North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

[Victor]

Katiji--several errors in your post. AASU came in with the "bideshi khedao" movement in the late 1970s way after the anti-Bengali riots of the 50s and 60s. There was no "Bongaali Khedao". The backlash against Bengalis was in response to their attempt to impose the Bengali language on Assam. The problem has long since resolved itself with each giving the other space and due respect. Durga Puja (just concluded) is a massive affair with universal participation in Assam nowadays. The only folks who would like to drive a wedge are BDs and leftist types with an eye on Greater Bengal, both anathema to the vast majority of Assamese. These troublemakers stir up sentiment against "outsiders" which is faithfully parroted by the stupid national media to tar Assamese with a chauvinistic brush but the violence is directed against poor Biharis, not illegal BDs. The intent is to drive out the traditional rickshaw pullers, barbers etc and replace them with BDs, a tactic that is beginning to work but not as well as hoped. Same tactic is being used in the highly sophisticated driving out of Northeasterners from the metros of India because they are easily identifiable. This didn't work because of the forceful and timely intervention of local govts in the affected states. And Samujjal "The Bong" Bhattacharya absolutely does NOT have an anti-Bengali slant. Please read up, starting with the article I posted. Granted there is a lot of muddying of waters but if you start with the Assamese being staunch Indians who are against the separatist ideology of ULFA, you will steer true. This not to say that the Assamese are not p!ssed at the GoI, we definitely are.

[Victor]

Carlji--he himself says that "you stole our script". What does that tell you?

I have no idea what he meant by that either. Looking fwd to your reply.

The Bengali and Assamese scripts are very similar. Half educated types think the latter copied the former but the fact is both are sister languages going back centuries. He is either a BD or a commie and if the Chinese attacked tomorrow he would be on the welcoming committee. Going by his paki style language, he's probably the former.

[Agnimitra]

The Bengali and Assamese scripts are very similar. Half educated types think the latter copied the former but the fact is both are sister languages going back centuries. He is either a BD or a commie and if the Chinese attacked tomorrow he would be on the welcoming committee. Going by his paki style language, he's probably the former.

I see. Among the Bengali Hindus in Assam, about what percentage are "commie" types, what percentage "Hindutva", and what percentage any other?

[chaanakya]

Right wing groups" is a vague term. What exactly do you mean? Extremist Hindu Assamese perhaps if we follow the secular press? Can you elaborate on your definition? I bet you can't and are just mouthing off.

Vague term for you. For you're relatives, sons and daughters were not raped, pillaged and killed. You were the perpetrators, my kith and kin suffered. That is the truth.

The truth is you will not find MOST Assamese households employing BDs any more. They prefer instead to hire and pay more to locals who are willing to do domestic work, mostly Christian or Hindu tribals. There is a stigma attached to having a BD maid nowadays but you wouldn't know that unless you were an urban or even semi urban Assamese. In the rest of urban India, nobody cares if their maid or driver is an illegal BD.

Leave aside where I belong to for a moment, my best friend who is an Assamese Brahmin, lives in Beltola, has a BD maid. So keep harping about and spreading your propaganda. You people need BD people and that is why Bangladeshis flourish in Assam. True, FACT.

I will grant however that the booming building trades (mistrys) is now dominated by BDs. While Assamese contractors and households will overwhelmingly prefer skilled locals, they are simply not available in the numbers required. Non Assamese contractors and builders don't care who does the job. The local youth and Assam in general will pay heavily for their reluctance to do these high-paying jobs. It is definitely a major weakness among the Assamese.

ROFLMAO! You are an idiot aren't you? Construction in Guwahati is dominated by SULFA right now. Buy a house, or sell one - you need to pay commission to SULFA. Don't like the dark side? Go crawl back under the rock you came from. Terrorism is Assam is because of the Assamese people. Deteoirating situation in many parts of Assam is also due to the Assamese people (intellectuals amongst the Assamese those days). Please own the facts.

Did innocents suffer in the bloodbath of the Andolan of the 1980s? Of course they did as they do in any bloodbath but the Assamese ire was entirely directed at Bengali speaking Muslims from Bangladesh (Bangladeshi Hindus went mainly to W.Bengal). You should know that the two (Hindu and Muslim Sylhetias) did not live in the same villages but you apparently don't. BTW, it is VERY IMPORTANT to know that the AASU top leadership was composed of Assamese and Bengali Hindus AND Muslims. The current chief advisor (and old student leader) is Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharya, an Assamese Bengali. This was not and still is not a religious pogrom. It was and is a purely nationalistic, constitutionally driven strugle against illegal settlers abetted by vote hungry politicians. Here is a good article about the current situation from him. Note the stress on the non-communal nature of the Assamese people and movement.

What's your age? Who has fed you this propaganda?

Do you know why Assam University was formed?

Dude, go, do some research apart from the horse puckey that was fed into you right from your childhood.

More dangerous nonsense. CRPF were aggressive in protecting Bengali Muslims on orders from Congress and more often than not, fired on Hindu Assamese. This is borne out by the fact that only Muslim settlements got CRPF camps even though the Bangladeshi Muslims also "went in raping, robbing and smothering to death" the local villagers. Again, what is a "fellow Sylheti Hindu"? Your choice of words is interesting and very illuminating. BTW, the Sylhetia Hindus and Muslims DO NOT have the same dress. Same thing for Mymensighias (or is it Mymensighis??) It takes an experienced local eye to discern the difference but you apparently don't have it.

Okay. So Nellie massacre that happened, and also on many other villages that went unreported were because CRPF was protecting people? Utter bile.

You witnessed and did nothing? That's moral cowardice and worse than participating.

Yeah. I was a coward. I was a kid. Time's changed though right now. You ain't got no shit, other than propaganda. Dima-land, Bodo-land, Naga-land, Assam is on the verge to be broken. You or your ilk cannot stop it. Just a matter of time, you punk.

"minority section amongst Assamese"?? When and who did this scientific survey? Care to describe this demographic? What section exactly?

Yes, it is stupid for ANYONE to harbour ill will towards harmless people but not against aggressive, illegal land-grabbers and religio-cultural bigots. Don't try to confuse the issue. There is no ill will towards Hindu Bengalis any more in Assam because their cultural arrogance (yes, it was that) has been forgotten amidst a much greater peril. Only trouble makers will try to confuse the issue. I'm watching. Gratuitous crap like "refrain from posting gibberish" will receive the contempt and suspicion it deserves.

