Sino-India's Relation: Impact on North Eastern India (1947 to 2011)
- Part 2 -

Sanabam Gunajit Mangang *

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF NORTH EASTERN INDIA: MANIPUR

The term North Eastern India evolved from the political administrative convenience during the British time as the Assam was rule under the Bengal Province and other area through 'Political Agent' to the strategic region in time of India's independent and aftermath of 1962 War. Later on slowly it emerge as a region on the basis of economic in late 80s categorizing the entire region as 'Special Category' then recently it emerge as an ethnic and race base region which is completely different from the rest of India .

The history of the NEIa until independence in 1947 is a history of the expansion of British rule and of social, economic, and political changes in the region . The regional composition of the North East at the time of independence consisted of the Assam plains of the old Assam Province, the hill districts, the North Eastern Frontier Tracts (NEFT) of the North Eastern borderland, and the princely states of Manipur and Tripura. The region being categorize as tribal area and Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution was in practice for the administration of tribal areas in the NEI which were divided into two parts (A and B).

Part A covers tribal/hill areas of Assam pre disintegration and Part B mainly consist of Arunachal pre formation and few upper Assam area . As for the princely state of Manipur in time of India's independent and formation of Union of India it was separate entity having own constitution and people elected government king as a head of the state.

Sardar Vallabhai Patel prior to independence invited the Princely States to accede to the Dominion of India on three subjects namely defense, external affairs and communications only this prove to be deceive on the later coming phase. And by the 'Stand Still Agreement' and 'Instrument of Accession' 11/08/1947 ceded some areas like defense, external affairs, currency, and communications and accepted to be part of Indian Union in this way Manipur became a part of India but this was not rectify by any parliamentary act of Britain .

The 'Stand Still Agreement' kept on hold any agreement to be rectified by the parties along with the British Parliament beside this some of the scholar claim that it is qualm on the authenticity of the document for it was never been public and only the reason might be Mountbatten had not sign it for the British parliament had stop him from any of such.

The history of NEI incorporation to the India union varies from state to state, as for Assam it separated from the Bengal Province and became one of state of Indian union, then curve out several states from it to be include to the union as a state of federal India and in case of Tripura, Manipur and several excluded area treaty by treaty or instrument wise it was incorporated to the newly form Union. Later on NEI which comprises of seven states became eight states region with the inclusion of Sikkim and if look from the perspective of race it even cover the North Bengal areas inclusive of Cooch Bihar.

In 1947 Standstill Agreement was sign between Mountbatten and Manipur King and passed 'The Manipur Constitution Act' 1947 leading to the establishment of 'Constitutional Monarchy State'. By 1948 Manipur was rule by an elected government with King as a Head of State. The independent and separate entity Manipur was too engulfing in communist movement under the Hijam Irabot as a response to the India step of creation of Purbanchal State .

So the proposal remains only in paper and by Merger Agreement Manipur was merged to the Union of India in 1949 without people's knowledge and the consent of people elected representatives. U Nu of Myanmar met Nehru and sign India Myanmar 5 year Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1954 and there was a belief without reliable sources that during this meeting Nehru permanently gave Kabaw Valley to Myanmar and discontinued the payment that Myanmar made to Manipur for the use of Kabaw Valley .

With an apprehension that Manipur will boil sooner or later the Armed Forces (Manipur/Assam) Special Power Act 1958 along with Disturb Area Declaration was pass at parliament and imposed at the state in which during this time there was not a single of armed related violence or insurgency. The state got its full-fledged statehood status of India union in 1972 with ardent effort and tireless struggle by the people for equal footing with the rest of India.

The area of state was 22347 sq km since independent and the 1967 'Boundary Agreement' between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Union of Burma' the area was 22356 later on from 1981 onward the territory has sink to 22327 . Where does the 30 km gone so far no record had been maintain either at state level or central level.

The uniqueness of North Eastern India and its importance for governance as a region was realize by the centre after 24 years and thus establish North Eastern Council (NEC) in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the eight states. Further 'The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd' (NEDFi) was incorporated on August 9, 1995 and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was set up in September 2001 as to uplift the region respectively . The infrastructure position of the region was on pathetic condition and the discovery of the market potential and gateway of Southeast Asian nation help the realization of the government for the region.

IMPACT TO NORTH EASTERN INDIA: MANIPUR

The impact of Sino-India's relation to the North Eastern India came visible after Irabot call a public meeting on the question of Purbanchal in which the government of Manipur reacted compelling him to go for underground. He went to Myanmar and able to negotiate for the cessation of Kabaw valley and Ugoching to Manipur with the United Front (Myanmar Communist Party, Communist Party of Myanmar and People's Comrade Party) of Myanmar .

