Northeast India

Northeast India, officially theNorth Eastern Region(NER), is the easternmost region ofIndiarepresenting both a geographic and politicaladministrative divisionof the country.It comprises eightstates—Arunachal Pradesh,Assam,Manipur,Meghalaya,Mizoram,NagalandandTripura(commonly known as the"Seven Sisters"), and the "brother" state ofSikkim.
The region shares an international border of 5,182 kilometres (3,220 mi) (about 99 per cent of its total geographical boundary) with several neighbouring countries – 1,395 kilometres (867 mi) withChinain the north, 1,640 kilometres (1,020 mi) withMyanmarin the east, 1,596 kilometres (992 mi) withBangladeshin the south-west, 97 kilometres (60 mi) withNepalin the west, and 455 kilometres (283 mi) withBhutanin the north-west.It comprises an area of 262,184 square kilometres (101,230 sq mi), almost 8 per cent of that of India. TheSiliguri Corridorconnects the region to therest of mainland India.
The states of North Eastern Region are officially recognised under theNorth Eastern Council(NEC),constituted in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the north eastern states. Long after induction of NEC, Sikkim formed part of the North Eastern Region as the eighth state in 2002.India's Look-East connectivity projectsconnect Northeast India to East Asia andASEAN. The city ofGuwahatiin Assam is referred to as the "Gateway to the Northeast" and is the largest metropolis in Northeast India.
The earliest settlers may have beenAustroasiaticspeakers fromSoutheast Asia, followed byTibeto-Burmanspeakers from China, and by 500 BCEIndo-Aryanspeakers from theGangetic Plainsas well asKra–Daispeakers from southernYunnanandShan State.Due to the biodiversity and crop diversity of the region,archaeologicalresearchers believe that early settlers of Northeast India had domesticated several important plants.Historians believe that the 100 BCE writings of Chinese explorerZhang Qianindicate an early trade route via Northeast India.ThePeriplus of the Erythraean Seamentions a people called Sêsatai in the region,who producedmalabathron(cinnamon-like aromatic leaves, dried and used as a flavouring agent), so prized in the old world.Ptolemy'sGeographia(2nd century CE) calls the regionKirrhadia, apparently after theKiratapopulation.
In the early historical period (most of the first millennium CE),Kamarupastraddled most of present-day Northeast India.Xuanzang, a travelling Chinese Buddhist monk, visited Kamarupa in the 7th century CE. He described the people as "short in stature and black-looking", whose speech differed a little frommid-Indiaand who were of simple but violent disposition. He wrote that the people in Kamarupa knew ofSichuan, which lay to the kingdom's east beyond a treacherous mountain.
The northeastern states were established during theBritish Rajof the 19th and early 20th centuries, when they became relatively isolated from traditional trading partners such asBhutanandMyanmar.Many of the peoples in present-day Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland converted to Christianity under the influence of British (Welsh) missionaries.
Since theMoamoria disturbances, theAhom dynastywas on the decline. TheBritishappeared on the scene in the guise of saviours.In the early 19th century, both theAhomand theManipurkingdoms fell to aBurmese invasion.The ensuingFirst Anglo-Burmese Warresulted in the entire region coming under British control. In the colonial period (1826–1947), North East India was made a part ofBengal Provincefrom 1839 to 1873, after whichColonial Assambecame its ownprovince,but which includedSylhet.
AfterIndian IndependencefromBritish Rulein 1947, the Northeastern region ofBritish Indiaconsisted ofAssamand theprincely statesofTripura KingdomandManipur Kingdom. Subsequently, Manipur and Tripura were madeUnion Territories of Indiain 1956 and in 1972 attained fully-fledged statehood. Later,Nagalandattained statehood in 1963,Meghalayain 1972.Arunachal PradeshandMizorambecame full-fledged states on 20 February 1987, being carved out of the large territory of Assam.Sikkimwas integrated as the eighthNorth Eastern Councilstate in 2002.
