India’s North East: New Vistas for Peace

India’s North East presents a bewildering picture to the policy makers, outsiders as well as to the local population. On the one hand, the natural beauty and rich cultural mix offer a touristic paradise. On the other, innumerable insurgent movements raging in the region deter people from exploring and investing in this region. However, the tried narrative of exclusivist ethnic homelands propagated by the insurgents appears out of sync with reality in an era of growing inter-connectivity and globalization. New Delhi’s efforts to develop the region coupled with the realization amongst North Eastern societies that ethnic insurgencies based on nostalgic interpretation of the past are creating enormous obstacles for rapid development of the region also reinforces this thinking. The example of Mizoram as a peaceful and prosperous state amongst the other insurgency infested states like Assam, Manipur and Nagaland demonstrates that peace, development and security are possible in this region. This book is an attempt to suggest a way towards peace and development in the North East. The authors, mostly belonging to the region, have provided valuable insights on the issue of insurgency, development and security and have also suggested concrete measures to tackle the myriad problems afflicting the region. They assert that local participatory initiatives are extremely important not only to counter the exclusive narratives of rebel groups but also to lead the region on its path to peace and prosperity. They also emphasize that the media and the security forces should contribute positively towards this effort. Only when all the actors of the society work towards the common goal of peace and development, this region could be unshackled from the bonds of underdevelopment and recurring violence.