GS Paper 3Internal security and extremism in North East
Intricate inter-play of diverse factors has been the force multipliers for extremism in the North East. Discuss. Suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of extremism in this region.
Based on 18 evaluated answers to this question on CollectorBabu: here is what aspirants most often missed, the mistakes that cost marks, and a model answer.
What most aspirants missed
- External support: cross-border sanctuaries in Myanmar and Bangladesh, Chinese support to NSCN factions and ULFA(I), and Golden Triangle drug funding as force multipliers
- Economic underdevelopment and unemployment, including resource extraction without local benefit, with specific data on per capita income and HDI gaps
- Historical grievances such as the Hydari Agreement 1947 and the Shillong Accord 1975, not just a passing mention of partition
- Specific peace accords as success models: Bodo Accord 2020 and Karbi Anglong Agreement 2021, with the Naga Framework Agreement 2015 in the strategy
- Civil society role in peace-building, such as the Naga Mothers Association, and cultural identity protection in the social layer
Common mistakes
- Listing factors without showing how they interact, so the intricate interplay demanded by the question is not explained
- Strategy written as a list of committees and schemes without linking each measure to a specific cause
- Vague geography and economic claims without data, and unexplained acronyms such as AASU, BOLT or ODOP
- Weak conclusion that repeats the introduction instead of stating an integrated, cause-linked way forward
What the better answers did
- Clear categorisation of factors into historical, geographical, ethnic and economic heads, making the answer easy to scan
- Specific, correctly named policies and accords such as PM-DevINE, Bodo Accord 2020, Act East Policy and CCTNS
- Concrete examples for each point, such as the Meitei-Kuki 2023 clashes or the Assam surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy
- Strategy tied explicitly to the problems identified earlier, with security, political, economic and social layers clearly separated
Introduction
Open by stating that extremism in the North East is a self-reinforcing cycle of identity, underdevelopment and external support, which sets up the interplay the question asks you to explain.
Conclusion
End by matching each strategic layer to the specific cause it addresses, so that the multilayered strategy reads as one integrated framework rather than a list of schemes.
Model answer
Extremism in the North East is sustained not by one cause but by several factors that reinforce each other. Historical grievances, identity politics, underdevelopment and external support together create a cycle of violence, which is why a purely security-centric response has repeatedly failed.
How the factors multiply each other
- Historical grievances: the Hydari Agreement 1947 and arbitrary state formation ignored tribal identities, and the Shillong Accord 1975 was seen by several Naga groups as a betrayal, hardening separatist positions.
- Identity politics: over 220 ethnic groups compete for land, jobs and political space, producing clashes such as Naga-Kuki and Bodo-Adivasi conflicts and the Meitei-Kuki violence of 2023.
- Geography and external support: a long international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh offers sanctuaries, while the Golden Triangle drug economy and alleged Chinese support to NSCN factions supply funds and arms.
- Underdevelopment and alienation: an agriculture-dependent economy, scarce jobs, resource extraction without local benefit, and resentment over AFSPA and the Inner Line Permit keep grievances alive.
Multilayered strategy
- Security: intelligence sharing through CCTNS and NATGRID, border management with Myanmar and Bangladesh, and a calibrated review of AFSPA to reduce its grievance value.
- Political dialogue: the Bodo Accord 2020 and Karbi Anglong Agreement 2021 as models, with the Naga Framework Agreement 2015 pursued to a durable settlement.
- Economic integration: PM-DevINE and NEIDS for job creation, and the Act East Policy to turn the region into a trade corridor with South East Asia.
- Social cohesion: civil society peace-building, as with the Naga Mothers Association, cultural identity protection, and Forest Rights Act implementation to secure tribal land.
- Connectivity and governance: BharatNet and 4G for development and counter-propaganda, and funded Autonomous District Councils to give local people a stake in governance.
The answer lies in linking each layer to a specific cause: peace accords address identity grievances, economic policy addresses alienation, border and intelligence measures cut external support, and digital and local governance reinforce trust. Only such integrated action can break the cycle.
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