The city ofShillongserved as the capital of the Assam province created during British Rule. It remained the capital of undivided Assam until the formation of the state of Meghalaya in 1972.The capital of Assam was shifted toDispur, a part ofGuwahati, and Shillong was designated as the capital of Meghalaya.
Initially, the Japanese had invaded British territories in Southeast Asia, including Burma (now Myanmar), with the intention of creating a fortified perimeter around Japan. The British had neglected the defence of Burma, and by early 1942, the Japanese had capturedRangoonand pushed Allied forces back towards India through a gruelling retreat.
In response to the Japanese advance, the British formed the South East Asia Command (SEAC) under Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten in November 1943. This command brought new energy to the war effort in the region and emphasised the importance of standing firm and fighting on despite logistical challenges, such as during the monsoon season.
The Japanese launched an offensive in March 1944 aimed at capturing Imphal and Kohima, key locations in northeast India. Capturing these areas would have allowed the Japanese to disrupt Allied supply lines to China and launch air attacks against India.
However, the Allied forces, under the leadership of Field Marshal William Slim, held firm. They adopted aggressive tactics, including the creation of defensive "boxes" and the use of jungle warfare techniques. Despite being surrounded, the defenders at Kohima held out against intense Japanese attacks until reinforcements arrived.
The battles of Imphal and Kohima resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese. They suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat, marking a turning point in the Burma Campaign. The Allied victory paved the way for subsequent offensives to clear Japanese forces from Burma and ultimately led to the re-conquest of the region.
Arunachal Pradesh, a state in the Northeastern tip of India, is claimed by China asSouth Tibet.Sino-Indian relationsdegraded, resulting in theSino-Indian Warof 1962. The cause of the escalation into war is still disputed by both Chinese and Indian sources. During the war in 1962, thePRC(China) captured much of the NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) created by India in 1954. But on 21 November 1962, China declared a unilateral ceasefire, and withdrew its troops 20 kilometres (12 mi) behind theMcMahon Line. China returned Indianprisoners of warin 1963.
TheSeven Sister Statesis a popular term for the contiguousstatesofArunachal Pradesh,Assam,Meghalaya,Manipur,Mizoram,NagalandandTripuraprior to inclusion of the state ofSikkiminto the North Eastern Region of India. Thesobriquet'Land of the Seven Sisters' was coined to coincide with the inauguration of the new states in January 1972 by Jyoti Prasad Saikia,a journalist in Tripura, in the course of a radio talk show. He later compiled a book on the interdependence and commonness of the Seven Sister States. It has been primarily because of this publication that the nickname has caught on.
The Northeast region can bephysiographicallycategorised into theEastern Himalaya, thePatkaiand theBrahmaputraand theBarakvalley plains. Northeast India (at the confluence of Indo-Malayan, Indo-Chinese, and Indian biogeographical realms) has a predominantly humid sub-tropical climate with hot, humid summers, severe monsoons, and mild winters. Along with the west coast of India, this region has some of the Indian subcontinent's last remaining rainforests, which support diverse flora and fauna and several crop species. Reserves of petroleum and natural gas in the region are estimated to constitute a fifth of India's total potential.
The region is covered by the mighty Brahmaputra-Barak river systems and their tributaries. Geographically, apart from theBrahmaputra,BarakandImphalvalleys and some flatlands in between the hills ofMeghalayaandTripura, the remaining two-thirds of the area is hilly terrain interspersed with valleys and plains; the altitude varies from almost sea-level to over 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) aboveMSL. The region's high rainfall, averaging around 10,000 millimetres (390 in) and above creates problems of the ecosystem, high seismic activity, and floods. The states ofArunachal PradeshandSikkimhave amontaneclimate with cold, snowy winters and mild summers.
Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain peak in the world rising to an altitude of 8,586 m (28,169 ft), lies in-between the stateSikkimand adjacent countryNepal.
