbouring country in large number, even after Partition, is upsetting the original demographic structure of the State. They also feel that in the utilisation of their natural resources, they must get their due share and benefit.

Let us take the recent developments in Assam as a case for intense study and analysis. After a spell of violent agitations led by the students, the democratic process re-established itself again in the State.

But why has insurgency come to the fore? In the process of democratic growth of our polity, there are bound to be various stages of development. We have to overcome many internal contradictions when the society passes through various stages of transition. In the context of economic and political turmoil in this very sensitive border region, I think it is relevant to quote here the following observations from the Report of the Tata Consultancy Services. The report says: "It is estimated that by the turn of the century, nearly two-third of the North-East population would be less than 34-years of age, which indicates that the predominantly young society is highly likely to chalk out a new course, influenced by its rapidly increasing exposure to the external world. With the steady influx of technology, and with the growing exposure to the external world, the North-East society is going to manage that process of change and to provide a proper direction so that the change becomes a well-guided and orderly transition rather than a sudden discontinuity.

It must also be borne in or mind that this region in general is a distinct geographical entity and each of the seven States comprising the region has also very distinct and separate identities and traditions. Therefore, no set or any standard approach will hold good for all the seven States equally or in some degree.