LMAO!!! Abbey, you all stole our alphabets. Yeah, you heard it right, you stole our alphabets, and you have a language. Should I even go beyond that???????? We were tolerant enough. We have forgiven the past sins, but we can very well kill, when it comes to that. Go inform you're village idiot to prepare.

Why this rant and abuse? Why threat to Kill? Who are those Village idiots?

All this suffice to get you banned , methinks

[darshhan]

Going by the statements Prthwi has made, it seems he is a Bangladeshi or some other anti Indian faction. I would suggest Moderators and Webmasters to check his antecedents carefully.

Being a Bangladeshi( or a Paki for that matter ) should not disqualify someone from posting his views on BRF but Prthwi(if that is his real name) has crossed the line by threatening to kill Indian people.

[Victor]

For the benefit of interested BRfites, here are some snapshots of info on Assam. This is meant to be a quick background history lesson and I did this in a hurry so will revisit from time to time.

* Pragjyotishpura (place where astrology was practiced)--one of the 7 kingdoms mentioned in the Mahabharata. King Narakasura fought alongside the Kauravas and his army included the Nagas. His son Bhagatdatta was an elephant-riding warrior with a powerful weapon called the Vaishnavashastra and died at the hands of Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra.

* Newer name is Kamarupa--Shiva cut up the dead body of his wife Parvati and during his Tandava (dance of death) one of the pieces (believed to be the sex organ) fell on what is now Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati. To stop his Tandava, the God of Love Kamadeva made him fall in love with another woman but Shiva burnt him to ashes with a glance. He was resurrected to his original form (Kamarupa) in Assam.

* As many of you know, ancient Hindu influence extended from Afghanistan to the Phillipines including what are now Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Tibet and Yunnan province of China. Assam was bang in the center of this cultural map and continues to be critical for present India's link with South East Asia. It has also absorbed many tribal cultures and peoples who have settled from different parts of Asia. For example, I found the Khasi language to sound very similar to Cambodian (Kambuj). The famous Bamboo Dance we see performed by some of the Northeastern tribes is also performed by tribals all over Asia, including China and Taiwan. Even their clothes are very similar.

* The name "Assam" itself is a corruption of "Asom" from the Ahom kingdom which was founded by nomads from the Thailand-Yunnan region. They didn't indulge in any wars of conquest but simply settled in the upper Brahmaputra valley and shared their way of life based on rice cultivation with the locals who took to it quickly. The Tai Ahom kingdom soon became multi-ethnic in character and its influence held sway all along the Brahmaputra valley. Educators and administrators were invited from places like Kanauj in India and were given titles and fiefdoms to settle down in the Valley. Names like Borbora, Baruah, Saikis (hundred), Hazarika (thousand) etc were titles and ranks. Ethnic Tai Ahoms had quickly become a minority in the Brahmaputra valley but the original Ahom culture is still visible in Upper Assam. Hinduism became the dominant faith around the 14th century. Srimanta Sankardeva, the Assamese saint, brought all local cultures and ehtnicites under a common "Sankaria" culture based on Vaishavaite Hinduism. However, the Ahom Kingdom soon came under constant attack from the Mughals in Bengal, starting with the Nawab of Dhaka. Around the 17th century, the Ahoms defeated a major attack by the Mughals, chased them back into Bengal and extended Ahom territory all the way to the current North Bengal border. This battle has become famous as the Battle of Saraighat, a ghat on the Brahmaputra and the site of the present railway bridge at Guwahati. The Mughals never again were able to enter Assam after that and the general responsible for their defeat was Lachit Barphukan. The NDA in Khadakvasla confers its best cadet with the Lachit Barphukan Medal in his honour.

* The Burmese attacked and annexed Assam in the 19th century and that reign was witness to horrible atrocities on the locals. The Burmese were feared for their brutal cruelty even in Thailand. The Ahom kingdom came to an end when the British finally drove out the Burmese and annexed Burma itself in 1885.

* Local tribes--constitute about 15% of the total population of present day Assam and include the Karbi, Khasi, Kuki, Dimasa, Garo, Hajong, Mizo, Jaintia, Hmar, Chakma, Naga, Bodo, Mising, Rabha, Sonowal, Tiwa, Singhpo, Khamti and a few others. All have their own cultures and languages but for hundreds of years have identified with the mainstream Assamese culture and language of the Brahmaputra Valley. For obvious reasons, this was a good thing for all concerned! All of these tribes were Hindus until recently when some have begun to convert to Christianity. The tribes in the Barak Valley absorbed Bengali from the dominant language there. Even though the govt was mandated to protect tribal lands from illegal migrants, nothing was done and in fact the tribals themselves were ousted from their own lands with govt connivance for vote bank politics. Soon enough, the bigger tribes began to ask for their own states and Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur were born. This is the genesis of the current Bodo strife as they have no faith in the Union or state Govts and see autonomy as the only way to keep their tribe alive.

* After 1971, there was a flood of illegal migration into Assam from Bangladesh and the Assamese, led by the All Assam Students Union, agitated for steps to protect their identity and land. Machinations by several parties led to frustration and there was an outbreak of violence against illegal Bangladeshis. This led to the Assam Accord which promised a sealing of the border, revision of electoral roles and detection and deportation of illegals. To date, nothing has been done by the govt which nstead began its machinations again by enacting the IMDT Act which made it impossible to detect and deport illegals. Unfortunately, the cycle of violence seems to be building up again. Frustration caused a section of AASU to break away and form the ULFA who wanted to fight against the Union of India. These were unlettered boys and they were soon usurped by the Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Chinese for their own gains by giving them first guns then money and a good, easy life in exile. Nobody in Assam believes that they can exist outside India for a week without being overrun and butchered by Bangladeshis and that even if they somehow did, they would be totally dependent on the BDs for everyday items as the Govt of India never bothered to encourage basic industries or infrastucture in Assam which lags behind the rest of India in almost every sphere.

[Agnimitra]

Thanks Victor.

* Local tribes--constitute about 15% of the total population of present day Assam and include the Karbi, Khasi, Kuki, Dimasa, Garo, Hajong, Mizo, Jaintia, Hmar, Chakma, Naga, Bodo, Mising, Rabha, Sonowal, Tiwa, Singhpo, Khamti and a few others. All have their own cultures and languages but for hundreds of years have identified with the mainstream Assamese culture and language of the Brahmaputra Valley. For obvious reasons, this was a good thing for all concerned! All of these tribes were Hindus until recently when some have begun to convert to Christianity.