And work for the formation of communist ideologue front after liberating Indo-Burman region by collaborating with the Burma/Myanmar three communist insurgent. The movement died soon after the untimely dead of Irabot yet many offshoots will found in later period in form of social organization and armed band . As in 1953 Manipur National Union, Meitei State Committee, etc struggle for the independence of Manipur democratically and the government reacted with strong hand by passing 'The Armed Forces (Assam-Manipur) Special Power Act 1958'. The failure of democratic movement of Meitei State Committee compels them to take up arms in 1963 and form UNLF in 1964 followed by Revolutionary Government of Manipur. In 1977-78 RGM (Revolutionary Government of Manipur) split and form PREPAK (People's Republic of Kangleipak) and PLA (People Liberation Army- Eastern Region) .

The impacts to the region had been visible before the outbreak of 1962 War and rooted to the world views of the India's so called political leaders as Sadar Balabhai Patel said "China is no longer divided. It is united and strong. All along Himalayas in the north and northeast, we have on our frontier, a population ethnologically and culturally not different from Tibetans and Mongoloids. The undefined states of the frontier and existence on our side of a populations with its affinities to Tibet or Chinese have all the elements of potential trouble between China and ourselves."

This pre-conceived notion compel India to incorporate Manipur Knowingly the ruler as well as the people will oppose to it and will also sows the seed for the future unrest in the region. During the war too when people ask for protection Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 replied through All India Radio broadcasting by saying "We lost Bomdila, a small town in Kameng Division.....my heart goes out to the people of Assam" leaving the people to their own fate. This act of the government gave a blow to the people of Manipur even though Sino-India war was not reach to Manipur in future there is liability of sacrificing the people of region if something goes wrong with neighbour. Manipur lost of Kabaw Valley add oil to the fire and gave a jolt mainly educated youth and felt for the need of self rule.

After 1962 the situation at NEI has become worse for, disrespect of National Anthem, anti Sanskritisation movement, strengthening 'Pan Mongoloid Movement' and aspiration for self determination roses which followed by complete ban of any Hindi related on September 2000. Educated youth began to think of external assistant for realization of its objective of self determination and options available are USA or China and younger generation opted for China.

Sixteen Meitei Youth left Imphal for Lhasa on 14th June 1975 under the banner of Consolidation Committee of Manipur (COSCOM) and were welcome and received by Chairman Local Committee of the Communist Party of China Tibet Province and after returning to Imphal in 1978 and founded People Liberation Army (Eastern Region) . The founding of Kangleipak Communist Party in 1980s at the soil of Manipur shows the sphere and level of China's communist ideologue influence to the region.

The All Manipur Student Union an apex body of students of Manipur emerge to fight the food scarcity later on their main struggle were diverted towards the foreigner (Nepali and rest of Mainland Indian) issue. The AMSU became main sources of ideological, logistic and backbone for armed propaganda of Manipur. In 1986 Naga Socialist Council of Nagalim broke up into two NSCN (K) and NSCN (IM) in which IM group main operation was at Manipur and it became a Manipur base Naga insurgent. From 1997 onwards more armed militant group ( Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, Kuki National Front, Kuki National Army, etc.) was form.

On the other hand several counter insurgency operations were launched by the Indian Security Forces namely Operation Hifajat I, Operation Hifajat II, Operation Blue Bird, Operation Sunny vale, Operation All Clear, Operation Summer Storm, etc. It even collaborated with some of the ethnic base armed militant like HPC (D) and launched Operation Dragnet, Operation Somtal against the UNLF and others valley base or Self Determination seeking insurgent groups. 2008 Operation Canyon UNLF fire 4000 (appt) 60mm mortar and M 79 Lethod to security forces and UKLF. April 2004 battle of Sajik Tampak a brigade strength 44 Mountain brigade fight the battle use artillery helicopter gunship lasted for several day. April 2009 first ever high profiles counter insurgency operation use UAV killed 12 Cadres of PREPAK lasted for 10 days .

This was not the end limit of counter insurgency by Indian Security agency it even either sponsors or provides training as well as weapon and safe heaven to ethnic militants of some Manipuri Muslim, Kuki, Hmar, Paite . All this trend has been assume by many scholars as a domestic implication yet over here a missing corner is the China factors. Had not there the success of Chinese communism and its helping hand to some of the Manipuri self determination struggle groups and its bitter relation with India the situation of Manipur would not be this much worst.

To be continued...

This paper was presented at International Seminar on: Analyzing the rise of India and China Domestic, Regional and Global implication" organised by Warsaw University and Institute of foreign Policy Studies

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