Northeast Indian Enigmas

The document argues that the conflict in Northeast India is not merely a series of ethnic disputes between the state and non-state actors, but a complex system of 'parapolitics' where state and non-state agents often collaborate in shadow economies. It examines how the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has regularized a 'state of exception', creating a zone of anomie where security forces and militant groups compete for the monopoly of violence. The author highlights the role of illicit extraction, such as timber smuggling in the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD), and the use of ceasefire agreements to legitimize insurgent 'armies' and their extortion networks.

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958 has created a permanent and lawful 'state of exception' in Northeast India, granting security forces immunity for arbitrary searches, custodial torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings, often termed 'fake encounters'.
• The conflict in the region is characterized by 'parapolitics', where the distinction between state and non-state actors blurs, and both parties engage in systematic criminal behavior, including the management of lucrative shadow economies and transnational networks.
• Ceasefire agreements, such as those signed with the NSCN (IM) in 1997 and NSCN (K) since 2001, have inadvertently reinforced the legitimacy of insurgent groups by allowing them to maintain designated camps, wear uniforms, and perform military ceremonies.
• Illicit extraction and shadow economies are central to the region's political economy; for example, in the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD), the illicit smuggling and trade of timber involves collaboration and negotiations between rebel groups, state actors, and local elites.
• Militant groups in Northeast India have consciously mirrored the structure of the Indian state's security forces, establishing their own 'armies' with hierarchical ranks including 'commander-in-chief' and 'battalions' to justify their use of violence as 'armed resistance'.
• The 'Inner Line' system, a colonial-era policing instrument used to separate hill areas from plains areas, continues to influence contemporary political movements in three Northeast Indian states as a means to secure frontier areas from intrusion and establish a distinct identity.

APA

Kolås, Å. (n.d.). Northeast Indian Enigmas. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/93994a8e-a856-4f7f-bbed-23aff9aef77a/Northeast Indian Enigmas.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Kolås, Åshild. Northeast Indian Enigmas. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/93994a8e-a856-4f7f-bbed-23aff9aef77a/Northeast Indian Enigmas.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kolås |first1=Åshild |title=Northeast Indian Enigmas |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/93994a8e-a856-4f7f-bbed-23aff9aef77a/Northeast Indian Enigmas.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kolsndnortheast, author = {Kolås, Åshild}, title = {{Northeast Indian Enigmas}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/93994a8e-a856-4f7f-bbed-23aff9aef77a/Northeast Indian Enigmas.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }