Approach
The Introduction: Give brief context of internal security challenges in north-east.
The Body
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- Major challenges to internal security and peace. Peace accords and agreements in the past decade.
The Conclusion: Successful implementation of these agreements demands inclusive development.
The Introduction:
The North-Eastern states of India face a complex web of internal security challenges, ranging from insurgency and ethnic conflicts to criminal networks and cross-border issues. Despite these difficulties, the government has pursued multiple peace accords to address long-standing grievances and promote stability.
The Body
Major challenges to internal security and peace:
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- Militant-criminal news: Insurgent groups such as United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) NSCN(IM), and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) engage in extortion, kidnapping, gun-running, and the circulation of counterfeit currency.
- Drug trafficking and arms trade: Proximity to the “Golden Triangle” makes the region vulnerable to narcotics and arms smuggling, with border towns like Moreh (India–Myanmar) serving as hubs.
- Cross-border issues: Porous borders with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and China facilitate safe havens for insurgents, refugee influx (example: Rohingya), illegal migration, and arms supply routes.
- Communal clashes due to ethnic diversity: Competing demands for autonomy and identity have led to violent ethnic clashes such as the Kuki-Meitei conflict in Manipur (2023).
- Political and governance deficits: Weak border infrastructure, poor economic development, lag in connectivity, and threats to political identity (especially from illegal migration) make the region fertile for insurgency.
- Trust deficit: Failure to implement past accords fully has led to chronic mistrust toward the government.
- Organised crime: Insurgency groups maintain a grip on local economies through extortion and levy collection, causing economic stagnation.
Peace accords and agreements in the past decade (2014-2024):
| Accord/Agreement | Year | States/Groups Involved | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANVC Accord | 2014 | Meghalaya (ANVC) | Over a decade of dialogue led to settlement and surrender of 751 cadres. |
| Naga Framework Agreement | 2015 | Nagaland (NSCN-IM) | Framework for peace with Naga groups. |
| NLFT(SD) Accord | 2019 | Tripura (NLFT-SD) | Settlement with 88 cadres surrendered. |
| Bru Accord | 2020 | Tripura (Bru migrants) | Agreement for permanent settlement of displaced Bru people. |
| Bodo Accord | 2020 | Assam (NDFB, Bodo groups) | Historic accord resolved Bodo movement; over 1,600 cadres surrendered. |
| Karbi Anglong Peace Accord | 2021 | Assam (Karbi groups) | Ended decades-old crisis; over 1,000 armed cadres laid down arms. |
| Assam-Meghalaya Boundary MoU | 2022 | Assam, Meghalaya | Resolved several border disputes to reduce inter-state tensions. |
| Adivasi Peace Accord | 2022 | Assam (Adivasi groups) | Accord with 8 Adivasi organizations; 1,182 cadres joined mainstream. |
| Zeliangrong United Front Accord | 2022 | Manipur, Nagaland, Assam | Accord with demands for statehood resolved peacefully. |
The Conclusion:
The successful implementation of these agreements demands inclusive development, dialogue, and a sustained commitment by both government and civil society to ensure lasting peace and progress in the Northeast.
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