As the results of three NE states rolled out, the talk was about BJP making inroads on the back of development work unleashed by Modi Ji at blinding pace, about tribal and non-tribal alliances, whether BJP did well or not so well. This is an incomplete view of a tectonic shift in Indian socio-political scenario, more particularly of North East Region (NER).
From being unseen, unreported this huge region of Bharat that has longest land borders with maximum number of countries on the border, NER has become the mainstream news. It no more suffers from “tyranny of distance”. The tyranny so high that days of blockade of places like Manipur did not enrage the nation, nor did they become headlines of so-called national newspapers. News from NER would be hard to find, save some outrageous terror attack, and election news would be limited to two minute mention on so-called national news channels, not worthy of any discussion or debate.
Northeast was like a warehouse containing a vote bank, to be opened and dusted when elections were around and votes collected with the help of the church, separatists and some obscure Muslim leaders. Once a party got elected, its leaders could go back home and enjoy loot from central grants and supposed development works, that were hardly completed. With advent of PM Modi the neglected corner of the house got due importance as the most important corner of sacred Asht Laxmi whose progress would define the progress of Bharat.
Last 8 years have changed the face of NER the way no citizen of the region had even imagined. Citizens of the ancient land of Pragjyotishpur, of Parshuram Kund or Idu Mishmi tribe, and so on who identified themselves with clans of Mahabharat; Tripura people who have written records of 1000s of years with links to other kingdoms of Bharat, but were never treated as Bharatiyas felt one with the nation. They are no more aliens in their own land.
Has this change been sudden and just over last 9 years? No, it is a process of years of hard work of unsung heroes. The first step to complement the work of these noble souls was establishment of special ministry for North east by first BJP-led government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
I will not recount the immense development work with statistics as it has already been discussed by many. Suffice to say that no dimension of inclusive development is left out. People feel happy and optimistic about their future.
These victories of BJP or regional alliances under NEDA with BJP are not just political manipulations. Governments in 2018 with BJP were seen as result of manipulations of Himanta Biswa Sarma and Amit Shah. But this win of 2023 cannot be termed by any turn of imagination as manipulation. It shows consolidation of national sentiments in this region; supposedly the hotbed of separatism and rebellion which could never be calmed or won over.
North east in mainstream
A national party with a tag of Hindutva and communal that was an anathema to NE, specially the church, got support from Christian majority states after five years of being part of some governments there. In Tripura it got reconfirmation from Tripura people in a tough scenario of Left- Congress alliance on one side and a tribal party led by a former royalty on the other. These developments indicated acceptance of inclusive growth model of BJP. For an ‘outsider’ ‘Hindu’ party to gain 51 per cent in Nagaland, 41 per cent in Meghalaya and 39 per cent votes in Tripura with alliance partners is stunning to say the least. It shows that sense of isolation and alienation is gone. Northeast has embraced the mainstream with enthusiasm. This is the real story.
From a region that didn’t celebrate August 15 and January 26 as many parts of Northeast region turned these days into 72-hour black days, a region where news about frequent blockades including 72 hour blockade of states like Manipur was treated as routine, frequent boycott calls of ‘outsiders’ were accepted as the fate of the people, where parallel governments collected their own taxes with receipt, this is an unbelievable change. Such incidents have gone down markedly. If a few exist, they are now private money-making rackets.
These changes show that what this region needed was brotherly compassion for its people, development and a better life, and treatment as equals. When Congress says, these are small states, it shows its contempt for our people. This shows what was wrong with our politics for so many years. Has this change been sudden and just over last 9 years? No, it is a process of years of hard work of unsung heroes who worked ceaselessly, selflessly for decades with their brethren. The first step to complement the work of these noble souls was establishment of special ministry for Northeast by first BJP led government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. Unfortunately, the rhythm broke in next 10 years when the Congress led alliance had a PM who was elected a Rajya Sabha MP for those 10 years.
Nations are not built on lecturing foreign audience, grabbing Social Media and TV headlines.
The process I talk about, began nearly 70 years back when RSS sent out a batch of 10 prachaaraks in 1950 to the region, called Assam at the time. Shri Eknath Ranade, the then Sarkaryavaah had visited the then Assam (entire North East and NEFA at that time) for a month. He returned to Maharashtra and went to the Sangh Shiksha Varg (one month long training camp). He talked to the Sanghchaalak of Maharashtra Shri Babarao Bhide, seeking large number of Prachaaraks for Assam; telling him that if Sangh didn’t start work in a big way now, entire Assam would be lost to Bharat in next 30 years due to the activities of the Church and separatists working under its guidance. He gave a lecture in this camp and immediately got a response as mentioned above.