Tributaries of theBrahmaputra Riverin Northeast India:
Northeast India has asubtropical climatethat is influenced by its relief and influences from the southwest and northeastmonsoons.The Himalayas to the north, the Meghalaya plateau to the south and the hills of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur to the east influences the climate.Since monsoon winds originating from theBay of Bengalmove northeast, these mountains force the moist winds upwards, causing them to cooladiabaticallyand condense into clouds, releasing heavy precipitation on these slopes.It is the rainiest region in the country, with many places receiving an average annual precipitation of 2,000 mm (79 in), which is mostly concentrated in summer during themonsoon season.Cherrapunji, located on the Meghalaya plateau is one of the rainiest place in the world with an annual precipitation of 11,777 mm (463.7 in).Temperatures are moderate in theBrahmaputraandBarak valley riverplains which decreases with altitude in the hilly areas.At the highest altitudes, there is permanent snow cover.In general, the region has 3 seasons: Winter, Summer, and rainy season in which the rainy season coincides with the summer months much like the rest of India.Winter is from early November until mid March while summer is from mid-April to mid-October.
Under theKöppen climate classification, the region is divided into 3 broad types: A (tropical climates), C (warm temperate mesothermal climates), and D (snow microthermal climates).The tropical climates are located in parts of Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, and the Cachar plains south of 25oN and are classified astropical wet and dry(Aw).Much of Assam, Nagaland, northern parts of Meghalaya and Manipur and parts of Arunachal Pradesh fall within the warm temperature mesothermal climates (type C) where the mean temperatures in coldest months range from −3 to 18 °C (27 to 64 °F).The entire Brahmaputra valley has ahumid subtropical climate(Cfa/Cwa) with hot summers.At altitudes between 500 and 1,500 m (1,600 and 4,900 ft) located in the eastern hills of Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, a (Cfb/CWb) climate prevails with warm summers.Locations above 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Meghalaya, parts of Nagaland, and northern Arunachal Pradesh have a (Cfc/Cwc) climate with short and cool summers.Finally, the extreme northern parts of Arunachal Pradesh are classified ashumid continental climateswith mean winter temperatures below −3 °C (27 °F).
Temperatures vary by altitude with the warmest places being in theBrahmaputraandBarak Riverplains and the coldest at the highest altitudes.It is also influenced by proximity to the sea with the valleys and western areas being close to the sea, which moderates temperatures.Generally, temperatures in the hilly and mountainous areas are lower than the plains which lie at a lower altitude.Summer temperatures tend to be more uniform than winter temperatures due to high cloud cover and humidity.
In the Brahmaputra and Barak valley river plains, mean winter temperatures vary between 16 and 17 °C (61 and 63 °F) while mean summer temperatures are around 28 °C (82 °F).The highest summer temperatures occur in the West Tripura plain withAgartala, the capital ofTripurahaving mean maximum summer temperatures ranging between 33 and 35 °C (91 and 95 °F) in April.The highest temperatures in summer occur before the arrival of monsoons and thus eastern areas have the highest temperatures in June and July where the monsoon arrives later than western areas.In the Cachar Plain, located south of the Brahmaputra plain, temperatures are higher than the Brahmaputra plain although the temperature range is smaller owing to higher cloud cover and the monsoons that moderate night temperatures year round.
In the mountainous areas of Arunachal Pradesh, the Himalayan ranges in the northern border withIndiaandChinaexperience the lowest temperatures with heavy snow during winter and temperatures that drop below freezing.Areas with altitudes exceeding 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) receive snowfall during winters and have cool summers.Below 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) above sea level, winter temperatures reach up to 15 °C (59 °F) during the day with nights dropping to zero while summers are cool, with a mean maximum of 25 °C (77 °F) and a mean minimum of 15 °C (59 °F).In the hilly areas of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, winters are cold while summers are cool.
The plains in Manipur has colder winter minimums than what is warranted by its elevation owing to being surrounded by hills on all sides.This is due to temperature inversions during winter nights when cold air descends from the hills
into the valleys below and its geographic location which prevents winds that bring hot temperatures and humidity from coming into the Manipur plain.For example, in Imphal, winter daytime temperatures hover around 21 °C (70 °F) but nighttime temperatures drop to 3 °C (37 °F).
