order to counter violent activities of one community, the governments instigated
or armed another community and in this way, kept alive the tensions instead of
solving them.

The Central Government also stepped up the deployment of armed forces in
these areas to reduce tension and bring peace. Three factors influenced the use of
armed forces in the North Eastern region: firstly, the fact that it was a sensitive
border area adjacent to China, Burma (now Myanmar) and Bangladesh; secondly,
the rebel groups often demanded separation from India and procured arms and help
from outside forces; and thirdly, the fact that these rebel groups indulged in large
scale ethnic violence against minority communities. As the Indian armed forces
entered this difficult terrain, it led to suspension of civil liberties and freedom and
also to giving abnormal powers to the army. The government thought that this was
the only way to bring about peace in the area.

Thus, what started as a problem between Bengalis and Assamese developed
into a complex inter-community conflict in a very sensitive area. The problem of
ethnic identities and ethnic assertion, therefore, requires a broad minded approach
rather than narrow minded and quick solutions.

  • In what ways do you think is the Assam movement similar or different from the
    movement of NTR in Andhra Pradesh?
  • Organise a debate in your class on the following themes:
    Only one community should live in a region and all posts and trade-business should
    be in the hands of the people of that specific community only or all people of
    India should be free to move from one part to another and settle and work in
    places of their choice.
  • Will an open policy of free movement of people cause rich and powerful outsiders
    to buy up all land and resources and leave the original people of a locality poor
    and impoverished?




The Punjab Agitation

At the other end of India, another movement for autonomy was taking shape in
the State of Punjab. Here too, the difference in language and religion of the dominant
population became a point of mobilisation. Here also the grouse was that the
contribution of the State was being ignored. They also believed that the State had
received an unfair bargain when it was created. It laid claims to the new capital city
of Chandigarh which remained a union territory directly administered by the Centre.
Punjab also claimed more water from Bhakra Nangal dam and greater recruitment
of Sikhs in the army.

The Akali Dal had passed a set of resolutions in 1978 during the Janata Party
rule in the centre, calling upon the central government to implement them. Its



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