It was an uphill task, with no resources, no social or political support and a hostile terrain controlled by the Church of various hues that was there since 1836. There was persecution, threats, and violence against RSS Karyakartas and Prachaaraks. This experience was uniform for the Prachaaraks of NER whom I met during my research for my thesis and book
“Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way”. In such a situation work was carried on by opening schools in remote areas, beginning Sewa work and starting projects for self-reliance for tribals. Other organisations like Ram Krishna Mission too were working in the field of health and education and have a wonderful network there.
Support to indegenous people
Indigenous faiths that were under attack by church, were given moral support to revive their culture and centuries old traditions. Importance given to northeast can be gauged from the fact that that Maharashtra was asked by RSS leadership to ‘adopt’ NER. Which meant sending Prachaaraks regularly to the region, arranging for resources, opening hostels for students in Maharashtra and so on. You will not find any Maharashtra Prachaarak who has not spent years in northeast including the current Sarsanghchaalak Mohan Ji Bhagwat.
Another important pointer was the second VHP conference after Prayag inaugural in 1964. It was held in Assam where leaders of various tribes were invited. Some purists and ‘progressives’ argued that they were not Hindus as they worshipped nature, animals and ate beef. Response of Shri Guruji was that all Hindus worship nature and animals. Beef eating habit was formed due to compulsions of the region and they will change as better diets are made available. Thus, began the renaissance of indigenous faiths. It is gathering steam slowly but surely.
My favourite story if of an elderly teacher Bhaiyya Ji Kane, who left a suburb of Thane in Maharashtra, inspired by Shri Guruji to start a school in Ukhrool in Manipur, just 6 km from Myanmar border, where it took 2 days to trek and reach. He left one of his students as a security to take along young school children to Mumbai to create a sense of integration in their minds who like most people in the region believed that India was a different country and they were ‘outsiders’. By the way, that student, Jayant, now works for education in NER. This is how student exchange programme and education of tribal children began in Maharashtra. ABVP came up with ‘Students Experience in Interstate Living’ for students exchange and families in Maharashtra adopted children from NER in their families and taking care of their education. Many of the current politicians in NER have gone through this process. Many successful sportspersons have got support from Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in their formative years.
Attacks on Swayamsewaks
It was not an easy path for these unsung heroes. Four Prachaarak were kidnapped in 1999 and brutally killed after many days of captivity. This did not deter others from working. When a young swayamsevak, Vinay, in Dapoli in Maharashtra heard of the incident, he didn’t flinch and decided to become Prachaarak in northeast. A Khasi leader Rijoy Singh was killed because he supported Vishwa Hindu Parishad. A Bodo leader Bineshwar Brahmo was killed because he supported Devanagari script for Bodo language. Language is a powerful tool of colonisation if you read the history of collaboration between the Church and colonialists.
It was not an easy path for these unsung heroes. Four Prachaarak were kidnapped in 1999 and brutally killed after many days of captivity. This did not deter others from working
August 15 and January 26 were not celebrated in many regions of the NER. They were celebrated as Black Day, sometimes lasting 72 hours. RSS inspired workers began celebrating them in Sewa Bharati projects and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram schools despite threats. When tribes like Brus, Dimasas and Chakmas who refused to convert, were attacked by Church inspired terrorists, RSS inspired organisations supported them. They were also there during any natural disaster.
It is on this penance of years of such hard work that Modi Ji began the humungous task of turning around NER. As we know now, Modi Ji travelled there 51 times, more than all the PMs put together till then and that a central minister visits the region every 15 days. The people of the region, for the first time enjoyed the fruits of development that came at a very rapid pace. It was not a trickle of favours. Slowly, the wheels of change turned. No more blockades, no more bandhs and big reduction of militancy – everything followed.
This is the reason, I noted that 2023 elections of NER are not a matter politics, of electoral victory or of voting percentages. It is story of bringing North east region into mainstream and bringing a sense of integration both in that region and the entire nation, where a lone Mary Kom was not a matter of curiosity because she became world champion but a line-up of sports champions came out and were celebrated all over the Bharat. It is this irreversible change that we celebrate. Political parties come and go, but Bharat has turned the tide against divisive politics and breaking India forces.
