The arrest of Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Rural Works Department Tingpong Wangham and a former minister TL Rajkumar on 1 May 2003 under the Arunachal Pradesh Control of Organized Crime Act, 2002 (APCOCA) for their alleged nexus with insurgents of the Nationalist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) has raised questions on the morality of politics in the States directly or indirectly affected by insurgency. The reality remains that the honeymoon between politics and insurgency in the northeast (similar to the criminal-politician nexus in mainland India) continues to be commonplace and reflects the real politik in the region.

Not so long ago, on 6 October 2002, the then Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr FA Khonglam, said that he had enough evidence against three ministers in his cabinet from the Garo Hills both from the Congress Party and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as having a nexus with a banned militant organization – the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC). Khonglam refused to name the trio and said that a Crime Investigation Department (CID) inquiry report would be submitted in November 2002. Khonglam appeared to have taken up the task of cleansing the politics of the State which has a history of hobnobbing with the militancy. Seven months later, in May 2003, people are still in the dark about identifying the corrupt three out of the 24 MLAs from the Garo Hills.

In the neighbouring State of Manipur, speaking at Porompat, the district headquarters of Imphal East District on 28April 2003, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said that he had received reports of some ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and bureaucrats visiting the base camp of underground outfits. He warned that stern action would be taken against such persons if they are found maintaining links with the UGs (a favourite expression in the State to describe insurgents). Going by precedents, the revelation is not expected to cause much impression.

The increasing number of insurgencies in India’s northeast derives strength and support from a mind-boggling medley of ethnic demands and nostalgic memories of history. Concomitantly, insurgencies have created strange bedfellows between the politicians and militants in the States of the region. The support for the brethren in arms goes far beyond natural sympathy for the ‘sons of the soil’ and degenerates into a collusive arrangement for mutual benefit. Media periodically reports on such incidents, but there is no perceptible change in the ground situation. The demand for more security forces and the nexus with the militants go hand in hand.

Police in Meghalaya seized on April 7 a State pool car allotted to a former Minister Adolf Lu Hitler R Marak which continued in his possession even two months after he ceased to be a minister. This car was used by two ANVC militants for transporting a person from Mizoram who claimed to be a mediator between the ANVC and the Union Government. All three were arrested at Weiloi near Mawsysnram village along the Indo-Bangladesh border. A media report quoted the Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) saying ‘We will act only when time comes.’ Marak has till today managed to be blessed by the providential ‘time factor’ and has got away with the excuse quoted by the DGP in the same media report ‘He (Marak) has said the government vehicle was taken away by the guerrillas when he was away.’

On 7 October 2002, the son of a Congress Minister PW Muktieh from Mawhati in Meghalaya was arrested from Mawlai (a hub of HNLC activity) along with five HNLC cadres. The Minister vouched for his son’s innocence. The proximity between the politicians and the insurgents received confirmation from none other than the commander in chief of ANVC, Jerome Momin, who informed the media 17 October 2002 that certain politicians had used the outfit’s name to win elections in the past. He warned them of dire consequences if they repeat this in the elections to be held in February 2003.  

It is probably no one’s duty to comment on the slide of politics in the region considering the state of affairs in most of the States in the country. However, the fact remains that this nexus in the northeast contributes significantly to the continuation of conflict by acting as a force-multiplier for the insurgents. The sooner the slide is arrested, the better it will be for the state of governance in the region.