Indo-Myanmar Border Research Articles

Understanding the Socio-economic and Political Ramifications of the 2021 Military Coup on the Communities in the Indo-Myanmar Borderlands

Myanmar has experienced two major military coups since its independence in 1948. These coups have had a significant impact on the socio-economic and political landscape of the country, particularly in the Indo-Myanmar border region. The region, which shares a 1,643-km-long border with India, is home to diverse ethnic groups with distinct cultures and languages. Military coups have not only disrupted the lives of these communities but have also perpetuated long-standing conflicts in the region. This article aims to unravel and scrutinise the ramifications, shedding light on the intricacies of socio-economic disparities, political destabilisation and the erosion of fundamental rights and freedoms by elucidating the complex interplay between military rule, socio-economic inequalities and political dynamics and the far-reaching implications of the 2021 military coup in the Indo-Myanmar borderland. The article employs a qualitative research methodology, drawing on primary and secondary sources, to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of military coups on the Indo-Myanmar border region.

Timber Assemblage, Militarization, and Entangled People’s Lives at the Indo (Naga)-Myanmar Borderland

The paper engages on the assemblage of timber production and transaction at Indo (Naga)-Myanmar borderland, Manipur state, Northeast India, an emerging tributary of India’s Act East Policy, yet characterized by several marginalities in terms of state development parameters [and governance] entwist in historically militarized setting. The paper primarily looks at different factors, actors, flows, and drivers of timber production and transaction across the Indo-Myanmar border from the Sagaing region, Myanmar, to Manipur, India. Rather, this cycle and flows of timber coalesced with economic and geopolitical intricacies of the borderland thereby engender occupation of multiple authorities and governments. The paper provides an account of how these different authorities negotiate and co-regulate over the production and taxation of timber to meet certain revenue goals and aspirations beyond the normative understanding of legality and illegality – frontier of a kind in its own might. In reference to this network of timber trade, the paper further dwells into conversation of everyday experiences of militarization, livelihoods, village roads, and infrastructures are closely entangled around timber production, transaction, and its allied activities. In a nutshell, the paper argues that timber trade at borderland represent an assemblage of multifaceted realities and practices around the intricate socio-political and economic dynamics.

Performance of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in Arunachal Pradesh

The Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was introduced by center government during the Seventh Five Year Plan in the year 1986-87 in the western border of the country. The primary objectives of the programme are to balanced socio-economic development in border areas and provide sense of security amongst the local border areas residents. The programme is focused on the creation of physical infrastructural facilities. In Arunachal Pradesh, BADP was introduced in the year 1997-98 for Indo-Myanmar border with an allocation of amount Rs 4.00 crores. Further, in the year 1998-99 the programme was also covered in China and Bhutan border. This programme was initiated under the ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to adopt a comprehensive approach to Border Management in international land border. This study investigates the status of BADP and Role of local people in execution and implementations. Further, to investigate the people’s perception on performance of BADP in the study areas.

Borderland Realities: Decoding the Socioeconomic and Political Complexities of the Indo-Myanmar Border

This paper examines the complex dynamics of the Indo-Myanmar border regions through an array of lenses, including historical ties, economic interdependence, political relations, security concerns, and social impacts. A recent geopolitical event, the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the economic survival of the borderland populace have been integrated into the study in a novel way. This study employs a multi-disciplinary approach to examine the transformation of historical and cultural connections into intricate economic and social systems. These systems are influenced by the interplay of local communities and national policies, such as India's "Look East Policy" and "Act East Policy" initiatives. It critiques these policies for failing to deliver on their economic pledges and highlights security vulnerabilities. It contends that the region's complexity necessitates multidimensional interventions and argues that any resolution must be collaboratively orchestrated at both the local and international levels. It persuasively argues for a nuanced approach that respects the distinctive attributes of cultural coexistence while addressing the geopolitical exigencies that compromise the stability and livelihood of border communities.

