Influx of Bangladeshi terror groups in India's Northeast
The word "terrorism" now appears in newspaper headlines on a nearly daily basis. It's a word that covers a broad spectrum of concepts and ideas. Because of terrorism, almost every nation on this planet has suffered. India is one of them. In India, there were 1060 terrorism-related incidents in 2022, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal. The northeastern region of India, which has 99% international borders, is the region most susceptible to terrorist attacks, aside from its northernmost regions. The area is only 2% connected to the Indian subcontinent, making it more susceptible.
There are seven states in all in the region: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Mizoram. Altogether, these states are frequently referred to as the "seven states." The region makes up over 8% of India, according to the most recent census. Tibet borders Northeast India to the north, Myanmar to the east, Bangladesh to the south-west, Nepal to the west, and Bhutan to the north-west. Here in this region, cases of secessionist and pro-autonomy insurgencies, sponsored terrorism, and ethnic conflicts are all frequently encountered.
Are there any cross-border linkages?
The north-east region of India is heavily influenced by foreigners, making it difficult to understand. The insurgency groups in Northeast India have received assistance from outside forces, including state and non-state players from other nations like Bangladesh.
The insurgents have benefited from these connections' logistical, operational, training, financial, and organizational support. According to a number of reports, Bangladesh is home to bases for several of the insurgent groups active in Northeast India such as The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), and National Democratic Front of Bodoland, where several of their top leaders have long maintained operations. The statements made by Julius Dorphang, the leader of the HALC, which fought the Indian state for an independent Khasiland, further served as proof of this.
Reasons for influx of Bangladeshi terror groups in India's Northeast
The reasons for the continuous influx of terrorist groups from Bangladesh into the region of the North East are rooted in geography, history, and a variety of socioeconomic factors. Bangladesh and India have a 4095-kilometer border. According to one estimate, 30,000 people enter India illegally each year, greatly destabilizing the country's demographics. Large-scale illegal immigration occurs as a result of the border regions' dense population—roughly 700–800 people per square km on the Indian side and 1,000 people on the Bangladesh side—which makes it simpler for anyone, especially criminals, to cross into the other country. Furthermore, Indian authorities frequently have trouble distinguishing between Indians from bordering states and Bangladeshis. They generally speak Bengali or Assamese. Since they all have the same clothing and share a lot of the same cultures and traditions, it becomes challenging to identify who is a citizen of Bangladesh. And because there are a lot of jungle and riverine areas, routine patrolling becomes more challenging. There are always a few areas that go unguarded or unmanned that criminal take advantage of. Additionally, there are no identity cards in the border regions. All these factors contribute to extensive border smuggling and drug trafficking.
Both governments have frequently turned to fencing to contain these issues. The goal of fencing is to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants and criminals, among other things. However, fencing has not yet been completed due to slow progress and a number of other factors, including the acquisition of land, local opposition, flaws in the project's conception, and a lack of sincerity. The nexus between police officers, administration, and criminals is another issue. In some instances, it has been discovered that crucial documents proving the citizenship of illegal immigrants are made and given to them prior to their entry into India. This enables them to avoid detection at the border. Then, assistance is provided to these illegal immigrants to go anywhere in India. The situation worsens because there aren't enough jobs available and a significant portion of North East India isn't adequately developed. Hence, terrorist organizations find it quite simple to recruit the neo-literate youth of north-eastern India into militancy.
There is also a historical component to the infiltration of terrorist groups from Bangladesh into India. Since India's military intervention helped Bangladesh become an independent country, ties between the two countries were friendly up to Mujibur Rehman’s time in office. However, immediately after the Sheikh was murdered, forces accustomed to Pakistani thought took control, and the strategy of hosting anti-India militants on Bangladeshi soil was reintroduced. For example, the building of Mizo rebel bases in the Chittagong hill tracts. Some of these political factions in Bangladesh have frequently gained political advantage by inciting anti-Indian sentiment. Additionally, up to the current administration led by Ms. Sheikh Hasina, several Bangladeshi governments had let Pakistani intelligence agents launch their anti-Indian operations from Bangladeshi territory. The majority of the time, the government ignored ISI operations in Bangladesh. This has made it easier for the ISI to fund and supply rebel groups in the northeast by passing through Bangladesh.
Additionally, according to the Indian government, the ISI directly uses Bangladeshi soil to smuggle its agents into India across the border. The directorate general of Field Intelligence (DGFI) and other Bangladeshi authorities are also helping it with this task. According to reports, a number of terror organizations, including Al Qaeda, have a foothold in Bangladesh, our neighbour. Al Qaeda has partnered with a number of other violent extremist groups. The result of this was the founding of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islam in Bangladesh. Furthermore, these organizations maintain strong relations with terrorist organizations based in Pakistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
According to a Newsonair report, the Indian government has employed a range of strategies to combat the terrorism situation in North East India. This involves first, expediting infrastructure development; putting a focus on jobs; good governance; and decentralization; forging positive ties with neighboring nations; being willing to meet and talk about the people's valid complaints; and pledging not to tolerate violence. The Central government has further carried out its strategy by designating a number of militant organizations as unlawful associations under the UAPA of 1967. According to the most recent amendments from 2013, even when the offenses punishable under the Act are committed outside of India, a person may still be punished under the UAPA. The justification for such a clause is that a law addressing acts of terrorism expressly has to account for the possibility that those crimes may have been planned or funded outside of Indian territory. Acts committed outside of India could nonetheless imperil the country's unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty, which is what qualifies as a terrorist act under section 15's criteria.
Additionally, some regions of the North East have been designated as disturbed areas under the AFSPA of 1958 in order to more effectively address the issues and maintain law and order. In addition to granting immunity from arrest and punishment to the security forces in the event that they kill someone, the AFSPA gives security personnel the authority to conduct operations and make arrests without a prior warrant. The Union Home Minister announced in March 2022 the areas that will be subject to the AFSPA. Arunachal Pradesh's three districts, 13 districts of Nagaland, 16 districts of Manipur, and nine districts of Assam would all continue to have full enforcement of the AFSPA, according to the announcement. In order to further support the state police forces, the Central Government has also sent Central Police Forces to North East India.
However, as stated in the 7th report of the ARC, considerably more reliance on the local police is required than has been the case thus far, even in dealing with the strictly "law and order components" of insurgency and violence in the region. Even while the deployment of the Union's armed forces may be necessary, there is a compelling case for limiting their use to tactical operations in a region where alienation is still pervasive. The "non-police components" of government and civil society organizations also need to be used more effectively than they have in the past to handle conflicts.
Additionally, strengthening the rule of law, constitutional politics, and the legitimacy of democratically elected state and local governments are all necessary on a political level. According to ARC, this would meet the demand for integrating democratic principles and accountability into the North East's dispute resolution system. Additionally, it would include giving the regional legislatures, state government, and elected municipal governments a bigger role.
Pic Courtsey-Salman Preeom Mehmod at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
