Internal security of India
- Part 2 -

Aribam Uttam Sharma *

Northeast Insurgency : North East India is the region situated in the eastern-most part of India comprising of the eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim.

It is linked with the Indian heartland through the 21 km. wide Siliguri Corridor, which is commonly known as the chicken neck, created by the Radcliffe line. The corridor is flanked by Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

The Northeast borders four countries, namely, China and Bhutan on its North; Myanmar on its East; and Bangladesh on its South and West. It has an area of 2.6 lakh sq. km. (7.6% of India's land area) while its population is 45 million-plus (3.6% of India's population). It has 475 ethnic groups and 400 languages/ dialects are spoken here. The region is rich in bio-diversity and untapped raw materials.

The Northeast India Region has strategic, political, and economic significance for India. Northeast India is the most volatile and insurgency-affected place in the country after Kashmir.

The British had a policy of non-interference in the social lives of the tribal people in Northeast India prior to India's independence. In most of the hilly areas of Northeast India, the British also introduced Christianity, sent a missionary, and built Churches and schools. Following independence, the newly formed India faced a monumental task of integrating the country's various provinces and princely states.

Some people were displeased with the Northeast's admission to the Indian Union. Many tribes see the integration of these diverse cultures into the Indian mainstream as a loss of identity. Furthermore, because the majority of the Northeastern region is hilly, overall development activities are slow, almost similar to the snail pace.

Unemployment rates that continue to rise have exacerbated people's dissatisfaction. Other factors such as poor governance, corruption, and lack of accountability contributed to ethnic groups' feelings of alienation.

The insurgency movement first started in Nagaland. Nagas considered themselves independent long before the British left India, and petitioned the British to recognise them as such. Angami Phizo led the formation of the NNC (Naga National Council) in 1946.

The Naga insurgency sparked the emergence of other insurgencies in Northeast India, and China, Pakistan, and other countries have continued to assist in this insurgent situation to this day. Following this, the NNC split into various factions, and its breakaway faction, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), split into two factions: the Isak-Muivah faction (NSCN-IM) and the Khaplang faction (NSCN-K).

Separate violent struggles for Nagaland's independence have been waged by these organisations. The NSCN-IM and the Indian Government are currently in peace talks. In 1987, after the Union Government failed to respond positively to its request for assistance during the massive “Mautam famine,” Mizoram experienced insurgency.

On February 28, 1966, the Mizo National Front (MNF), led by legendary leader Laldenga, launched a movement calling for Mizoram's independence. The Mizo National Front gave up arms with the signing of the Mizo Accord in 1986.

The State of Tripura's indigenous tribal peoples are believed to have been reduced to a minority status as a result of large-scale Hindu migration from Bangladesh. This development had been a major source of dissatisfaction among the indigenous people. In 1989, the NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) was founded.

The main goal of the NLFT is to break away from the Indian Union and expel all foreigners from Tripura. Similarly in Assam, a movement also started demanding the deportation of illegal migrants from the state of Assam. The ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) was formed in 1979. The Bodo Liberation Tigers, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), and the Dima Halim Dargah were also formed.

In the case of Manipur, the insurgent movement originated as a protest against the forcible merger with the Indian Union. In 1964, the UNLF (United National Liberation Front) was formed to fight for an independent Manipur against the Indian Union.

Subsequently, other insurgent groups like the PLA (People Liberation Army), PREPAK (People Revolutionary of Kangleipak), KCP (Kangleipak Communist Party) have also been formed. Most of the major insurgent groups are active in Manipur.

The insurgency movement in the Northeast is still a challenge for the Indian Government even though most of the insurgent-affected States are in peace as of now. The Indian Government has been successful in reducing insurgency-related violence in many States. The Indian Government has deployed sufficient numbers of paramilitary forces and CAPF (Central Armed Police Force).

Security forces have managed to control and content insurgents activity to some extent. The excessive force used by security forces on unarmed civilians or human rights violations also fueled the insurgency movement. Some of the major insurgent groups are still active and they are taking refuge in Myanmar near the Indo-Myanmar border.

