Seven sisters of india

The Seven Sisters of India are the seven relatively unexplored and isolated Indian states -- Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh -- which for many years was closed to foreigners. This land, better known to the world as the North-Eastern region of India, borders China, Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. India's remote northeast, the area comprising the seven states stretching from Tibet in the north to Myanmar (Burma) in the south, among them Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Assam. In this area, rarely visited by foreigners, peoples scarcely known to the Western world continue a way of life steeped in ancient ritual.

Extensive, complex patterns of violence continues in the seven states of northeastern India. The main insurgent groups in the northeast include two factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in Nagaland; Meitei extremists in Manipur; and the all Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) in Tripura. The proclaimed object of many of these groups is to break out of the Indian union, creating new, independent nations.

Their stated grievances against the Indian Government range from charges of neglect and indifference to the endemic poverty of the region, to allegations of active discrimination against the tribal and non-tribal peoples of the region by the center. The oldest of these conflicts, involving the Nagas, started with India's independence in 1947. The insurgency was eventually quelled in the early 1980s through a mixture of repression and cooptation.

Only after Independence and re-organisation of the States was a semblance of real Government authority and administration brought into these far-flung areas. This was strongly resented by the newly educated elite of the tribal societies, who construed the efforts of the Government as an encroachment on their tribal way of life and freedom. Thus, on the basis of racial, cultural and religious differences from the majority stock of the plains, insurgency in the NE India came into being.

Issues of ideology were by and large irrelevant to the insurgency movements of the NE region. The single predominant factor that has withstood the test of time in this regard is either ethnic (such as in Assam and Tripura) or tribal as in Nagaland. It has also been seen that, within a particular State, insurgency by one set of tribals raises its head, finds roots and spreads and then dies with an agreement with the Government. Thereafter, in the same geographical area, another lesser tribe/sub tribe undergoes the same cycle.

Thus in Mizoram, once Lushai insurgency came to an end, the Hmars were up in arms. In the same manner, the Naga insurgency once spearheaded by the Semas passed into the hands of the Konyaks in Northern Nagaland and the Tangkhuls in Southern Nagaland and NE Manipur with the once dominant Semas and Angamis relegated largely to the side lines. Similar to the Bodos, the Karbi Anglongs of Assam are showing all the signs of the itch to raise yet another movement. Thus it is evident that even if, at the point of origin ideology had any role to play, in the long run it is the ethnic and tribal perceptions that truly matter.

The insurgency in the NE states first manifested itself in Nagaland and thereafter mushroomed to other areas. The insurgency in Nagaland has thus, in a sense, been an umbrella for all other insurgencies in the region. It is essential to know the historical context leading to these insurgencies. The map of the NE has been altered with new lines drawn to recognise new political and administrative realities. The names of these entities have changed; the Naga Hills has become Nagaland, the Lushai Hills has changed to Mizoram and the North Eastern Frontier Agency, still known to many simply as NEFA, has become Arunachal Pradesh.

The jungles of SE Asia sweep down from Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh across seven other nations - Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, Malaysia and Vietnam-spanning political boundaries regardless of physical frontiers. Ethnic coalitions, oral traditions and lifestyles based on respect for nature have mattered more in these regions than frontiers. Here men and women, with common origins but different nationalities, share a racial, historic, anthropological and linguistic kinship with each other that is more vital than their links with the mainstream political centers, especially at Delhi, Dhaka and Rangoon, or Yangon, as it is known today.

It is this affinity that has played a role in the unrest and insurgencies that have long troubled the NE of India. Affinity and Identity; these, more than any other factors, have represented the principal compulsions that triggered the Naga, Mizo, Meitei, Tripuri and Assamese affirmation of separateness from the non-Mongolian communities that dominate the India subcontinent.

India's NE is a misshapen strip of land, linked to the rest of the country by a narrow corridor just 20 kms wide at its slimmest, which is referred to as the "Siliguri Corridor". This region has been the battle ground for generations of sub-national identities. The anthropological composition of the inhabitants of North Eastern India presents a kaleidoscopic variety. Descendants of Aryan and Dravidian stocks co-mingle with the Indo-Burmese and Indo-Tibetan strains. Owing to its geographical isolation from the rest of India and the relative primitiveness of the tribal societies existing here, the region remained virtually cut off from the rest of India. From time immemorial till the near eclipse of the British Raj, and even to this day, this situation of isolation has continued in one form or the other.

To give a fair account of the feeling of non-"Indianness" of the tribal peoples, it is essential to understand that the phenomenon is more or less reciprocal with the rest of India being largely ignorant of the problems and privations of the peoples of NE India. One striking example of the psychological aloofness of the Indian people from this region is the massacre at Nellie in 1976. This incident in which over 3000 men, women and children were slaughtered in one go, could engage Indian media attention for barely two weeks.