Exploring Naga Life, Culture, and Gender Representation through the Writings of Easterine Kire: A Study of Don't Run, My Love and the Nagas' Struggle for Self-Determination

This research focuses on the Nagas, a large population residing along the Indo-Myanmar border, known for their distinct culture and language. The study examines the works of Easterine Kire, a renowned literary figure from Nagaland, with a particular emphasis on her novel Don't Run, My Love. The objective is to explore how Kire's writings provide insights into Naga life, culture, and society. The Nagas, comprising approximately three million people, form a multi-ethnic community dispersed across different countries. Since 1947, they have been actively involved in a movement for self-determination, striving for a separate Nagaland state. However, their journey has been marked by ethnic conflicts and insurgencies as they struggle for cultural autonomy and political recognition. This research analyses the impact of colonialism, regionalism, and identity politics on the Naga community, considering the historical and sociological contexts that shape their collective consciousness as a separate and independent nation. Drawing on Kire's novel, the study examines the folktale or allegory presented in Don't Run, My Love, which explores the complexities and dangers of romantic love through the perspectives of two female characters, Visenuo and Atuonuo. By challenging the prevailing notion of male supremacy in patriarchal societies, Kire highlights the inner strength of these women, contributing to a broader discourse on gender roles and empowerment. The narrative also delves into the Naga cycle of life, seasons, and harvest, providing insights into their agrarian practices, particularly the Angami technique of land irrigation through terracing and irrigation.

Memory and kinship across the Indo-Myanmar border: A study of the lived experiences of displaced Kuki families

The crisis of India’s north-east is intertwined with the contestation of its history and memory. Its colonial spatial strategy and administrative policies – inherent in a series of ethnographic works – continue to have repercussions in the post-independence era. Therefore, memory as a border device is an important means of understanding the experiences and manoeuvres of the borderland communities. This article seeks to understand the challenges of violence and displacement faced by the Kuki community, which lives along the Indo-Myanmar border, in a conflict that has separated many families living in the north-eastern region. Following the independence of India, the dispute over territories in this region took a violent turn, leading to forced displacement and aggravating the problems of the borderland community. Based on a qualitative study among different generations of displaced Kuki families, this article argues that the intergenerational transmission of memories can be creatively used to generate responsibility and adjustment to the challenges of poverty and separation caused by the international border. It was also found that embodied memories of violence and displacement are transmitted across generations and that these memories can be creatively fashioned in the families’ everyday lives. Despite the challenges of mobility, elders continue to sustain a familial relationship across the border as the narratives they transmit to younger generations are often saturated with affective meaning, which foregrounds a mode of habitation and understanding of spatial imagination that is different from the present-day, hardened border.

Notes on recollection of Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm. after a gap of 74 years from India with comments on the typification of the name

Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm. has been collected after a gap of 74 years from Indo-Myanmar border, near Poi village, Manipur. It was last collected from India for the same state of Manipur in 1948. The species is very unique in having longest corolla tube (c. 10 cm long) so far, in all known Primula spp. Comments have been made on the typification of the name and possible threats and its conservation status are also discussed.

Border Nation: Indigenous Peoples, State, and the Border in Indo-Myanmar Borderlands

ABSTRACT Border studies in general and the historiography of nation-making process in South Asia with its exclusive focus on Partition Studies have overlooked indigenous people voice and experience. This also implies that certain border regions received far more emphasis whereas certain regions are accorded a marginal status. In this paper, we situate indigenous people’s experience of border-making in Indo-Myanmar borderlands. In doing so, we note that borderlands are not homogenous spaces, with the experience and functions of the border being interpreted differently by various social actors. Taking indigenous Mizos of the Indo-Myanmar borderland as a case study, the paper examines how indigenous communities’ understanding of their history, memory, place, politics, and nationhood are entangled with the border. Using a multiperspectival study of borders, we take an approach that considers the Indo-Myanmar border “beyond the line” by highlighting the border’s dynamism and exploring alternative social and political imaginaries that inform lives in the borderland.

