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The northeastern region of India has witnessed several armed movements that have sought to achieve a variety of political goals ranging from secession to limited autonomy for specific ethnic groups. In seeking to limit the violence perpetrated in the course of these contemporary subnational insurgencies, a multilayered approach has been developed by the Government of India (GoI) and, more specifically, by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in coordination with the provincial (or state) governments. The range of de-escalation mechanisms range from ceasefire agreements to the more contemporary Suspension of Operations (SoO) frameworks as well as “Surrender and Rehabilitation” packages for individual members of armed groups. In certain cases, autonomous tribal governance institutions have been created within the federal structure in the backdrop of ceasefire and SoO agreements. The overall consequence of these strategies has been a measureable reduction of direct violence between the security forces and armed opposition groups. Conversely, there have been several occurrences of ethnic clashes (sometimes involving former belligerents) that have led to large-scale loss of life and forced internal displacement in the region. Furthermore, the absence of violence has not necessarily led to development. Rather, we see a situation of peace without peace dividends.
Samrat Sinha (Fri,) studied this question.