No part of Northeast India receives less than 1,000 mm (39 in) of rainfall a year.Areas in the Brahmputra valley receive 2,000 mm (79 in) of rainfall a year while mountainous areas receive 2,000 to 3,000 mm (79 to 118 in) a year.The southwest monsoon is responsible for bringing 90% of the annual rainfall to the region.April to late October are the months where most of the rainfall in Northeast India occurs with June and July being the rainiest months.In most parts of the region, the average date of onset of the monsoons is 1 June.Southern areas are the first to receive the monsoon (May or June) with the Brahmaputra valley and the mountainous north receiving later (later May or June).In the hilly parts of Mizoram, the closer proximity to theBay of Bengalcauses it to experience early monsoons with June being the wettest season.
The North Eastern Region of India is a mega-earthquake prone zone caused by activefault planesbeneath formed by the convergence of threetectonic platesviz.India Plate,Eurasian PlateandBurma Plate. Historically the region has suffered from two great earthquakes (M > 8.0) –1897 Assam earthquakeand1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake– and about 20 large earthquakes (8.0 > M > 7.0) since 1897.The1950 Assam-Tibet earthquakeis still thelargest earthquake in India.
WWFhas identified the entire EasternHimalayasas a priorityGlobal 200ecoregion.Conservation Internationalhas upscaled theEastern Himalayahotspot to include all the eight states of Northeast India, along with the neighbouring countries ofBhutan, southernChinaandMyanmar.
The region has been identified by theIndian Council of Agricultural Researchas a center of rice germplasm. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), India, has highlighted the region as being rich in wild relatives of crop plants. It is the center of origin of citrus fruits. Two primitive variety of maize, Sikkim Primitive 1 and 2, have been reported from Sikkim (Dhawan, 1964). Althoughjhum cultivation, a traditional system of agriculture, is often cited as a reason for the loss offorest coverof the region, this primary agricultural economic activity practised by local tribes supported the cultivation of 35 varieties of crops. The region is rich in medicinal plants and many other rare and endangeredtaxa. Its highendemismin bothhigher plants,vertebrates, andaviandiversity has qualified it as abiodiversity hotspot.
The following figures highlight the biodiversity significance of the region:
TheInternational Council for Bird Preservation, UK identified the Assam plains and the Eastern Himalaya as anEndemic Bird Area(EBA). The EBA has an area of 220,000 kmfollowing theHimalayan rangein the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Myanmar and the Indian states ofSikkim,North Bengal, Assam,Nagaland,Manipur,MeghalayaandMizoram. Because of a southward occurrence of this mountain range in comparison to other Himalayan ranges, this region has a distinctly different climate, with warmer mean temperatures and fewer days with frost, and much higher rainfall. This has resulted in the occurrence of a rich array of restricted-range bird species. More than two critically endangered species, three endangered species, and 14 vulnerable species of birds are in this EBA. Stattersfield et al. (1998) identified 22 restricted range species, out of which 19 are confined to this region and the remaining three are present in other endemic and secondary areas. Eleven of the 22 restricted-range species found in this region are considered as threatened (Birdlife International2001), a number greater than in any otherEBAof India.
Northeast India is very rich infaunal diversity. There are as many as 15 species of non-human primates and most important of them arehoolock gibbon,stumptied macaque, pigtailed macaque, golden langur,hanuman langurand rhesus monkey. The most important and endangered species is one-horned rhinoceros. The forests of the region are also the habitats of elephant, royal Bengal tiger, leopard, golden cat, fishing cat, marbled cat, Bengal fox etc. the Gangetic dolphin in the Brahmaputra is also an endangered species. The other endangered species are otter, mugger crocodile, tortoise and some fishes.
