Posted on 08/07/2005 4:14:58 AM PDT by Our_Man_In_Gough_Island
The Indian military has begun airlifting essential goods to the north-eastern state of Manipur. Organisations representing Naga tribesmen have been blockading a national highway for more than two weeks now.
They are demanding that some parts of Manipur be integrated into the neighbouring state of Nagaland.
The federal government has rejected the idea saying it is opposed by Manipur's political parties.
Last weekend local police tried to break the blockade by force, but the Nagas responded by burning down government buildings in four districts of Manipur where they are in a majority.
Limited space
Loaded with essential commodities like medicines and foodstuff, at least four military cargo aircrafts started flying regular sorties into Imphal, the capital of Manipur.
Military officials say there is not enough space for landing the four aircraft simultaneously at Imphal airport, so only two aircraft were landing at any one time.
They say the aircraft are each carrying 10 tons of life saving drugs and other essential commodities which are urgently needed in the state.
The cost of transporting the goods will be borne by the Indian home ministry, a senior official in the Manipur government said.
Troops of India's Madras Regiment are camping inside the Imphal airport complex to offload the supplies and take them to secure areas.
Meanwhile, the government of Manipur is upgrading the bridges on another highway that connects the state with Assam.
Once that happens, all heavy trucks headed for Manipur will be able to use that highway rather than the one that passes through Nagaland and Naga-areas of northern Manipur.
Retaliation
Naga organisations set up roadblocks all along the highway that goes into Manipur from Nagaland, a road that formed the backbone of Allied defences against the Japanese drive into India during the World War II.
The blockade has now gone on for 15 days.
The Nagas in Manipur demand that four districts, mostly inhabited by people of the Naga tribes, should be integrated with the neighbouring state of Nagaland, a demand put across by the Naga rebel group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland ( NSCN).
The NSCN has threatened to call off negotiations with the Indian government unless Delhi concedes this demand. But the Indian government says all political parties in Manipur are opposed to parcelling off their territories to Nagaland.
The state witnessed massive violence and arson four years ago when angry Manipuris took to the streets to protest against an extension of the ceasefire between the NSCN and Indian government to the state of Manipur.
re-supplying, but I bet its not the public
Here is a link to a prior legacy post on events leading up to this situation:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1440587/posts
I detect the stench of Muslims.
Perhaps, could it be China that are funding these separatists, in the eyes of Indians?
China has always had a hand in this area. They are currently still holding territory that they seized in an early 1960's invasion of the Indian border and are trying to resolve the boundary there with India now.
In which case you'd be wrong. A lot of the tribal groups in that corner of India are Christians, actually. There's one terrorist group there that has some controversial funding links with American Baptists.
Could be, but these days I react to my Musar.
Unfortunately the terrorists happen to be Christians (in name at least).
Yup I heard that story too. I am skeptical about the "links" with American baptists. In fact I would think that is a fabrication. Either way - a terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist. You cant kill people and get away.
"They are currently still holding territory that they seized in an early 1960's invasion of the Indian border and are trying to resolve the boundary there with India now."
The region that is disputed is Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim (both of which are currently held by India). The Indian territory occupied by China is in Aksai Chin near Ladak (in Jammu and Kashmir) state. China has no claim on Manipur, Nagaland or Assam.
The NSCN terrorists groups operating in Nagaland are majority Christian groups. It is alleged that the NSCN terroists are funded by certain overseas Christian organisations and many missionary organisations are said to openly promote/support/encourage anti-India activities. Most of the NSCN terrorists bases are in Burma and some are based in Bangladesh, Thailand a China.
You are correct that a high percentage of the Nagaland tribesmen are Christisan ( and also animist). However, a group of rebels, including Muslims, are working together in co-ordination now on the northeast frontier. If I could ask one question on this thread it would be : who is doing the co-ordinating?
"A map, posted earlier on this thread, identifies the northeast frontier territory as " disputed" between China and India, and the two countries are at present trying at high level to resolve this dispute in at least defense ministry to defense ministry negotiations."
The NorthEastern region is a big region and the entire region isnt disputed. The NE comprises of the following states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya.