It looks like more than a few of the tribes have converted.

- What are relations like between the converted Christian tribes and the mainstream "greater Assam" culture of the Brahmaputra valley today? Apart from social relations, what about political alliances, especially against the BDs?

- In terms of education and Macaulayization, what is the pattern there? Reason I ask is because the way you have described how the various tribes there had coalesced depended heavily on Indic memes, including mythology. Macaulayization introduces contempt for those binding mythologies and tries to divert talk of an Indic state merely in terms of a "civil society", which can very well rearrange itself based on the most "practical" cost-benefit calculus. So, what is the penetration of Macaulayite counter-memes there, say, in the commie discourse or the converted Christian discourse?

- How much do the Bodos and other disaffected unconverted peoples there identify with Hindutva? Is Hindutva there serving any real purpose in addressing the feeling of alienation from the "center"?

Trying to get an idea of how people there feel or see themselves and the future. Thanks.

[Victor]

Carl, the tribes are uniformly and virulently anti-Bangladeshi with robust anti-immigrant policies at all levels and they have neutral-to-cordial relations with Hindu mainstream Assam, partly out of necessity. Almost all speak and/or understand at least a little Assamese and Hindi and I am beginning to see increasing numbers of intermarriages, even between Christians and Hindus where both parties are only superficially Christian or Hindu. Cooperation exists, certainly in the form of intelligence sharing. Many Assam based crooks wanted by police have been caught hiding out in the tribal areas and vice versa. However, all state govts in the NE are Congress and overt anti-Bangladeshiness isn't kosher methinks. What goes on under the covers I don't know.

The Khasis, Nagas and Mizos are the most Christianized (almost 100%) and well educated. Of these, the Khasis were the first to convert but are ironically the least "Anglisized" and most cosmopolitan, interacting easily with Assamese and other Indians in and around Guwahati, speaking Assamese and Hindi quite readily. I think that's because their native culture, dress and customs were pretty Indic to begin with (dhotis, turbans etc) and there is now a strong move to reclaim their cultural roots. The Nagas and Mizos have been helped to see the Light by American Baptist missionaries rather than British as was the case with the Khasis. They tended not to speak much Assamese or Hindi although that is changing with the younger generation courtesy of greater mobility within India for education and work, even in Guwahati. In the pre-reform days when things phoren were held in awe, the Nagas and Mizos in their Levis jeans pretty much looked down their noses at us Hindu Assamese yokels, never mind that they were just a generation removed from being naked head hunters and monkey eaters. Maybe it was a need to distance themselves as much as possible from their "savage" past that caused them to be more Xtian than the Xtians? Don't know. After Indians and India began to shine and grow strong, they have toned down their snootyness and antipathy considerably.

There are very few commies among tribals that I know of with the possible exception of those in the Bengali-speaking Barak valley and a few extremist rebels. However, there appears to have been a link up recently between rebels, mainly ULFA, and Maoists.

The Bodos and other tribals that are still majority Hindu are so only precariously. They don't have deep Hindu roots and are vulnerable to conversion IMO. Ekal Vidyalaya's (aka Friends of Tribals) efforts in this regard to provide just the basic Indic knowledge along with the ABCs and 123s is priceless and more often than not, enough to stave off the conversion of a village. I have seen tribal domestic help blossom in a Hindu household and take to puja and conch-blowing with gusto! Its no wonder that these Ekal backed schools are a prime target of both Islamic and Christian rascals and quite a few have been torched since they are so remote. I don't know if it is "Hindutva" as much as a means of touching a deep, solid foundation and being able to belong to it and draw sustenance from it.

Hope that answers some of your questions. These are based on my personal experiences and observations and may of course differ from those of others.

[Agnimitra]

Victor, thanks.

There are very few commies among tribals that I know of with the possible exception of those in the Bengali-speaking Barak valley and a few extremist rebels. However, there appears to have been a link up recently between rebels, mainly ULFA, and Maoists.

You had indicated that ULFA rose as a militant response to BD encroachment on the locals. Then why do they now choose to ally with Maoists, whom most of us would consider to be in bed with Islamists in certain parts? Or has the original ULFA cause just been hijacked? In which case, since the cause still exists, there could be an entry point for other Indic missions.

Almost all speak and/or understand at least a little Assamese and Hindi and I am beginning to see increasing numbers of intermarriages, even between Christians and Hindus where both parties are only superficially Christian or Hindu.

Very interesting, could you describe more? What sort of cultural-religious affiliation do such couples maintain after marriage, especially w.r.t. offspring? Does the wedding usually happen in the temple or the church?

Importantly, apart from a neighborhood temple, which organized Hindu/Buddhist religious service networks are active in the region, if any? E.g. Arya Samaj, Iskcon (I know Gaudiya Vaishnavism is big in Manipur and the region), Art of Living, etc?

The Khasis, Nagas and Mizos are the most Christianized (almost 100%) and well educated. Of these, the Khasis were the first to convert but are ironically the least "Anglisized" and most cosmopolitan, interacting easily with Assamese and other Indians in and around Guwahati, speaking Assamese and Hindi quite readily. I think that's because their native culture, dress and customs were pretty Indic to begin with (dhotis, turbans etc) and there is now a strong move to reclaim their cultural roots.

What form does this reclamation of cultural roots take?

Its no wonder that these Ekal backed schools are a prime target of both Islamic and Christian rascals and quite a few have been torched since they are so remote.

Ekal Vidyalayas rock, but much more support and capacity building is required. More charity!

When we speak of Ekal Vidyalayas being targeted by "Christians", howmuch does this war of proselytization impinge on Hindu-Christian relations in regular society? Is most of the EJ'ism foreign-funded, or does a lot of local tithing go into it also?

If there is greater mingling than estrangement between Hindus and Christians there, its an opportunity for an alternative "Hindutva" to emerge there, more to the left than right. It could focus on the very real and illegal BD menace to begin with, but be far more inclusive in the region as a whole. Just a thought.

[Agnimitra]

Hinduism will heal Assam - Militants (mostly ULFA) find peace

[Rony]

The Naga Armed Conflict: Is a Resolution Finally Here?