WWFhas identified the following priority ecoregions in North-East India:
The total population of Northeast India is 46 million with 68 per cent of that living in Assam alone. Assam also has a higher population density of 397 persons per kmthan the national average of 382 persons per km.  The literacy rates in the states of the Northeastern region, except those in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, are higher than the national average of 74 per cent. As per 2011 census, Meghalaya recorded the highest population growth of 27.8 per cent among all the states of the region, higher than the national average at 17.64 per cent; while Nagaland recorded the lowest in the entire country with a negative 0.5 per cent.
According to2011 Census of India, the largest cities in Northeast India are
Northeast India constitutes a single linguistic region within the Indian national context, with about 220 languages in multiple language families (Indo-European,Sino-Tibetan,Kra–Dai,Austroasiatic, as well as some creole languages) that share a number of features that set them apart from most other areas of the Indian subcontinent (such as alveolar consonants rather than the more typical dental/retroflex distinction).Assamese, anIndo-Aryan languagespoken mostly in theBrahmaputra Valley, developed as alingua francafor many speech communities. Assamese-based pidgin/creoles have developed in Nagaland (Nagamese) and Arunachal (Nefamese),though Nefamese has been replaced byHindiin recent times.Bengali languageis another Indo-Aryan language spoken in South Assam in theBarak ValleyandTripura, being the majority and official language in both the regions. The Austro-Asiatic family is represented by theKhasi,JaintiaandWarlanguages of Meghalaya. A small number of Tai–Kadai languages (Ahom,Tai Phake,Khamti, etc.) are also spoken. Sino-Tibetan is represented by a number of languages that differ significantly from each other,some of which are:Boro,Rabha,Karbi,Mising,Tiwa,Deori,Hmar(including Biate, Chorei, Halam, Hrangkhawl, Kaipeng, Molsom, Ranglong, Saihriem, Sakachep, Thangachep, Thiek),Zeme Naga,Rengma Nagaand,Kuki(Thadou language) (Assam);Garo,Rabha,Hmar(including Biate, Sakachep)(Meghalaya);Ao,Angami,Sema,Lotha,Konyak,Chakhesang,Chang,Khiamniungan,Phom,Pochury,Rengma,Sangtam,Tikhir,Yimkhiung,Zeliang, Kuki (Thadou), andHmar(including Sakachep/Khelma) etc. (Nagaland); Mizo languages such asLusei(including Hualngo),Hmar(including Chorei, Darlawng, Darngawn, Kaipeng, Khawlhring, Molsom, Ngente, Sakachep, Zote),Lai(including Hakha, Falam, Khualsim, Zanniet, Sim),Mara languages,Ralte/Galte,Zomi/Paihte,Kuki/Thahdo, etc. (Mizoram);Hrusso,Tanee,Niyshi,Adi, Abor,Nocte,Apatani, Mishmi etc. (Arunachal).Kokborokis the dominant among the tribal people of Tripura and one of the official languages of the state, whileGaro,Hmar(including Bong, Bongcher, Chorei, Dab, Darlawng, Hmarchaphang, Hrangkhawl, Langkai, Kaipeng, Koloi, Korbong, Molsom, Ranglong, Rupini, Saihmar, Sakachep, Thangachep)),Lusei(including Rokhum), etc are also spoken.Meiteiis the official language in Manipur, the dominant language of the Imphal Valley; while "Naga" languages such asPoumai,Mao,Maram,Rongmei(Kabui),Tangkhul,Zeme,Liangmei,Inpui,Thangal Nagaand Mizo languages such asKuki/Thado,Lusei, Zomi languages(includingPaite,Simte,Vaiphei,Zou,Mate,Thangkhal,Tedim-Chin),GangteandHmar languages(including Biete, Hrangkhawl, Thiek, Zote)predominate in individual hill areas of the state.
Among other Indo-Aryan languages,Chakmais spoken in Mizoram andHajongin Assam and Meghalaya.Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language, is dominant inSikkim, besides the Sino-Tibetan languagesLimbu,Bhutia,Lepcha,Rai,Tamang,Sherpa, etc.Bengaliwas made the official language ofColonial Assamfrom 1836 to 1873.