Of these states only Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim shares a border with China. China claims these two states as Chinese territory since China refuses to recognise the the validity of McMahon line as agreed between British India and Tibet.
Although as much as recently there has been indications that China has unofficially accepted Sikkim (and perhaps Arunachal Pradesh) as part of India.
"However, a group of rebels, including Muslims, are working together in co-ordination now on the northeast frontier. If I could ask one question on this thread it would be : who is doing the co-ordinating?"
The percentage of Muslims in NE is insignificant when compared to the rest of India. Unlike the ULFA(which is dying) the NSCN is strong, well funded and highly organised. The NSCN enjoys complete control over the densely forested regions of Northan Burma. Their leaders Issac-Muivah are based in Thailand from where they control/coordinate the operations. The NSCN rebels are so powerful that the Burmese army is finding it difficult to take them on and as a result have asked for help from the Indian Army.
The Nagaland region had been waging war ever since British raj. The British Indian army found it extremely difficult to even enter the region. They British Indian army practised "punitive military action" which means the British Indian army would burn any village (with all its inhabitants) if it offered any resistance. Independent India stopped the practice but the Indian Army had to wage a long and arduous battle involving staggering amount of casualties to establish some amount of order in the region.
And yet it has been extremely difficult for India to find a political solution to the Naga problem. India has been engaging in a dialog with various Naga groups. The various factions within NSCN does speak in one voice. In fact there is a clear divide between the NSCN(IN)and the NSCN-(Khaplang). Moreover there are a large number of Manipuris in areas which NSCN wants to have as part of greater Nagaland. A large number of Manipuris population see themselves in the danger of being at the mercy of the dreaded NSCN. There has been brutal ethnic clensing between the the Kukis ans Meitais in the past. The problem has been complicated by the involvement of foreign Christian missionaries who have added a communal dimensional to an otherwise ethnic problem. And it has also been further complicated by the involvement of China and the Pakistani ISI whose aim would be to destabilise the entire region, bleed the Indian Army, suffocate the economy of the area so that the NE becomes India's biggest weak point.
"There are a couple points: first you state the number of Muslims in the NE is insignificant and then you say Pakistan is involved, so that seems like a contradiction."
Well firstly, Muslims form a miniscule percentage of Naga population. The Naga population comprises of mostly Animists or Christians. It is difficult to tell just how many Muslims (if at all there are any) are part of the NSCN. In anycase the NSCN has no ideological or political affinity with the pan-Islamic jihadi terrorism although there may well be a nexus involving arms supply and drug trafficking. For all we know most terrorists groups are linked to one another irrespective of the ideological or political goal.
As for Pakistani involvement/nexus with the NSCN, I dont suppose there are any Pakistani national in the NSCN. The Pakistani ISI involvement has mostly to do with supplying these groups with funds, weaponry, training and sharing intelligence. In other words the NSCN decides its own agenda which has nothing to do with the ideological goals of Islamic Jihad but the Pakistani ISI and their terrorist infrastructure and the various Pakistani terror groups happen to be their allies. This alliance has more to do with tactical convenience rather than ideological affinity that you would see among the Islamic groups.
"In addition, the NE is a " gateway" to India as a whole, and if that area should come under the control of some other power than India, the military effect of the Indian nation is largely neutralized. We saw that in WWII, for example, when the NE was the place where the British " drew the line" and opposed further Japanese ground advance. So while remote and complex, the NE is definitely a place to watch."
There is no way India will let go of any part of its territory. No political party in India can even dream of such a step and survive another day. Should Nagaland secede from India, not just the "military effect" would neutralize but also the very existence of India would severly come under threat. It would set off a precedent for every other seperatists to demand their seperate homeland based on ethnic, linguistic, political or religious lines. Considering the ethnic, linguistic or religious diversity India enjoys, it would become a nightmare involving at least a 100 Bosnia like situation. India would draw a line well before it comes anywhere near secession.
For India the political objectives of a dialog with the NSCN rebels is more on the lines of power sharing and more economic and developmental aid packages for the NE as against downright self-determination which rarely achieves anything except for the usual bloodbath as has been the experiance in the history of the subcontinent.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.