What could count as a feasible resolution package in this context? For one, it should not threaten the present territorial boundaries of the states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. As is well known, the NSCN (IM)’s Greater Nagalim demand is based on the territorial unification of all Naga inhabited areas in Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. These include: Manipur’s four hill districts of Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul; Assam’s Dima Hasau and Karbi Anglong districts; and Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap and Changlang districts. Hence, any resolution based on territorial changes will not be acceptable to these states as was demonstrated by the violent protests in Manipur in 2001.

However, what will work is a non-territorial resolution and this is what the Union Home Minister appears to be hinting at. That would mean greater autonomy for the Naga inhabited areas in these other states. This would encompass separate budget allocations for the Naga inhabited areas with regard to their culture and development issues. For it to be practically feasible, a new body should be constituted that would look after the rights of the Nagas in the other northeastern states besides Nagaland.

This is a resolution framework that is worth considering by the other states, especially Manipur as it would enable it to maintain its territorial status quo while only giving up developmental privileges in its Naga inhabited areas to a new Naga non-territorial body. This arrangement should serve Manipur well as, under the present circumstances, the ethnic divide and distrust between the Meiteis and the Nagas is so immense that most Nagas residing in Manipur believe that they are discriminated against when it comes to development packages by the Meitei dominated Manipur state assembly. It would also mean that Manipur can then concentrate on the development of its other ethnic minorities and not have to constantly worry about Naga dis-satisfaction.

A non-territorial resolution framework also favours the Nagas as their other core demands such as recognition of their “unique history” and culture, Naga leverage over deciding the development path for the Naga inhabited areas in the Northeast, etc. will all be met through greater autonomy based on a non-territorial resolution package. This is an optimal gain for all affected parties under the present circumstances. For the India government too, it would result in recognizing the Naga’s “unique” history and culture within the territorial integrity and sovereignty framework of the Indian Constitution.

The fact that such a non-territorial resolution package is gaining popularity in Nagaland can be discerned from the fact that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio along with all 60 Nagaland State Assembly Members including the MLAs of the Opposition parties is in support of such a framework. Being politicians, none of these MLAs would have so openly supported such a framework had there been no support for it in Naga society. It also means that a resolution to the Naga conflict would increase their chances of winning in the Nagaland state assembly election scheduled for March 2013. This is indeed a positive sign and an opportune moment.

The only other tricky issue that needs to be grappled with is factionalism among Naga militant groups, especially the violent differences between the NSCN (IM) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland led by S.S. Khaplang. There were recent demands from districts like Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire inhabited by Naga tribes like the Konyaks, Changs, Sangtams, Yumchungers, Khianmungans, etc. (nearly 500,000 people) in Nagaland for a separate “frontier Nagaland or Eastern Nagaland” under the aegis of the Eastern Nagaland Public Organization (ENPO). To be noted is the fact that these districts are also dominated by the rival NSCN (K) faction. Both rival factions continue to violently clash especially in two districts of Arunachal Pradesh—Tirap and Changlang. Hence, while a resolution package between the NSCN (IM) and the Indian government will resolve the decades-old animosities between the Nagas and Meiteis especially if the ethos of the resolution is non-territorial, a final resolution package must have the consent of the NSCN (K) as well. Only then will the Naga inhabited areas in Northeast India witness real peace after decades of violence.

[Rony]

Its an ideal time for the nationalist/Hindu groups to engage with Nagas culturally . Read it full !


Korea out of Kohima

Nagaland’s fascination with all things Korean is a thing of the past. Japanese fashion and Bollywood movies are now the in thing with the fashion-forward Naga youth.

Overriding it all, however, is a latent desire among young Nagas to become part of India’s economic growth story. “We want development. Schools, colleges, hospitals and things like that. There’s so much talent here but no way to expose it,” says Vizono, whose big discovery from a recent trip to Bangalore was “black-topped roads everywhere. This is the best time to engage with us. We want to connect with the mainstream.”

That mainstream, ironically, now swings to Gangnam Style.

[nvishal]

^Whether you like to believe it or not, Christianity has actually helped the nagas, kukis and adjacent tribal groups in the region into discarding many of the negative aspects of tribalism. It has become more easy for new delhi to talk to the current generation of nagas than it was 20-30 years ago.

There are two things of races in the world:
1) A race which influences its culture on other races
2) A race which absorbs and incorporates cultures from another race

The whole Kuki-Chin-Naga racial groups fall under the second category.

While christianity has been able to develop their societal behaviours positively, it has also brought many negative influences with it. Much of the current generation is identically very confused. They look at indians in mainland india and they don't look anything like them. They have a love hate relationship with their indigenous culture. So while they would like to hold onto the cosmetic aspects(dresses, festivals etc), they would still like to discard almost everything else of their indigenous past.

In this situation(a culture void), they look to the east to the people who look more like them. The south koreans are similar to the Kuki-Chin-Naga groups because they too have shed their indigenous past in favour of another culture.

The west influences the south koreans > the south koreans influence the Kuki-Chin-Naga groups. The outside influence in these NE region has actually reached a point of ridiculousness and they themselves are aware of it. It has spread to almost every NE state.

The problem for new delhi is not the Kuki-Chin-Naga groups adopting christianity lock, stock and barrel. The big problem for new delhi is that these idiots might fight each other and that is going to create yet another law and order situation in the region.

To prevent infighting, the Kuki-Chin-Naga groups have opened up a front against the meeteis of manipur and maybe some other ethnic groups in adjacent states. This puts new delhi in a tough situation because they have to court all groups without angering any of them. All of them view new delhi with suspicion and inherent partiality.

[prahaar]

New Delhi has always looked at NE as an aquarium. And the people living there as fishes who are to be watched as some exotic beings. A possible reason might be physical isolation due to lack of connectivity (road/rail/power/Internet/etc).

Basically GOI is a sluggish giant which only responds to pin-pricks aka insurgency. The amount of alienation even in so-called mainstream India has reached to such a level that recently there was a marathi movie "Bharatiya" advocates breaking away if GOI does not care.

If an Ekal with a miniscule budget can be so effective, one needs to imagine what a GOI backed honest effort can deliver.

[D Roy]

gentlemen,

Things work in their own way. There was a time when the Mizos did not want even a proper highway built to lengpui.

Now they are super enthusiastic about the four fighter hangars being built there. Today people in the northeast want 'development'. they are no longer worried about rail lines bringing in people from the rest of India. Now they want those rail lines to go *to the rest of India*. Things have changed.