There is now a perceptible change in attitudes. The sheer scale and intensity of the ongoing political violence in Assam and the resultant continuous media coverage has brought about a situation where the rest of India is now aware of the existence of the region. Similarly, the opening of roads and related means of communication in the region has served, in conjunction with the spread of education, to bring about an awareness of the rest of India. The veritable flood of Hindi movies and their popularity in the region have also assisted in no small measure in this slow but sure process of absorption in the Indian mainstream.

In October 2002 a dozen underground organizations of the North East India constituted a platform to carry forward their armed struggle together. The organizations had consolidated their bases in a common area of Burma -- which they call "Liberated Burma" -- with the help of Kachin Independence Army (KIA). An area of Burma bordering Nagaland of the North East India has been occupied by the militants, in which they have reportedly set up as many as 20 camps to provide training to their cadres. A stretch of Burma opposite of Mon District of Nagaland in the North East has been occupied by the militant groups, but the Burmese government cannot take action against them.

Bhutan on 15 December 2003 launched a military crackdown on three Indian separatist groups - the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO). The three groups, fighting for independent homelands, had set up well-entrenched bases inside the dense jungles in southern Bhutan. The ULFA and the NDFB are rebel groups from the border state of Assam, while the KLO is from West Bengal. Bhutan claimed it had smashed all the 30 rebel camps, but admitted the militants were still holed up inside the kingdom.

The Seven Sisters of India are relatively untouched, unexplored and isolated states of north east India. North East states are heavily forested and land of tribes peoples. These states are full of natural beauty,exotic places and wide variety of beautiful wild animals like rhinoceros, elephants and numerous species of birds. North east region consist of seven contiguous states Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Northeast India is ethnically distinct from the other states of India. Assam is the gateway through which the seven sister states are connected to the mainland. Sikkim and some parts of North Bengal is also come under the north east India. India’s Northeast is one of South Asia’s hottest trouble spots.These seven sister states has major population of tribes peoples in India.

Assam: The gateway of seven sisters is surrounded by other six states. Assam is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and consists of tropical rain forests, grasslands and numerous wetlands ecosystems now protected as Kaziranga and manas national parks. It is also know for its beautiful dark green tea gardens, Deep forest of Sal trees. Assam is the home for one-horned Indian rhinoceros, along with The Royal Bengal Tiger and numerous species of birds, it also provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. Assam and other states offers so many big festivals like Bohag Bihu,Cheiraoba and Losoong.

Arunachal Pradesh: Land of the rising sun has many undiscovered places to attract tourist form many parts of the world. Tourist attractions include Buddhist monastery in tawang, Sela lake near Bomdila with its bamboo bridges overhanging the river and undiscovered scenic beauty of tuting. Rafting and trekking are also main attractable sports. Namdapha National Park located in Arunachal Pradesh, is one of the unexplored national park of India, It is also home for some of the giant animals, the great Hornbills and Red Giant Flying Squirrel.

Manipur: “The originator of Polo game” is lies in an oval-shaped valley surrounded by blue mountains. There are four major river basins in Manipur and all the rivers in the valley area are in the mature stage. Manipur may be characterized in two distinct regions – Outer area of rugged hills and narrow valleys and the inner area of flat plain. The climate of Manipur is largely influenced by the topography of this hilly region. The valley region has a number of hills and lakes, The Loktak lake is an important feature of vally.

Meghalaya: Meghalaya means “The Abode of Clouds”. Meghalaya lies in strip of hills in the eastern part, one third area of the states is forested. Meghalaya forest is also know for its biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. There are several falls around Shillong. The Shillong peak is highest in the state and is good for trekking. Meghalaya is the wettest place on earth, annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm in some areas. Cherrapunji holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram, holds the distinction for heaviest yearly rains. The Langshiang Falls at Meghalaya is one of the largest waterfalls in India.

Mizoram: Also called “land of the Mizo people” Mizo means “highlander”. Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes,it has the most varicolored hilly terrain. Blue Mountain is the highest peak in Mizoram. These hills are separated by rivers, these rivers created deep gorges between the hill ranges. Hilly regions gives it a mild climate all year. Mizoram is rich in flora and fauna and many kinds of tropical trees and plants thrive in the area. The Palak lake is major attraction and it is the biggest lake in Mizoram.

Nagaland: Nagaland is the one of the smallest as well as largely mountainous state of India. Mount saramati is the highest peak of Naga hills in state. Nagaland is rich among all other states in flora and fauna and in evergreen forests. The Great Indian Horn-billis one of the most famous birds found in the state. Naga tribes also found in most of the sister states, There are total 15 recognized tribes in the present state of Nagaland.

Tripura: Tripura is a landlocked hilly state with many rivers including the Manu River which originates here. Tripura has a rich cultural heritage of music, fine arts, handicrafts and dance. Music is an integral part of the tribal people of Tripura. Tripura is rich in flora and fauna and many species of trees and plants. Dance is an important to the tribal in all states of north east.