Micropalaeontological and Geochemical Evidence of the Late Jurassic Radiolarians Cherts of Naga Ophiolite Hill, Nagaland, Northeast-India

We analyzed the radiolarian assemblages (pelagic sediments) and geochemical studies of 15 samples collected from Meluri district Nagaland, Naga Hills Ophiolite belt (NHO) and it consists of the Flysch Naga-Arakan-Yoma trough beyond the Indo-Myanmar border. It reflects one of the many components of the Himalayan Orogenic systems of Tethyan oceanic crust discovered in Nagaland at Meluri district of India and they have very well-preserved studies and can be identified to Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-mid-Tithonian). As well as a continuous sequence of Kimmeridgian-mid-Tithonian, five radiolarian assemblages have been identified in this study. This is so far the first recovery of pelagic sediment assemblages (Radiolarians) from the Naga Hills Ophiolite complex. Samples of Naga Hills Ophiolite belts fell in the Sublitharenite, Litharenite, and Fe-shale Fe-sand area, and the A-CN-K diagram indicates that these sediments in the source region were exposed deep to moderate weathering conditions. In the discriminant plot, the Naga Hill-Ophiolite-Chert samples occupy the field of origin of the sediment quartzose, and the log (K2O/Na2O) versus SiO2 samples fall into the active continental marginal field, and only one sample falls into an island arch, suggesting that the tectonic framework of the Naga Hills-Chert samples was deposited in the active continental margin and the diagrams K2O/Al2O3 and MgO/Al2O3 illustrated the tectonic setting of the marine environment from Naga Hill Ophiolite Chert. Such findings have been consistent with the current geology of Naga Hills in the province of Nagaland.

Measles outbreak investigation at Indo-Myanmar border, Longding District, Arunachal Pradesh, India, 2017.

On May 23, 2017, the health authorities in Longding district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, reported four suspected measles-related deaths in Konsa village, a remote village on the Indo-Myanmar border. We investigated to describe the epidemiology of the outbreak and identify associated risk factors. We defined a measles case as fever and maculopapular rash with cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis in a village of Longding district resident from March 1 to June 18, 2017. In Konsa village, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children ≤5 years. We calculated attack rate (AR), case fatality rate (CFR), measles-containing vaccine first dose (MCV1) and Vitamin A coverage, risk ratio (RR), and vaccine efficacy. We collected samples for laboratory confirmation. We conducted a routine immunization system evaluation at multiple levels of Longding district. We identified 75 suspected cases (56% females) for a Konsa village-specific AR of 86% (75/87) among children ≤5 years; the median age was 36 months; CFR was 7% (5/75); all deaths unvaccinated; none received Vitamin A. Coverage for MCV1 was 9.2% (6/65) and Vitamin A 4.6% (3/65). No MCV1 (RR = 7.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-53) and participation in a recent local festival (RR = 5.3, 95% CI = 1.5-18.5) were associated with illness. MCV vaccine efficacy was 100%. Of 17 cases, 13 tested positive for measles. The local health facility had neither staff nor immunization microplans. This outbreak was likely due to low MCV1 and Vitamin A coverage due to poor health-care access. The investigation led to a district measles catch-up campaign and resumption of regular immunization.

On the Trails of Free-Roaming Elephants

Abstract Humans and elephants have historically shared the forested mountain ranges of Zomia, a geography defined by the regular movement of people and an ecology shaped by the movement of its elephant population. This article will examine how free-roaming elephant pathways facilitated human mobility in the highlands defining the Indo-Myanmar border. It will analyze the more-than-human agency that emerges when following elephant trails and the varying role this forest infrastructure might have played in the social and political history of the region. The article will explore two historical examples. First, the migration of a Lisu community in Upper Myanmar who utilized elephant paths to navigate their passage. Second, how the British Empire exploited a network of elephant-human tracks to subjugate the peoples living in Mizoram, northeast India. In these regions the patterns of migration, history of colonization, and identities and practices of communities must be understood in relation to wild elephants.

