This article takes a critical look at the relationship between subnational struggles, tribal politics and political aspirations in Mizoram, North‐east India. It examines how community dynamics and relationships shape the demand for autonomy in a diverse and complex region like North‐east India. Looking at communities registered as tribes in the government scheme of classification, it underlies how autonomy becomes an arena where communities mobilise both against the central state and within themselves. The paper examines the formation of Lushai Hills District Council and the Pawi–Lakher Regional Council (PLRC) in Mizoram, their subsequent development as in the case of the Mizo Hill District Council to Union Territory and statehood and the split in the case of the PLRC into three distinct autonomous councils. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, it notes that while territorial autonomy requires recognition and legitimation from the state, the way ethnic groups deploy demands for autonomy is inspired, if not instigated, by the nature of the relationship and interface within and across communities.
Hydropower is now emerging as an important economic driver in Northeast India. A rapid drive for damming the rivers of the region is underway which is speeding up at a rapid pace after the post-reform period in particular. This article uses the framework of securitisation to analyse the broader development politics in Northeast India. It does so by taking the case of hydropower projects with a specific focus on Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur. Developmental efforts, the article argues, in the Northeast are embedded within the securitised discourse exacerbating conflicts between the state and the people over rights and resources. This article will emphasise on the continuing imposition of securitised discourse in the region and explicates the people’s response to it.
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