Antoniojaw at 15:02, 2 October 2025

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{{Short description|Sushanta Chowdhury (Minister of Tripura)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| above = Northeast India
| image = [[File:India-locator-map-NE.svg|235px|border|Location of Northeast India]]
| caption = Location of Northeast states within India
| label1 = [[Population]]
| data1 = 38,857,769
| label2 = [[Geography of India|Area]]
| data2 = {{convert|262,230|km2|abbr=on}}
| label3 = [[Population density]]
| data3 = {{convert|148|/km2|abbr=on}}
| label4 = [[Time zone]]
| data4 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] ([[UTC+5:30]])
| label5 = [[Altitude]]
| data5 =
| label6 = [[States and territories of India|States and territories]]
| data6 = [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Mizoram]], [[Nagaland]], [[Sikkim]], [[Tripura]]
| label7 = [[List of big cities in North East India|Largest cities]] (2008)
| data7 = [[Guwahati]], [[Dimapur]], [[Agartala]], [[Shillong]], [[Aizawl]],
| label8 = [[Official languages of India|Official languages]]
| data8 = [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Bodo language|Bodo]], [[English language|English]], [[Garo language|Garo]], [[Khasi language|Khasi]], [[Kokborok]], [[Meitei language|Meitei]], [[Mizo language|Mizo]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Pnar language|Pnar]], [[Sikkimese language|Sikkimese]]
| label9 = [[Religion]]
| data9 = [[Christianity]], [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]]
}}
'''Human rights issues in northeast India''' have been widely reported in the press and by human rights activists.<ref name=Bendangjungshi>{{cite book|last=Bendangjungshi|title=Confessing Christ in the Naga Context: Towards a Liberating Ecclesiology|year=2012|publisher=LIT Verlag Münster|isbn=978-3643900715|page=60}}</ref><ref name=Chakma>{{cite book|last=Chakma|first=Suhas|title=Racism Against Indigenous Peoples|year=2001|publisher=International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs|isbn=978-8790730468|editor=Marianne Jensen|page=204}}</ref> [[Northeast India]] refers to the north-easternmost region of [[India]] consisting of the states of [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Mizoram]], [[Nagaland]], [[Sikkim]], and [[Tripura]], as well as parts of northern [[West Bengal]] (districts of [[Darjeeling]], [[Jalpaiguri]], and [[Cooch Behar State|Koch Bihar]]).

==Background==
An ongoing separatist struggle has continued in the region since the late 1940s, making it the longest running separatist struggle in [[South Asia]]. There are multiple parties involved in the struggles including different ethnic groups and states, some of whom want total independence from India while others call for a restructuring of the states.<ref name=Nepram>{{Cite report
|author=Binalakshmi Nepram
|title=Gender Based Violence in Conflict Zones : Case Study of India's Northeast
|url=http://cequinindia.org/pdf/Special_Reports/GENDER-BASED%20VIOLENCE%20IN%20CONFLICT%20ZONES%20by%20Binalakshmi_Nepram.pdf
|publisher=Centre for Equity and Inclusion
|page=2
|accessdate=21 June 2012
}}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

There are existing territorial conflicts within the Northeastern states, including [[Manipur]] and [[Nagaland]], Nagaland and Assam, Meghalaya and Assam, and Mizoram and Assam. These are often based on historical border disputes and differing ethnic, tribal or cultural affinities.{{citation needed |date=August 2012}} There has been a number of [[Insurgency|insurgent activities]] and regional movements in all parts of the northeast, often unique in character to each state. Military action by the armed and paramilitary forces and political action have led to the intensity of these insurgencies fluctuating and to the resolution of the insurgency in Mizoram.{{citation needed |date=August 2012}}

Human rights abuses on the part of Indian forces in the area are frequently traced to immunity granted to Indian security forces under the [[Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act|Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958]]. The act has been criticized by [[Human Rights Watch]] as a "tool of state abuse, oppression and discrimination".<ref name=CouncilForeignRelations>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/17155/crisis_in_kashmir.html "Crisis in Kashmir"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111165624/http://www.cfr.org/publication/17155/crisis_in_kashmir.html |date=11 January 2011 }} [[Council on Foreign Relations]] </ref>