Cross-border interaction: A study on the three border villages along the Indo-Myanmar border of Arunachal Pradesh

Cross-border interaction: A study on the three border villages along the Indo-Myanmar border of Arunachal Pradesh

New Discoveries of Petroglyphs in Vangchhia: A Preliminary Study

Vangchhia is a small village in Mizoram, lying on the Indo-Myanmar border. Many engraved menhirs were discovered at Vangchhia during the course of exploration. Also, petroglyphs were found in four localities of this particular village. Though their number is very limited, they are very significant for study as they will reflect the cultural life of the people who carved these petroglyphs before the current inhabitants of the area arrived. In terms of subject matter, they are similar in style and theme to their engraved counterparts on the menhirs found in this village. These petroglyphs are made by applying the simple methods of engraving and carving on the exposed rock outcrops situated on the hill slopes overlooking the Tiau River, which flows about a kilometer to the east of the petroglyph sites. It is worth studying these petroglyphs to reconstruct the cultural history of Mizoram mainly before the introduction of Christianity in Mizoram, as the Mizos stopped the practice of engraving petroglyphs onthe rock surfaces after their conversion to Christianity in the 19th century. So this work has been taken up for discussion. This paper will discuss the form, subject matter and distribution of the rock art sites in this village and the probable purpose of these petroglyphs.

Report on reptile mortality due to vehicular traffic on Indo-Myanmar border at Champhai district of Mizoram, North East India

Reptiles are beautiful creatures of nature, which includes Crocodiles & Alligators, Turtles & tortoises,  Lizards & Snakes. They have their own ecological significance and render their very valuable silent services to mankind in various ways.  Reptiles are cold blooded animals and frequently come out for basking under sun and remain in open area. These are slow moving animals. During basking and while crossing the roads, these animals are killed by vehicular traffic on roads and lose their lives. This paper highlights the preliminary report of reptilian mortality due to vehicular traffic on roads, with special reference to Champhai-Zokhawthar road on Indo Myanmar border at Champhai district of Mizoram, North East India. 

Indo-Myanmar Border Trade at Moreh-Namphalong and Beyond

Moreh-Namphalong has an immense prospective for international trade and commerce through Indo-Myanmar border. The paper examines the nature of border trade (BT) practices and prospective by linking Moreh market with the counterpart Namphalong market and establishes that BT is immensely linked with the third economies like China which actually supply goods. Moreh BT accounts to four per cent of the total India-Myanmar trade. It is affected by the bandh and strikes, insurgency, unstable currency exchange rate and smuggling that led to an economic lost for traders and economy at large. India experiences a border trade deficit as the potential export items are not produced in the proximity of Moreh. BT at Moreh-Namphalong has benefited the local border people in terms of employment, infrastructural development and also improves trade and other relationship between India and Myanmar. Myanmar is critical for India not only for BT partner but also for India’s Act East Policy for developing strategic and economic relations with East and South East Asian countries.

Agricultural trade potential between India and ASEAN: An application of gravity model

The study has analysed the competitiveness and potential of agricultural trade between India and ASEAN members for the period 1995–2014. The Revealed Comparative Advantage Index has been used to assess the competitiveness of agricultural commodities exported by India in comparison with ASEAN countries. The study has found that India has export competitiveness in cotton, rice, oilcake meals and tea compared to ASEAN countries. The gravity model has been employed to find the overall agricultural trade potential between India and ASEAN countries. The model estimates have indicated that partners’ income and free trade agreement are positively influencing the bilateral trade. The border trade has found no significance in the bilateral trade pointing weak infrastructure at Indo-Myanmar border. Trade potential estimates have shown that India has exceeded the trade potential with Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam while there is an opportunity to harness the trade potential with Brunei, Lao, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The study stresses the importance of trade facilitation measures to enhance the trade with the ASEAN.

Correlation between Border Trade and Infrastructural Development: A Case Study of Indo-Myanmar Border Trade

Developmental theories have two strategies: development via abundance of infrastructure and vice versa. It is theoretically favourable that infrastructure leads to development in economic sectors. However, in pragmatic terms, policies seem to go ahead of infrastructural development. This paper checks the possibility of infrastructural development which follows the implementation of border trade in landlocked region (North East Region of India).

First report of distribution range extension of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus (Cantor, 1839) (Reptilia: Colubridae) in Mizoram, North East India

Snakes are one of the wonderful gifts of nature, having serpentine body, mostly without limbs. There are around 300 species of snakes reported from India. Every snake has its own distribution range, depending on its feeding habits, reproductive behaviour and suitability to environmental conditions. Some are endemic to some particular region. The aim of this paper to report distribution range extension of a Banded Trinket Snake Oreocryptophisporphyraceus (Cantor, 1839) to the state of Mizoram, North East India on Indo Myanmar border.

