Understanding Conflict and Peace: The North Eastern Experience

In today’s world the meaning and significance of peace have been distorted by various forms of conflicts and so it becomes difficult for everyone to understand the real and undistorted picture of peace. It is obvious that in order to understand peace any observer or interpreter has to incorporate conflict into his/her study. Because both the terms are so interconnected that a study without the other is meaningless. Often defined as absence of hostilities or conflict, peace in contemporary world plays a crucial role in not only political terms but also social and economic terms. The global peace scenario is often affected by various terrorist activities, military operations in the name of crushing terrorists around the world, various separatist demands within the boundaries of nation states, clashes between different nations regarding boundaries, and the list goes without ending. Certain problems have also affected the peace situation of India. Whether it is boundary problem with China or the separatist demands of different anti-state actors, whether it is communal riots occur frequently in different places or various social movements, India witnesses a long history of socio-economic and political unrest in the post-independence era. The North-East India is the most conflict prone area of India. Peace situation often challenged by different separatist groups viz. ULFA, NDFB, NSCN(I-M), Tripura National Volunteers, Mizo National Front, etc. and thus making NE the area of insurgency and counter-insurgency. The causes may be summarized as relative deprivation, legal and illegal migration, cultural nationalism and so on. Various peace accords and ceasefire agreements have been took place till date, yet a unanimous solution is still a far cry for the people of this region.
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by
Sasanka Dhaval Saikia
j.d.s.g. college, bokakhat