By Jagannath the entire NE is getting fully integrated with the rest of India and will become a part of the Indian mainstream.

There will be many more Bhutias, Denzongpas, Dingkos, Koms who will make India proud.

[Virupaksha]

Dont forget that there is another entity which has been introduced with the christianity. It is the church as the arbiter between the Government and the people. The church will welcome ideologically co-operative investment while at the same time will have their allegance to some other entity, ala the italian fisher men. It will be the interests of the church not the people which will be at the forefront for the forseeable future.

I dont believe that the bargain of overriding whether the negative aspects of church trump the negative aspects of the so called tribalism.

[Victor]

There are no "Italian fisher men" (if that was meant to denote Catholicism and the Pope) since the NE tribes have embraced Southern Baptist Christianity which is based out of Atlanta and is a particularly virulent strain. This is courtesy JLN who allowed the missionaries free access for decades and who were kicked out only after their designs became plain enough for even the slowest idiot to see. There is nothing that the rest of India can do about this now other than to continue to show an iron fist to any talk of sovereignty but urgently and simultaneously build up the infrastructure within those states and linking them with the rest of India. With time, the Nagas (and other NE tribes) will see that even their beloved Koreans and Japanese retain a fierce loyalty to ancient Korean and Japanese traditions in spite of their overt "westernization" and a majority are still Buddhist. That, along with a rediscovery of their long-lost links to the Indic ethos, will bring about the kind of changes that only they can bring. All they want is respect, fairness and opportunity and India has so far provided them none of these. Whether they are Christian or tribal does not matter because there are plenty of model Indian citizens of both faiths. Besides, even the Hindu Assamese and Manipuris feel isolated and cheated.

There is a popular belief that the NE is isolated because of the narrow Chickens Neck area that connects it to the mainland. This of course is nonsense because the Siliguri Corridor is 20 km wide and there is enough space in each kilometer for multiple highways and railway tracks. The real problem is and has always been the numbskulls and thieves in Delhi.

[nvishal]

^^^
1)The Kuki-Chin-Naga tribes have taken up christianity. It's their choice. Accept it and move on.

2) Christian missionaries are not banned in the NE. They visit with valid permits and are received as guests by state leaders. Southern american churches might be helping to fund minor infrastructure development projects in the region.

3) Maintaining NE's indigenous culture, traditions and religions is not new delhi's responsibility. The onus lies with the Kuki-Chin-Naga tribes and if they don't want to maintain it then who are we to say anything?

4) Identity crisis among NE's people is not new delhi's problem. The people of NE take music very seriously and integrate aspects of it into their lifestyle. It usually wears out as a phase.

Again, the meeteis, kukis, nagas, mizos and many other mongoloid tribes in the vicinity have a problem with the "indian" identity. There is no way anyone can force an identity on an ethnic group. Since NE is a part of the indian confederation, the responsibility of security of that region lies with new delhi. It is indias responsibility to try its best to maintain peace in that region and leave the NE people to sort out their identity problems to themselves. Historically, new delhi has followed a policy of non-interference in the anthropological aspects of NE. That policy should continue. They have strong feelings against the ongoing influx of indian laborers from bengal and hindi regions looking for jobs in the NE.


btw, those who are new to understanding the NE, the above map is extremely misleading. The borders and boundaries are entirely wrong and pockets/colonies of each specific ethnic groups are spread across the region unevenly. for eg: manipur:


The ruling hindu meeteis of manipur live in the middle areas sandwiched between blue. The blue areas are supposed to be hill areas occupied by the kuki tribes. They speak different languages and follow different religions and customs. Some areas are fighting with the centre for their own autonomous councils. There are similar diverse pockets of govt in mizoram and meghalaya. Nagaland has its own problem with its sub-tribes showing ambitions of expansion; it's tribes are spread in manipur, arunachal, assam and even myanmar.

[Victor]

Christian missionaries are not banned in the NE. They visit with valid permits and are received as guests by state leaders.

No they (foreign missionaries) are not banned, just prevented from proselytizing. Their visas don't allow them to indulge in conversion activities and most come on tourist visas. The job of converting the heathens has been farmed out to Indian Christians.

Southern american churches might be helping to fund minor infrastructure development projects in the region.

Minor infrastructure projects like churches and schools. These are the preferred means of attracting poor tribals by handing out free food, money, clothes and an English-speaking education. The idea of India and Indianness is discouraged in contemptous terms. There are no govt schools in sight to compete and counter and this is a massive failing of the GoI. One cannot say "GoI is following a policy of non-interference". It is simply too stupid, corrupt and lazy to do anything and doesn't give a damn. Private individuals are trying to pick up the slack.

Maintaining NE's indigenous culture, traditions and religions is not new delhi's responsibility.

But facilitating the flooding of the NE by Bangladeshis to skew the demographics in return for votes is New Delhi's responsibility, right? And taking the regions oil without building refineries, roads, bridges and railways in it? Regardless, nobody is blaming Delhi for the Nagas' or Kukis' adoption of foreign culture like urban kids all over India, so relax.

BTW, the term "NE people" being used interchangably with tribals (Nagas, Kukis, Meities etc) ignores the fact that 70% of the population in NE are neither tribals nor Christian.

Identity crisis among NE's people is not new delhi's problem.

It is a major problem for India but obviously not for the delhi establishment.

They have strong feelings against the ongoing influx of indian laborers from bengal and hindi regions looking for jobs in the NE.

Care to elaborate? Who is "they"? What "ongoing influx" from which "hindi regions", which "bengal" and what "Jobs in NE"? You need to be more exact when making such serious allegations.

The rest of the post is rambling cliche'd nonsense sorry to say. Pronouncements like "those who are new to understanding the NE" won't help paper up your own complete ingnorance of and apparent contempt for the region. Give it a rest.

[nvishal]

@Victor

Their visas don't allow them to indulge in conversion activities and most come on tourist visas.

New delhi does not administrator or run things in many parts of NE like you think. As I have said before... Christian ministers from around the world are welcomed as open guests by the political leaders of these states. New delhi or the active security forces in the region don't interfere in their societal business.

Minor infrastructure projects like churches and schools. These are the preferred means of attracting poor tribals by handing out free food, money, clothes and an English-speaking education.

What is wrong with that? Both parties get something in return. The evangelists get christian converts and the tribals get freebies.

The idea of India and Indianness is discouraged in contemptous terms.

