Seminar on 'Conflict Transformation, Peace And Ethnic Divide In India's Northeast'
- Last Date : 25 March 2013, 2013 -

Call for paper
Two Day ICSSR, (New Delhi) Sponsored National Seminar ON
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION, PEACE AND ETHNIC DIVIDE IN INDIA'S NORTHEAST:
THE CONTEXT OF RECENT TRENDS

To be held on 26 and 27 April 2013 (Friday and Saturday)
at conference hall of the S. Kula Women's College, Nambol, Manipur 795134, India

Sub Theme:

1. Ethnic assertion and self determination: new dimension of chaos and diabolic conflict
2. Territorial integrity, homeland, sovereignty, autonomous demand: contract and contrast
3. Ethnic paradox, contemporary issues: widening mistrust among different communities
4. Ethnic politics and electoral integrity: a long run democratic deficiency
5. Peace process and ethnic divide in India's northeast: modus operandi and offshoot India's north east comprising eight states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim) is better known region as one of conflicts in which Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Tripura is still facing armed conflict.

Strategically this region is very important in the sense that it is sharing border with China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Besides, Jammu and Kashmir where insurgency and self determination question mainly cause India's integrity and started Indo-Pakistan conflict, but the matter of India's northeast is exclusively different that many AOGs have been demanding sovereign state by different ethnic based AOGs.

Manipur, a hilly land of diverse culture of different ethnic communities, was a land of peace when there was a sovereign kingdom. Since then, as a consequence of colonial policy of Indian government the state has been revolving into a land of wonders as 'conflict zone'. Amongst the AOGs NSCN (National Socialist Council of Nagalim) is the oldest armed movement struggling for Naga Sovereignty since 1946, even one year before India's Independence 1947. As a measure to resolve Government of India has been taken up peace process in many stages, still conflict is centering and developed different factional groups. In the same manner, Government of India has also reluctantly initiate political dialogue with different AOGs.

Since NSCN-IM and Government of India started peace process by 1997 ethnic divide is unexpectedly widening and the matter of peace building is seemingly in a state of danger. Since 1997 the NSCN-IM and GoI peace talk started various changes in the socio-political context appeared in northeast India in general but also Nagaland and Manipur in particular. Not only this, separatist mindset in certain Naga people were also started in a larger scale. Following the event of June uprising 2001against the extension of cease-fire in the territory of Manipur, many lives were lost, and different unwanted happenings affected normal life of the people mainly amongst the hill and valley people.

Day by day, distrust attitude was also developed. It seems that it may incessantly underway for a long time till a clear cut solution is arrived in the state as well as in the north east. In such unrest and mistrust situation this seminar attempts to analyze dynamics of peace process and subsequent effect in different ethnic groups in India's northeast. Manipur has emerged as a conflict zone with the elites of the three struggling communities competing and contesting to carve out their exclusive political space through ethnic mobilization. Political mobilization initiated by the contesting elites to realize their political space defined in terms of demand for Nagalim (Naga Land/State), Zalengam (Kuki Land/State), and Manipur respectively and opposing pattern of political mobilizations has produced a conflict situation, or to be more precise, an 'Ethnic Triangle' amongst the Nagas, the Kukis, and the Meiteis. On the other hand, on 1st August 2005 Indian army had announced 'Suspension of operation' popularly known as SoO with the Kuki militants in Manipur.

Long run conflict of Naga dominated area and Kuki dominated areas appeared in conflict situation and converted into a 'Genocide trend' during 1992-1997. Increased autonomy for ethnically defined areas and groups has frequently been proposed as a solution to problems of insurgency and, as a policy, it has been implemented in several cases. With some benefits in the hindsight, it must be pointed out at the best that such solutions have not effectively measured up to expectations. A closer scrutiny of the failure would shed light on a number of dark and blind spots in the efforts to tackle this nagging problem.

The critical gap in enunciating a broader understanding of conflict situations is glaringly displayed in the simmering turmoil in Manipur. While in the rest of India, the Northeast has the image of being a zone of conflicts, within the region one witnesses a search for peace - a concept whose interpretation changes according to the stakeholder. The state and non-state armed groups think of peace only as the absence of armed conflict, but most people of the region perceive it as a new society based on justice. Significantly insurgent groups have been interfered in electoral practices. Since long back NSCN boycotted elections in Nagaland and Hill areas of Manipur but it has strategically changed with the coming of peace process.

In the recent development, there is a certain sense of deja vu\' in the stand adopted by six political parties (Nagaland units), including the Congress and the BJP that the election to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly be deferred till a final settlement to the Indo-Naga issue is inked. This particular tactic, it could be, must surely speed up the political negotiation which is reportedly in its final stage, but the sense of urgency can be understood in the backdrop of the announcement by the Election Commission of India that election in Nagaland will be held in February 2013.

Thus many observers look into the matter that election will be held as it is mandatory. Interestingly, those who support speedy solution of Naga issue will have a dilemma and regenerate conflict in between aspirant candidate and others.

Attention

All the intending scholars may submit their valued papers but be care of the following suggestions that selected papers will be published as ISSN Book and the same will be released on the inauguration of the Seminar 26 April 2013.

* An abstract of about 300 words along with full paper within 4000 to 7000 words including notes and reference must be submitted to the convener through
[email protected] and
CC to [email protected]
on or before 25 March 2013.

* One page CV/Resume must be also submitted along with a photo

* All the write-ups must be in MS Word, 12 font size in Arial/Times New Roman;

* Citations/notes/reference must be any standard form;

* All the submitted papers will be reviewed by referees and will send back the status report to the authors concern with suggestion/recommendation by 2 April 2013; if necessary revise version may be submitted accordingly.

* Please feel free for any query and mail to convener
muhinsingh(at)gmail(dot)com
L. Muhindro Singh (MS Laitonjam)
Ph. D
Convener,
Senior Fellow,
ICSSR, New Delhi