Hinduism is the majority religion in the North Eastern states ofAssam,Tripura,Manipur,Sikkimand plurality inArunachal Pradesh, while Christianity is the majority religion inMeghalaya,Nagaland,Mizoramand plurality in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. A significant plurality of the state of Arunachal Pradesh follows the indigenous religionDonyi-Polo. Islam has a significant presence in Assam and about 93% of all North East Muslim population is concentrated in that state alone. A bulk of Christian population in India resides in North East, as about 30% of India's Christian population is concentrated in North Eastern region alone. There is a significant presence of Buddhism inSikkim,Arunachal PradeshandMizoram.
Northeast India has over 220 ethnic groups and an equal number of dialects in whichBodoform the largest indigenous ethnic group.The hills states in the region likeArunachal Pradesh,Meghalaya,Mizoram, andNagalandare predominantly inhabited by tribal people with a degree of diversity even within the tribal groups. The region's population results from ancient and continuous flows of migrations from Tibet, Indo-Gangetic India, the Himalayas, present Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
These ethnic groups form significant majorities in the states/regions of Northeast India:
These ethnic groups form minorities in the states of Northeast India:
TheManipuri Raas Leeladance (fromManipur) and theSattriya(fromAssam) have been included in the elite category of the "Classical Dances of India", as officially recognised by both theSangeet Natak Akademiand theMinistry of Culture (India). Besides these, all tribes in Northeast India have their own folk dances associated with their religion and festivals. The tribal heritage in the region is rich with the practice of hunting, land cultivation and indigenous crafts. The rich culture is vibrant and visible with the traditional attires of each community.
All states in Northeast India share the handicrafts ofbambooandcane,wood carving, making traditional weapons and musical instruments, pottery and handloom weaving. Traditional tribal attires are made of thick fabrics primarily with cotton.Assam silkis a famous industry in the region.
Northeast is a hub of different genres of music. Each community has its own rich heritage of folk music. Talented musicians and singers are plentifully found in this part of the country. The Assamese singer-composerBhupen Hazarikaachieved national and international fame with his remarkable creations. Another famous singer from Assam,Pratima Barua Pandeyis a well-known folk singer.Zubeen Garg,Papon,Anurag Saikiaare some other notable singers, musicians from the state ofAssam.Tangkhul Nagafolk blue singer likeRewben Mashangva, who comes from Ukhrul, is an acclaimed Folk singer whose music is inspired by the like of Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. Another famous folk singing band from Nagaland popularly known asTetseo Sistersis one to be noted for their original music genre. However, younger generation has started pursuing western music more and more nowadays. The northeast region has seen a significant increase in musical innovation in the 21st century.
Many of the Northeast Indian indigenous communities have an ancient heritage offolktaleswhich tell the tale of their origin, rituals, beliefs and so on. These tales are transmitted from one generation to another in oral form. They are remarkable instances of tribal wisdom and imagination. However, Assam, Tripura and Manipur have some ancient written texts. These states were mentioned in the great Hindu epicMahabharata. TheSaptakanda RamayanainAssamesebyMadhava Kandaliis considered the first translation of the SanskritRamayanainto a modernIndo-Aryan Language.Karbi Ramayanabears witness to the old heritage of written literature in Assam. Two writers from the Northeast, viz.,Birendra Kumar BhattacharyaandMamoni Raisom Goswami, have been awardedJnanpith, the highest literary award in India.Hence,Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyawas the firstAssamesewriter and from the Northeast India to receiveJnanpith Awardfor hisAssamesenovelMrityunjay(1979).Mamoni Raisom Goswamiwas awarded theJnanpith Awardin the year 2000.Nagen Saikiais the first writer fromAssamand the Northeast India, to have been conferred theSahitya Akademi Fellowshipby theSahitya Akademi.Some of the notable writers of Northeast Literature are--(from Assam)Lakshminath Bezbaroa,Homen Borgohain,Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya,Harekrishna Deka,Rongbong Terang,Nilmani Phukan,Indira Goswami,Hiren Bhattacharyya,Mitra Phukan,Jahnavi Barua,Dhruba Hazarika,Rita Chowdhury; (from Arunachal Pradesh)Mamang Dai; (from Manipur)Robin S Ngangom,Ratan Thiyam; (from Meghalaya)Paul Lyngdoh; (from Nagaland)Temsula Ao,Easterine Kire; (from Sikkim)Rajendra Bhandari. Temsula Ao is the first writer from Northeast India to be awarded theSahitya Akademi Award(2013) in the Indian English Literature category for her collection of short stories,Laburnum for My Head, andPadma Shri(2007). Easterine Kire is the first English novelist hailed from Nagaland. She receivedThe Hindu Literary Prize(2015) for her novelWhen the River Sleeps. Indira Goswami, alias Mamoni Roisom Goswami, is an acclaimed Assamese writer whose novels includeMoth-Eaten Howda of the Tusker,Pages Stained with Blood,The Shadow of KamakhyaandThe Blue-Necked God. Mamang Dai won theSahitya Akademi Award(2017) for her novelThe Black Hill.