Emerging polymorphisms in falciparum Kelch 13 gene in Northeastern region of India.

BackgroundRecent reports of emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance in the Southeast Asia region, including Myanmar, pose a greater threat to malaria control and elimination in India. Whole genome sequencing studies have associated mutations in the K13 propeller gene (k13), PF3D7_1343700 with artemisinin resistance both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to find the k13 gene polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum parasites from the three sites in the Northeast region of India, bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar.MethodsA total of 254 samples collected during 2014–2015 from Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh states in the Northeast region of India were used to obtain the full-length k13 gene sequences.ResultsThree non-synonymous (NS) mutations: two in the propeller region, namely at codon 446 and 578, were observed besides one at codon 189 in the non-propeller region. The treatment outcome was not affected by these mutations at any of the sites. In addition, microsatellite variation in the N-terminus of the k13 protein was observed at all the study sites.ConclusionThis is the first study to document the presence of F446I NS mutation in the k13 propeller region from Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh, a site adjoining the Indo-Myanmar border region, where this mutation is highly prevalent. In addition, NS mutation A578S has been observed only at Lunglei district, Mizoram, a site bordering Bangladesh and K189T mutation with relatively higher frequency in Mizoram and Tripura states. The presence of F446I mutation in a region close to the Myanmar border is notable. Considering the spread of anti-malarial drug resistance from Southeast Asia to the Northeast region of India in the past, there is an urgent need to undertake systematic mapping studies to ascertain the role and extent of this mutation in artemisinin resistance in this region of country.

Petrogenesis and geochemical characteristics of plagiogranites from Naga Ophiolite Belt, northeast India: Fractional crystallization of MORB-type magma

The Naga Ophiolite Belt is a part of the Naga-Arakan-Yoma flysch trough that occurs along the Indo-Myanmar border. It is represented by peridotites, mafic-ultramafic cumulates, mafic volcanics, mafic dykes, plagiogranites, pelagic sediments and minor felsic to intermediate intrusives. Minor plagiogranites, gabbros and thin serpentinite bands occur juxtaposed near Luthur, with the slate-phyllite-metagreywacke sequence (Phokpur Formation) adjacent to the contact. The development of tonalites, trondhjemites and diorites in the oceanic crust, which is grouped as plagiogranites, offers an opportunity to study the process of formation of silicic melts from mafic crust. Plagiogranites from Naga Ophiolite Belt contains moderate SiO2 (51.81–56.71wt.%), low K2O (0.08–1.65wt.%) and high Na2O (4.3–5.03wt.%). The Naga Ophiolite Belt plagiogranites like ocean-ridge granites contain low K2O, high Na2O and CaO. The rocks investigated from Naga Ophiolite Belt contain TiO2 concentrations above the lower limit for fractionated Mid Oceanic Ridge Basalt which is above 1wt% of TiO2 and the ternary plots of A (Na2O+K2O) F(FeOT) M(MgO) and TiO2-K2O-SiO2/50 indicate that the plagiogranite are tholeiitic in character and gabbro samples are calc-alkaline in nature. The plagiogranites are enriched in Rb, Ba, Th, U, Nb and Sm against chondrite with negative anomalies on Sr and Zr whereas Y and Yb are depleted to Mid Oceanic Ridge Basalt. The chondrite normalized REE patterns of the plagiogranite display enrichments in LREE (LaN/SmN: 2.37–3.62) and flat HREE (Eu/Eu*: 0.90–1.06). The Mid Oceanic Ridge Basalt normalization of gabbro is characterized by strong enrichment of LILE like Ba and Th. The REE pattern is about 50–100 times chondrite with slight enrichment of LREE (LaN/SmN=2.21–3.13) and flat HREE (Eu/Eu*: 0.94–1.19). The major-element and trace element data of the NOB plagiogranites and their intrusive nature with host gabbroic rock suggest that the plagiogranites were produced by fractional crystallization of basaltic parental magmas at Mid Oceanic Ridge.