Chinese intelligence agencies and Pakistan's ISI (Inter-Service Intelligence) are aiding the insurgents covertly. The Northeast insurgents have open access to sophisticated weapons like the AK-47, AK-56, M16, RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade), Hand Grenade, and even explosive devices such as IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) from Myanmar black market.

Due to the involvement of foreign support and an open border with Myanmar, the insurgent group is still surviving. Over the years, the insurgency-related violence has gone down considerably in the Northeast Region.

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) : The peasant revolt that took place at Naxalbari in West Bengal in 1967, marked the beginning of the Naxalite movement in India. The initial movement was led by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal. Even after independence, the country had retained the British land tenancy system.

Under the British imperial system, indigenous landlords were granted pieces of land in return for their collection of tax revenue and as in Medieval European feudal systems, these landlords subleased their land to peasants for half their yield. Nearly 60% of the population was landless, the lion's share of land being owned by the richest 4%, as shown in the 1971 census.

In 1969, the CPI-ML(Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist) was formed. They were inspired by Mao Zedong's ideology of capturing power through a combination of armed insurgency and mass mobilization. They started waging a guerilla war against the Police and CAPF(Central Armed Police Force) and looting their weapons and ammunition. In 2001, the Maoist has spread to up to 18 states in India.

In 2004, the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Maoist) was formed. The PLGM (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) served as the armed wing of the CPI-M. The formation of CPI-M has led to an increase in violence in numerous Indian states, which led Dr. Manhoman Singh, the Prime Minister of India to declare that Naxalism was “the single biggest security challenge ever faced by our country”.

The State Response


Initially, the Indian government viewed the Naxalite movement as a security problem. The initial state response was to contain the Naxalite movement through the use of force only. The State launched a massive police operation to crush the movement in which several leaders of the movement were arrested in police custody.

The Indira Gandhi Government during that time called the Armed Forces and launched a massive anti-Naxal operation in 1971 (Operation Steeplechase) in which several thousand Naxals were killed. Surprisingly, the movement rose again but this time the Naxals are more violent and well organized. The Naxals began launching a deadly attack on Security Forces, they have an excellent communication network in the jungle.

The Naxals financed themselves by extortion from the mining industry, PWD works, and collection of tendu leaves. The Villagers, the shopkeepers, and even corrupt government officials also fund the Naxals. In 2014, the Naxals have been collecting not less than Rs 140 crore from various sources The Maoists are also armed with INSAS rifles, AK-47 rifles, and UBGL(Under Barrel Grenade Launcher).

The central government has deployed the CRPF(Central Reserve Police Forces) as well as the elite COBRA Forces (Commando Batallion for Resolute Action) on a long-term basis on the Naxal affected areas. Presently, there is around 6000 armed cadre of the CPI-M. The Police Forces in the Maoist-affected area are also being modernized.

In 2009, the Indian Government has launched the LAP scheme (Integrated Action Plan) in the Maoist affected region. The IAP aims at bringing development work to 78 tribal and backward districts. It is a combination of both security and development approaches due to which the Maoist violence has reduced considerably. In 2015, the Indian Government also launched the SAMADHAN doctrine to combat the Maoists.

It is also a broad and holistic approach with a combination of economic development, infrastructure development, modernizing security force, strengthen intelligence network. But effective implementation of the doctrine is the key to address the Maoist violence.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS


Since Independence, India faces many internal security threats. The Internal security problem cannot be addressed only by the use of security forces. Internal security problems should not only be treated as a law and order problem. The State needs to analyse the cause of the movement and the extend of mobilization of people.

As it will enable the State to understand the origin of the movement and the right approach to neutralise the movement. The State needs a broad and holistic approach towards combating the Insurgency movement. Security, as well as development, has to go hand in hand to solve the internal security problem.

The role of the security forces should be to ensure the rule of law and to pressurize the militants to come to the negotiating table. The main approach of the security force operation must be in winning the minds and the hearts of the people. The synergy between the Paramilitary Forces, CAPF's and the State Police is crucial in combating internal security threats.

The intelligence network should be strengthened. The problem faced by the people should be addressed from time to time.