India’s north-east is where south and south-east Asia meet .

1The northeast states of India have been

seen as underdeveloped and neglected due to slow growth rate , lack of proper infastructure ,low per
capita income , non-availability of trained manpower .The insurgency factor has come up as a threat to
India’s national security. Around 98% of the borders of the northeastern region are with other countries,
namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. Many ethnic groups in the region especially in the
areas bordering the international boundaries have more in common with the population living across the
boundary than with their own nationals. Serious ramifications have resulted from the affinity that groups
have with their kin groups across borders and the sense of support (material and non-material) that they
receive from them. Politically divided groups have demanded that international borders be redrawn and
that states within the Indian Union be reorganized due to the socioeconomic continuities that transcend
national borders. India's Northeast area is significant strategically. It has close to 5,200 km of external
borders, some of which are still unsettled.2 There are a number of demands of different factions in
northeast India some favour a separate state while others seek regional autonomy, some groups demand
complete independence, others wanted religious law. As per reports of Union Home Ministry,
Government of India the militant activity in the Northeast is on the decline, with Tripura and Mizoram
emerging as the most peaceful states in the region.3

INSURGENCY IN KASHMIR

The issue of Kashmir insurgency came into light in 1989 following the kidnapping of Dr. Rubiya Sayeed,
daughter of the Indian Minister of Home Affairs which led to the emergence of numerous militant
groups opposing Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite efforts by the Indian government to
suppress the insurgency, it persisted, leading to widespread violence and displacement, particularly
affecting the Kashmiri Pandits, a Hindu community. Two of the three wars between India and Pakistan
have been fought over Kashmir, reflecting Pakistan's claim on the region due to its Muslim-majority
population. The insurgency in Kashmir is attributed to a combination of factors, including political
mobilization, institutional decay, and regional security dynamics. Political Quiescence: The Kashmiri
population, while discontented, was politically quiescent. The dominant political party, the Jammu and
Kashmir National Conference, led by Sheikh Abdullah, did not advocate for secession from India. As long
as secession wasn't proposed, the Indian government allowed the party considerable freedom, despite
electoral malfeasance. Kashmiris lacked political sophistication due to low literacy rates, education levels,
and exposure to mass media. This limited their ability to organize and challenge the existing political
order effectively.Over the subsequent two decades, significant changes occurred in both India and
Kashmir, leading to heightened political mobilization.India experienced early and robust political
mobilization during its independence movement. Post-independence, the country continued to expand
political participation, literacy, and media exposure, contributing to growing demands for political rights
1
C. Joshua Thomas, “Revitalising BIMSTEC through Cultural Connectivity from Northeast India,” ORF Issue Brief
No. 405, October 2020, Observer Research Foundation
2
Datta, S. (2000, November). Security of India’s northeast: External linkages. Strategic Analysis, 24(8), 1495–1516.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09700160008455301
3
T. (2018, February 19). Northeast militancy on decline, Tripura and Mizoram most peaceful. The Times of India.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/northeast-militancy-on-decline-tripura-and-mizoram-most-
peaceful/articleshow/62978909.cms
and autonomy. Successive Indian leaders, particularly Indira Gandhi and her successors4, centralized
power and resorted to coercive tactics to address challenges to central authority. This approach
exacerbated tensions and contributed to political instability.

In Kashmir, a combination of institutional decay and accelerated political mobilization led to extreme
political instability. The failure to address institutional weaknesses and the rapid pace of political
mobilization created a volatile situation, culminating in the eruption of insurgency in 1989.

4
India's three other prime ministers between Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi served such short terms in office that they
had limited impact, if any, on institution-building. Lal Bahadur Shastri, who succeeded Nehru, was in office for a
little more than a year. Morarji Desai became the head of a coalition government, lasting less than two years, after
Indira Gandhi's electoral defeat in 1977. Chaudhuri Charan Singh served as the interim prime minister for a month,
until 1980, when Indira Gandhi returned to power.