I'm not interested in NE people trying to prove their indian-ness. The current deal/setup of new delhi with NE allows for normalcy in the region if not full blown war.

The actual reasons for "contemptuous" attitude of NE people towards mainland india has to do with the few violent racial discrimination incidents in north india which are drum rolled back to NE with sensationalism and the decades of military presence which have affected the lives of the people in the area.

facilitating the flooding of the NE by Bangladeshis to skew the demographics

The influx of bangladeshis inside NE is inevitable due to geography. At best, new delhi can only slow them down.

Regardless, nobody is blaming Delhi for the Nagas' or Kukis' adoption of foreign culture like urban kids all over India, so relax.

The problem is actually due to a lack of identity. With normal indians, the foolishness stops as soon as they exit out of the movie theater. However with the NE teens, the foolishness goes on and on well over till mid 30s. It's very hard to spot a NE person in new delhi or mumbai without an expensive taste. Many of them are now synonymous with high maintenance. Their tribal past leaves them with a compulsion to project themselves as more civilized so you have them pointing at their matriarchal societies, pre-marital sex as a synonym for gender egalitarianism, absence of caste etc.

BTW, the term "NE people" being used interchangably with tribals (Nagas, Kukis, Meities etc) ignores the fact that 70% of the population in NE are neither tribals nor Christian.

Here, I'm only referring to the problematic areas - east and southern belts of NE.

It is a major problem for India but obviously not for the delhi establishment.

Indians need to re-evaluate the relationship between "mainland india" and "north-east india". I think new delhi is trying its best to keep everyone happy.

Care to elaborate?

Laborers/wage workers going to assam for jobs but slowly trickling into mongoloid regions in the vicinity.

[Agnimitra]

I'm not interested in NE people trying to prove their indian-ness.

Its not about NE people "proving" their "Indianness". Its about the common Indian's perception of "Indianness" that needs to expand to its former extent, that encompasses Tibet and SE Asia.

The influx of bangladeshis inside NE is inevitable due to geography. At best, new delhi can only slow them down.

What's "inevitable" about BD infiltration? The least GoI should do is stop it completely. Beyond that it ought to begin repatriations.

Indians need to re-evaluate the relationship between "mainland india" and "north-east india".

See above. The civilizational span of India needs to be reinstated, but currently that is not being done because it means picking up historical threads that have cultural overtones that are politically sensitive to some.

[Victor]

@nvishal: I've briefly scanned your posts in the forum and found that among other things, you think:

* we should help China dominate the US, even at the cost of our own development, because the US is a sworn enemy of India
* Give safe passge to the Chinese in the Indian ocean for resource transit. A chinese military base in the middle-east (Gwadar?) is good for us
* India should have stayed a collection of small princely states because that is how it would have avoided Muslim and European invaders

I don't have the time to find out more after this dose but based on just these nonsensical viewpoints and the intentionally divisive contempt you have displayed so far in this thread, I question your motivation. The only one I see is mischief. If you do have India's best interests at heart, you need to give up whatever it is you are smoking.

[Agnimitra]

^^ It looks like the NE thread acts a flytrap that exposes certain types. I wonder why.

[Victor]

Carl, IMO the picture of diversity and progress that NE folks in India's bustling cities increasingly represent is resented and even feared by the usual worthies. I'm sure they instinctively recognize this as a significant strength, and will try to short circuit this picture at all costs, partly by driving wedges whenever and wherever they can. I believe there is a very sophisticated machinery behind it with control levers outside the country and we saw a sample of what they can do recently. The situation is "normal" when NE "mongoloids" are converting to Christianity and fighting Indian forces as per plan but when they show up in their thousands speaking Hindi in Bangalore and then begin to kill illegal land-stealing Muslims at home, things have gone too far. Could be wrong but I have a strong feeling I'm right.

[member_20317]

There are two things of races in the world:
1) A race which influences its culture on other races
2) A race which absorbs and incorporates cultures from another race

The whole Kuki-Chin-Naga racial groups fall under the second category.

trite

Add some value bhaijaan. We are thankful to the EJs since they evangalised the Mongoloids and made it easy for GoI. WT_

[nvishal]

What's "inevitable" about BD infiltration? The least GoI should do is stop it completely.

What you're asking suggests that we lay land mines across the 2500 mile india bangladesh border, and mind you, that is the only way we can effectively curb the bangla influx menace. Btw, the border is not just land. How do you mine those rivers and lakes that run across the borders?

The civilizational span of India needs to be reinstated, but currently that is not being done because it means picking up historical threads that have cultural overtones that are politically sensitive to some.

This is no longer a realistic view because the world is not the same

It's difficult for me to imagine the NE merge with india the way north india and south india have. The people in the NE realize that they have no choice but to stick with india because of geopolitics. For them, the options on the table are not many and all undesirable. The current setup of autonomy and isolation where Indians need Inner line permits to enter NE is the best deal that india can get to keep everyone happy. This IS the realistic view, not some fantasy view as Victor accuses me of giving.

[Agnimitra]

What you're asking suggests that we lay land mines across the 2500 mile india bangladesh border, and mind you, that is the only way we can effectively curb the bangla influx menace. Btw, the border is not just land. How do you mine those rivers and lakes that run across the borders?

Check what India is doing in Sir Creek - using fences with underwater nets across rivers and swamps. Mine them, man them or fence them, do whatever is necessary to keep the enemy out. Moreover, remove all incentive to come this way. Don't prosecute crime against them. Penalize employing them. Deport them after corraling them into camps. I'm sure if you try you can think of several imaginative ways.

The civilizational span of India needs to be reinstated, but currently that is not being done because it means picking up historical threads that have cultural overtones that are politically sensitive to some.

This is no longer a realistic view because the world is not the same

It's difficult for me to imagine the NE merge with india the way north india and south india have.

Again, one's imagination is limited by one's ideological inclinations, and one's ignorance. Maybe "India" is a misunderstood concept here. By "Indian civilization" we don't mean some past golden age, but a set of certain cultural, ideological and civic structures that can accommodate a diversity of subcultures and living systems. India is already a very federalized setup politically. All we are saying is that the cultural communication between the NE and the rest needs to be unblocked.

When I was 5, I would often spend evenings with a Naga student who must have been about 20. I thought he was "cool", looked like Bruce Lee, and played the guitar. He was Christian and lived with some other Indian Christians who treated him like a son, and he became part of their social network. Now if that was enough to establish a cultural relationship between this Christian Naga and these other Indian Christians (who were South Indian), I'm sure Indian civilization and all its other aspects can do so as well.

