Girish Linganna
In May 2023, violent ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur, the northeastern state bordering Myanmar. The conflict was sparked by one group’s push to be officially recognized as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian Constitution. The violence quickly spread across large parts of the state and, within nearly a year after the initial clashes, around 220 people had lost their lives. Over 1,100 people were injured and approximately 60,000 were forced to leave their homes.
Journalists have often reported on the cultivation of poppy and drug trafficking from Myanmar to India, a trend the home ministry reports have confirmed periodically, as well. The government admits that drug use in North-East India is a “serious problem”. However, new issues, such as drug syndicates and smugglers working with Nigerian cartels, have made the situation even more complex and difficult to control, according to The Diplomat.
Advanced Monitoring Systems
India’s northeastern states, often called the ‘Seven Sisters’, have long been connected to cross-border drug trafficking. This trade is part of the ‘Golden Triangle’, with Myanmar, where Myanmar is a key player in the global drug market. Because of this, the Indian police have been given the authority to use government rules and laws to crack down on drug trafficking in the region.
Regular ‘vulnerability mapping’ is done along the 1,642-kilometre border with Myanmar to improve surveillance using electronic equipment. In some northeastern states, long-range reconnaissance, observation tools and battlefield surveillance radars have also been set up.
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