Indigenous festivals in the northeast include the Ojiale festival of theWancho people, Chhekar festival of theSherdukpen people, Longte Yullo festival ofNishis, Solung festival ofAdis, Losar festival ofMonpas, Reh festival ofIdu Mishmisand Dree festival ofApatani.MamitaTripurabda(Tring festival),Buisu, Hangrai,Hojagiri,Kharchiand Garia festivals of Tripura,In Manipur popular festivals includeNingol Chakoubaand the Manipur boat racing festival or theHeikru Hidongba, Chasok Tangnam festival ofLimbu people.
Northeast India is notable for playing sports that are not very popular in the rest of India. These sports include football, with Mizoram'sTalimeren Aohaving served as the first captain of the national team in 1948,and a growing presence ofbaseball in Manipur.
The northeastern states, having 3.8% of India's total population, are allotted 25 out of a total of 543 seats in theLok Sabha. This is 4.6% of the total number of seats.
In 1947 Indian independence andpartitionresulted in the North East becoming a landlocked region. This exacerbated the isolation that has been recognised, but not studied.East Pakistancontrolled access to the Indian Ocean.The mountainous terrain has hampered the construction of road and railways connections in the region.
Several militant groups have formed an alliance to fight against the governments of India, Bhutan, and Myanmar, and now use the term "Western Southeast Asia" (WESEA) to refer to the region.The separatist groups include theKangleipak Communist Party(KCP),Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup(KYKL),People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak(PREPAK), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Pro (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) andUnited National Liberation Front(UNLF) ofManipur,Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council(HNLC) ofMeghalaya, Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO), which operates inAssamandNorth Bengal,National Democratic Front of BodolandandULFAofAssam, and theNational Liberation Front of Tripura(NLFT).
TheMinistry of Development of North Eastern Region(MDoNER) is the deciding body underGovernment of Indiafor socio-economic development in the region. TheNorth Eastern Councilunder MDoNER serves as the regional governing body for Northeast India. The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) is apublic limited companyproviding assistance to micro, small, medium and large enterprises within the northeastern region (NER). Other organisations under MDoNER include North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC), Sikkim Mining Corporation Limited (SMC) and North Eastern Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC).
The economy is agrarian. Little land is available for settled agriculture. Along with settled agriculture,jhum(slash-and-burn) cultivation is still practised by a few indigenous groups of people.
The inaccessible terrain and internal disturbances have made rapid industrialisation difficult in the region.
Living Root Bridges
Northeast India is also the home of manyliving root bridges. In Meghalaya, these can be found in the southernKhasi and Jaintia Hills.They are still widespread in the region, though as a practice they are fading out, with many examples having been destroyed in floods or replaced by more standard structures in recent years.Living root bridges have also been observed in the state of Nagaland, near the Indo-Myanmar border.
