Northeast India, known for its vibrant communities, rich traditions, and breathtaking landscapes, is increasingly at risk of becoming the epicenter of a conflict that could destabilize the entire nation.
As the rest of the world grapples with geopolitical unrest, this vibrant region, nestled against some of the most sensitive international borders, could become a focal point of larger strategic struggles.
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The region’s eight states share critical and porous borders: Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland with Myanmar; Arunachal Pradesh with China and Bhutan; Assam with Bhutan and Bangladesh; Tripura and Meghalaya with Bangladesh; and Sikkim with China, Bhutan, and Nepal. Mizoram also shares a border with Bangladesh.
The porous borders of Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland have made these states key transit routes for drug smuggling operations, linking Myanmar’s infamous Golden Triangle to the rest of India and beyond.
Netizens are well aware that heroin and methamphetamines, originating from Myanmar’s poppy fields, are smuggled through border towns like Moreh in Manipur before making their way into cities across mainland India.
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Numerous seizures have revealed both refined and unrefined narcotics, some valued as high as Rs 400 crore, which highlights the alarming scale of the trade.
Do these recurring incidents suggest a troubling pattern, a relentless external push that could threaten to destabilize not just the border states but national security as a whole?
Manipur is increasingly turning into a transit hub, or conduit, for the trafficking of drugs and arms.
Meanwhile, Mizoram too has witnessed a surge in drug and arms smuggling in the last few years.
Recognizing the gravity of the crisis, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on May 1 reiterated his government’s firm resolve to confront the growing threat of narcotics infiltration, especially from neighboring Myanmar.
Are we doing enough to prevent this silent invasion that not only jeopardizes the health of our youth but also threatens to corrode our internal security?
History offers a haunting parallel. The Opium Wars between Britain and China (1839–1842 and 1856–1860) in the 19th century not only weakened China’s sovereignty but also resulted in the imposition of the Treaty of Tientsin and the Convention of Peking, which expanded foreign concessions. These wars were not merely about opium but about forcibly opening Eastern markets under the guise of “Free Trade,” crippling China’s economy and devastating its society.
Fast forward nearly two centuries, and the parallels are uncanny. Can we afford to ignore the eerie parallels today, especially when drug networks have the potential to destabilize entire societies?
Today, the Northeastern states of India face a similar threat. The unchecked movement of drugs through this region risks not only damaging our youth but also weakening national security from within. Given that the Indo-Myanmar border stretches 1,643 kilometers (1,021 miles), running from the tripoint with China in the north to the tripoint with Bangladesh in the south, urgent action is needed.
Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus had invited China to expand its influence in India’s northeastern states during a high-level meeting on his 4-day visit to China on April 1, which is quite concerning
Yunus urged Beijing to establish an economic foothold in Bangladesh by leveraging its strategic position as the “only guardian of the ocean” for the “landlocked” northeastern region of India.
This triggered security concerns in New Delhi over the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck.”
Soon after, on April 9, India revoked its transshipment agreement with Bangladesh, blocking Bangladeshi goods from reaching third countries via Indian ports, airports, and land customs stations.
On the other hand, the interconnectedness of global instability cannot be ignored. The unrest sweeping various parts of the world could easily spill into India. The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, starkly reminds us that destabilization efforts are ongoing and demand a forceful response.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, former Bangladesh Rifles chief LM Fazlur Rahman, reportedly close to Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, suggested on May 2 that Bangladesh should invade India’s northeastern states if New Delhi retaliates against Pakistan.
These remarks become even more pressing to evaluate our border security strategy.
The Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh borders, while conduits for trade and cultural exchange, must also be fortified against exploitation.
Shouldn’t comprehensive fencing along these borders, especially the unfenced stretches with Myanmar, be a national priority?
We must also consider the broader picture: the proxy wars for control over resources, civil unrest in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Yemen, Sudan, and Syria, and how similar conflicts have impacted neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar. Tripura has felt the effects of Bangladesh’s internal struggles, just as Manipur reels under the consequences of Myanmar’s civil war.
The situation in Manipur is another sobering reminder of how international instability, such as the civil war in Myanmar, can worsen internal challenges, leading to over 260 deaths and the displacement of more than 60,000 people.
The porous Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh borders have facilitated the influx of terrorists and refugees, worsening tensions.
Given these realities, it is clear that drug lords are not simply peddling narcotics; they are aiding a larger agenda to undermine India by targeting its youth.
Could India’s Northeast, if left unguarded, become an inadvertent theatre in such a global struggle?
At the same time, it is reassuring to see the proactive steps being taken. Several northeastern states have initiated measures to identify illegal infiltrators, while the central government continues to review policies like the Free Movement Regime.
Northeast India is not just a frontier, it is a vital artery for the nation’s stability and future.
Northeast people are not just citizens, they are sentinels. Let us ask ourselves: how can we best empower this region with development, security, and dignity? How can we ensure that these states remain bastions of strength and not battlefields of neglect?