[nvishal]

@Carl
Border fencing needs money and resources
Guarding the border fencing with manned security needs more money and more resources
Laying land mines across the border needs even more money and even more resources

Still, none of them are fool proof. Border fencing can be tampered. Manned security are vulnerable to corruption. Land mines restricts mobility not only for them but for us too. State politics is a whole another subject.

Carl, can you at least accept that maybe the NE does not want indic culture/civilization etc etc

[nvishal]

Meanwhile,



Nagalim representative, NSCN (IM) is in new delhi for talks with GoI for demands concerning Nagalim. At the same time, the Kuki's have cautioned new delhi to keep their demand in mind also. Both ambitious states of Nagalim and Kukiland overlap each others territories.

link 1
link 2

Nagalim is opposed by assam, arunachal, manipur and the kukis.
Kukiland is opposed by manipur and the nagas

[Agnimitra]

Border fencing needs money and resources
Guarding the border fencing with manned security needs more money and more resources
Laying land mines across the border needs even more money and even more resources

Still, none of them are fool proof. Border fencing can be tampered. Manned security are vulnerable to corruption. Land mines restricts mobility not only for them but for us too. State politics is a whole another subject.

Nothing's perfect, but it will be a huge improvement from current conditions. And you didn't see the other part of my post? -- Reduce incentive for crossing over in the first place. Deny opportunities, force repatriations, etc. It looks like you're going out of your way to be a "can't do" about this.

Carl, can you at least accept that maybe the NE does not want indic culture/civilization etc etc

Can you be clear what you understand by "indic culture"? And how you decided that all the NE doesn't want to have anything to do with it?

Do citizens in the NE not want to be a part of India's growing economy?
Do citizens of the NE not want to be part of a culturally diverse and pluralistic society?
Do citizens of the NE not want to band with a nation that has active and good relations with the West, the Middle East and now growing ties with East Asia?
Do the citizens of the NE not have an interest in a pan-Indic identity in all its value-definitions, historical narrative, epic and mythological forms?

Sanity and a progressive mind would answer yes to all the above. Unless one is morally inclined to allow fascistic parochial identities to emerge -- under cover of "modernity" and at the cost of civilizational continuity -- any right-thinking person can see that a pan-Indic identity allows subcultural identities to thrive while forming a higher echelon of culture and identity.

Its a work in progress, and one can choose to be part of it, or choose to be used by other philosophies coming from elsewhere that have recently been promoting ethnic nation-states, especially in parts of the world where civilization states are growing stronger. JMT.

[Victor]

Carl, can you at least accept that maybe the NE does not want indic culture/civilization

This is a classic fallacy used by anti-India types that normally goes unchallenged. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of the NE has been tied to Indic culture/civilization for centuries and draws sustenance from it:

Northeast:
- Hindu 13.8 million
- Christian 6.4 million
(Not counting Muslims who make up 35% of Assam's population, Buddhists and animists/others, the latter two being negligible except in Arunachal)

Hindu majority states:
- Assam (8.4 million Hindu; 0.5 million Christian)
- Tripura (3.0 million Hindu; 0.10 Christian)
- Manipur (1.2 million Hindu; 0.8 million Christian)
- Arunachal Pradesh (0.5 million Hindu; 0.3 million Christian)

Christian majority states:
- Meghalaya (2.1 million Christian; 0.4 million Hindu)
- Nagaland (1.8 million Christian; 0.16 million Hindu)
- Mizoram (0.87 million Christian; 0.03 million Hindu)

The Khasis of Meghalaya which is the largest Christian state, look like this:

Note the turbans and dhotis.

That leaves about 2.6 million Christians in Nagaland and Mizoram (about 10% of the NE population) that look like this:


This latter group are the only ones that could even remotely be considered to "not want Indic culture/civilization". Besides India, which allows them freedom of religion and the right to work, study and own property in India, the options for these landlocked states are:

- Islamic Republic of Bangladesh. Without the Indian Army to protect them, they would be swallowed whole in less than a week by the rapacious BDs like the Chittagong hill tribes. They can forget about remaining Christians in BD.

-Myanmar. This is a poor option since Myanmar, like India, has an ongoing "sovereignty" issue with its own Christian tribes. Unlike India, Myanmar is a xenophobic, racist and staunchly pro-Buddhist country that has no jobs or education for them.

- Communist China. This is a possibility as long as they are willing to become Godless or accept the Chinese-run version of Christianity. This is a heavy spiritual price to pay and not doable IMO.

The NE is solidly in the Indic ambit now and getting more so by the day.

[nvishal]

@Carl and Victor

The reality of NE is that it is more divided than indias north and south of the 60s, maybe even more divided than mainland indias caste system. There's more chance of a civil war in NE than china invading it.

Communal disputes are going to be a future trend in NE. Ethnicity along with hinduism, buddhism, animism, christianity... they all play a major part in this division. There is almost nothing indic about the NE other than some minor cultural practices.

Carl, many of the dominating ethnic groups in NE have expansionist ambitions and most of the time, it comes at the cost of other tribes in the vicinity. There is a lack of a leader in the NE. The nagas have self-appointed themselves as leaders of the region but the vacuum is still open.

Chasing a chimeric peace

The GoI has left it for future generations to solve.

[Victor]

There is almost nothing indic about the NE other than some minor cultural practices.

Here are some of the "minor cultural practices" representing 90% of the Northeast. They look pretty Indic to me.

Assam



Manipur




Meghalaya



Tripura

[Agnimitra]

The reality of NE is that it is more divided than indias north and south of the 60s

I don't know about "more" divided, but it may be as divided as North-South was then. And look at the changed situation today. The South is leading the way and shaping India economically and culturally in many ways today. Younger South Indians today are far more curious about and comfortable with North Indians than before, feeling much less threatened, and knowing that in terms of Indic resurgence they are often looked to for validation. OTOH North Indians look to the South as good models of studious reliability, professional responsibility and certain ancient Indic memes.

The NE is divided from the rest of the nation the way the South was earlier. But that is already changing as the economic infrastructure there improves, as youth move around the country, and as the Indic identity there is strengthened. The only difference is that BD is in the way in that part - but this external intruder could work to our advantage IF cards are played right in terms of identity politics. Not surprisingly it is here - identity politics - that anti-Indic elements are usually trying to blow smoke, fudge facts, and stir up needless trouble whenever possible.