Northeast India has several newspapers in both English and regional languages. The largest circulated English daily in Assam isThe Assam Tribune. In Meghalaya,The Shillong Timesis the highest circulated newspaper. In Nagaland,Nagaland Posthas the highest number of readers.G Plusis the only print and digital English weekly tabloid published from Guwahati. In Manipur,Imphal Free Pressis a highly respected newspaper. In Arunachal Pradesh,The Arunachal Timesis the highest circulated newspaper in Arunachal Pradesh.
States in the North Eastern Region are well connected by air-transport conducting regular flights to all major cities in the country. The states also own several small airstrips for military and private purposes which may be accessed usingPawan Hanshelicopter services. The region currently has two international airports viz.Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport,Bir Tikendrajit International AirportMaharaja Bir Bikram Airportconducting flights toThailand,Myanmar,NepalandBhutan. While the airport inSikkimis under-construction,Bagdogra Airport(IATA:IXB,ICAO:VEBD) remains the closest domestic airport to the state.
Railway in Northeast India is delineated asNortheast Frontier Railway zoneofIndian Railways. The regional network is underdeveloped. States ofManipur,Meghalaya,MizoramandSikkimwill remain almost disconnected till March 2023 when the capital cities of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are expected to get the rail links once the under construction rail projects are completed.
In the 21st century, there has been recognition among policymakers and economists of the region that the main stumbling block for economic development of the Northeastern region is the disadvantageous geographical location.It was argued that globalisation propagates deterritorialisation and a borderless world which is often associated with economic integration. With 98 per cent of its borders with China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, Northeast India appears to have a better scope for development in the era of globalisation.As a result, a new policy developed among intellectuals and politicians that one direction the Northeastern region must be looking to as a new way of development lies with political integration with the rest of India and economic integration with the rest of Asia and Oceania, with North, East and Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Polynesia in particular, as the policy of economic integration with the rest of India did not yield much dividends. With the development of this new policy, the Government of India directed its Look East policy towards developing the Northeastern region. This policy is reflected in the Year End Review 2004 of theMinistry of External Affairs, which stated that: "India’s Look East Policyhas now been given a new dimension by the UPA Government. India is now looking towards a partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian NationsASEANcountries, both withinBIMSTECand the India-ASEAN Summit dialogue as integrally linked to economic and security interests, particularly for India’s East and North East region."
The north-east (NE) region of India lags behind the rest of the country in several development indicators. Although infrastructure has developed over the years, the region has to go a long way to level up the national standard. The total road network of about 377 thousand km of NE contributes about 9.94 per cent of the total roads in the country. Road density in terms of road length per thousand square kilometres. area is very poor in hilly state of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim, while it is significantly high in Tripura and Assam. The road length per 100 kmarea in NE districts varies from as less as below 10 km (in Arunachal Pradesh) to more than 200 km (in Tripura). Other means of transport such as rail, air and water is insignificant in NE (except Assam); however, a few cities of these states having direct air connectivity in the region. The total railway network in the NE is 2,602 km (as on 2011), which is only about 4 per cent of the total rail network of the country. Constructions of roads build the road map for development and road is the only means of mass transport for the entire NE of India. Due to hilly terrain and varied altitudes, rail transport is mainly confined to Assam and water transport is almost non-existent.
India's road network has benefited greatly from the articulation of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The Ministry has formulated the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North East (SARDP-NE) for the development/improvement of more than 10,000 km roads in the NE states. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has been paying special attention to the development of national highways in the region and has assigned 10 per cent of the total allocation of fund for the NE region.
Another major constraint of surface infrastructure projects in the NE states has to be linked up with parallel developments in the neighbouring countries, particularly with Bangladesh. The restoration and extension of pre-partition land and river transit routes through Bangladesh is vital for transport infrastructure in NE states. Other international cooperation, such as, revival of Ledo road (Stilwell road) connecting Ledo in Assam to northern Myanmar and extended up to Kunming in south-eastern China, Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project and Trans-Asian Railways, could open up an eastern window for the land-locked NE states of India. Various regional initiatives, such as, the Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar (BCIM) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMTTH) project to link the markets of South and Southeast Asia, are in very initial stages.