There is almost nothing indic about the NE other than some minor cultural practices.

An extraordinarily and willfully ignorant statement. Its so blithely false that I am really curious to know what you understand by "Indic". The entire spectrum of cultural modes and orders from different types of tribalism to different types of sophisticated political models, all competing and cooperating with one another and constantly being changed by one another under a set of overarching contextual ethics - that is Indic civilization as described as far back as the Epics.

[sudarshan]

The reality of NE is that it is more divided than indias north and south of the 60s

There is almost nothing indic about the NE other than some minor cultural practices.

Very interesting observations (though I don't buy them at all). But if you really believe this, then I'm curious as to what your prescription is. Should India let the NE go because they aren't "Indic enough?" We'll never be able to win their hearts and minds, right? After all, there is no basis for any "non-Indic" entity to stay in India - it is simply not acceptable, on principle. The only regions which should stay with India, are the ones which can be certified as "Indic enough."

Why not let the KV also go? It's an Islamic majority region. What's "Indic" about Islam? How about Parsi or Jewish dominated regions? The list goes on.

[sanjaykumar]

Informative pictures, as someone who knows nothing about the North East-yup, those people are Indians.

[nvishal]

@Victor
There is no point in flooding the thread with photos

@Carl
The north east people are good at heart and it's the reason why I support the protectorate like status it has been given by new delhi. That IMO is good enough for NE to be a recognized as a part of the indian confederation. Again, note the word "protectorate". North east india is not the same here as South india and North india and you can't apply the hypothetical scenario of the later two with NE.

There are more than two members here who have interpreted my argument as if i'm advocating a breakup of the country but that is not true. All i'm saying is that we have to recognize some elements for the sake of maintaining the confederation. Here I'm explicitly saying that north and south indians should give the NE some room to develop their own identity(even if it is not indic), at least enough for them to feel satisfied and fulfilled.

There are already several independent councils in the NE and more might spring up in the future because the tribes feel threatened by other tribes in the vicinity. None of the religions(hinduism, buddhism or christianity) have been able to unify them. There are some parallels between NE and pakistan where the state and the society actively encourage extreme piousness to bring unity but alas they end up with a whole bunch of religious cuckoos and the society bordering on religious fundamentalism. These are nothing but identity issues.

[Agnimitra]

Here I'm explicitly saying that north and south indians should give the NE some room to develop their own identity(even if it is not indic), at least enough for them to feel satisfied and fulfilled.

That that is exactly what an Indian identity does. I'm surprised you don't see this. Even a country like America with its highly contrived experiment with global multicultualism doesn't have India's innate capacity for doing this naturally -- because of its culture of mistaking uniformity for equality in certain areas of public life. I once helped write grants here in the US for some immigrant communities struggling to prevent their mother-tongue from being erased by English dominance -- something that is ordinarily done in mainstream schools in India!

There are already several independent councils in the NE and more might spring up in the future because the tribes feel threatened by other tribes in the vicinity.

But how is this an argument against greater integration with India? Quite the contrary. Any idiot can see that each tribe there has had the same neighbors for centuries and will have them for centuries more. What they need is a working context where they can see that their individual identity can survive and flourish, ANd they can live in harmony and even benefit cooperatively.

India provides that context, India is the solvent into whch they can dissolve animosity. Their current tribalistic identity politics has been allowed to flourish because of the absence of such an Indic "civic society" (for want of a better word) in that region, which successive govts have done little to introduce. Now with economic and educational expansion, that will happen.

None of the religions(hinduism, buddhism or christianity) have been able to unify them. There are some parallels between NE and pakistan where the state and the society actively encourage extreme piousness to bring unity but alas they end up with a whole bunch of religious cuckoos and the society bordering on religious fundamentalism.

Good analogy - but where on earth did you get the idea that an Indic super-identity has anything to do with forcing this or that religious sect on them? NE may be like Af-Pak tribal areas, but India isn't Pakhanastan.

These are nothing but identity issues.

Yes, and rather petty identities. Their issues will never be resolved in a way that is optimally beneficial to all concerned, as long as there is a context of ideological pettiness against which to operate. Only a greater identity can act as a solvent for the friction between these sub-identities. And that identity is India.

If one can understand this clearly, then I see no reason to keep trying to politicize and be protective about "protectorate" status, but rather to warmly welcome greater integration and firmly repel all foreign forces that want to use BS sociology to maintain an ideological context that thrives on petty identity politics of divide and rule.

[sudarshan]

There are more than two members here who have interpreted my argument as if i'm advocating a breakup of the country but that is not true. All i'm saying is that we have to recognize some elements for the sake of maintaining the confederation. Here I'm explicitly saying that north and south indians should give the NE some room to develop their own identity(even if it is not indic), at least enough for them to feel satisfied and fulfilled.

You may not realize it, but you're on a slippery slope which leads to the notion of breakup sooner or later - usually sooner. Unique identities are fine, but if a territory is part of India, the default assumption should be that it is "Indic," that it is compatible with the ethos of the country, and with whatever majority view (if any) exists within the country. With this default assumption, the push should be towards integration with the rest of the country - not mollycoddling any territory with protectorate status. Article 370 in J&K is an incongruity for this very reason. Indians should be free to buy land in the NE or J&K (or more appropriately - in *INDIA*), just as denizens of the NE or J&K (again - *INDIA*) should be free to buy land anywhere in India.

What do you think would have happened in the 1860's if the northern USA had accepted that the southern lands were irreconcilably different, that they should be treated as protectorates and mollycoddled? Their default assumption was that the southern lands were every bit a part of the USA as the rest, and that a uniform code of governance was worth fighting for.

This might sound like a call for war with the NE, but it is not. Push for integration - build roads and airports, irrevocably link up Mizoram and Tripura with TN and KA and MH. The identity part can be sorted out through dialog.

[Victor]

@Victor
There is no point in flooding the thread with photos

Why not? I believe they put the lie to your nonsense.

Speaking of integration, the NE is going to be in the middle of an Asian integration before too long. It looks like the next Asian Tiger will be Burma as both the EU and the US have given the country's products duty free access and the labor costs are lower than Bangladesh, Cambodia or Vietnam. In the meantime, the govt has just released an investment law that is very friendly to foreign businesses. Indian companies are going to flood Burma and the road runs through the NE.