[[Human Rights Documentation Centre|The South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre]] argues that the governments' call for increased force is part of the problem.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/08/17/india-repeal-armed-forces-special-powers-act India: Repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act; 50th Anniversary of Law Allowing Shoot-to-Kill, Other Serious Abuses. Human Rights Watch]</ref>
{{quotation|"This reasoning exemplifies the vicious cycle which has been instituted in the North East due to the AFSPA. The use of the AFSPA pushes the demand for more autonomy, giving the people of the North East more reason to want to secede from a state which enacts such powers and the agitation which ensues continues to justify the use of the AFSPA from the point of view of the Indian Government."<ref>[http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/resources/armed_forces.htm AFSPA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410183225/https://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/resources/armed_forces.htm |date=10 April 2023 }} South Asian HRDC</ref>}}

A report by the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis points to multiple occurrences of violence by security forces against civilians in Manipur since the passage of the Act.<ref name=IDSAmAFSPA>[http://www.idsa.in/strategicanalysis/ManipurandArmedForcesSpecialPowerAct1958_akamboj_1004 Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, 'Manipur and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958'] "the alleged rape and killing of Manjab Manorama", "security forces have destroyed homes", "arrests without warrants", "widespread violations of humane rights", "The cases of Naga boys of Oinam village being tortured before their mothers by Assam rifles Jawans in July 1987; the killing of Amine Devi and her child of Bishnupur district on April 5, 1996 by a CRPF party; the abduction, torture and killing of 15-year-old Sanamacha of Angtha village by an Assam Rifles party on 12th February 1998; the shooting dead of 10 civilians by an Assam Rifles party in November 2000 are some of the glaring examples that are still fresh in the mind of Manipuris."</ref> The report states that residents believe that the provision for immunity of security forces urge them to act more brutally.<ref name=IDSAmAFSPA1>[http://www.idsa.in/publications/strategic-analysis/2004/oct/Anil%20Khamboj.pdf Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, 'Manipur and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712213448/http://www.idsa.in/publications/strategic-analysis/2004/oct/Anil%20Khamboj.pdf |date=12 July 2007 }}</ref>

==Examples==
{{see also|Human rights abuses in Assam|Human rights abuses in Manipur}}

Violence broke out between [[Bodo people|Bodo]] tribes and Bengali-speaking [[Muslim]] migrant settlers in the [[Kokrajhar]] district of Assam<ref>{{cite web|last=Hazarika|first=Sanjoy|title=Five days in Assam|website=The Hindu|date=2012-10-03|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/Five-days-in-Assam/article12543702.ece|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref> on 20 July 2012, leaving at least 40-45 people dead and approximately 1,70,000 displaced in the month of July.<ref>{{cite web|title=Assam’s sorrow|website=The Hindu|date=2012-07-25|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/assams-sorrow/article3683327.ece|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref> According to [[Human Rights Watch]], the fighting has led to a strict curfew, with police being given "shoot at sight" orders for curfew violators.<ref>Human Rights Watch, [https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/27/india-rescind-shoot-sight-orders-assam India: Rescind "Shoot at Sight" Orders in Assam], 27 July 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India's Assam issues 'shoot on sight' orders amid violence|website=BBC News|date=2012-07-24|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-18964870|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref> Multiple police shootings were reported after the order was given.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|title=Assam violence: 4 killed in police firing; toll reaches 25|website=Business Standard |date=2012-07-24|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/assam-violence-4-killed-in-police-firing-toll-reaches-25-112072400454_1.html|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=9 killed, 12 hurt in Assam violence, Curfew imposed|website=Hindustan Times|date=2012-07-21|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/9-killed-12-hurt-in-assam-violence-curfew-imposed/story-Sg5iK6AiylgjGukxhIvT2N.html|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref>

==Allegations of sexual assault==

Women are mostly raped or sexually assaulted<ref>{{cite web|last=Parashar|first=Utpal|title=Assam records highest cases of sexual violence by armed forces in 20 years: NGO|website=Hindustan Times|date=2020-11-01|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-records-highest-cases-of-sexual-violence-by-armed-forces-in-20-years-ngo/story-1xgc3y8MIIgHDh7SDIwhiN.html|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref> during military crackdowns where men of the villages or towns are gathered outside their homes and women are forced to stay indoors.<ref>{{cite web|last=Denyer|first=Simon|title=In India’s remote northeast, civilians challenge rape, killing by security forces.|website=Washington Post|date=2013-02-19|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-indias-remote-northeast-civilians-challenge-rape-killing-by-security-forces/2013/02/18/53cfd894-75ca-11e2-aa12-e6cf1d31106b_story.html|access-date=2024-11-19}}</ref> Furthermore, most of the raped go unreported due to the social stigma and fear of backlash.<ref name="Yengkhom">{{cite journal|date=4 October 2002|title=Fear of rape: The experience of women in Northeast India|url=http://alrc.asia/article2/2002/10/fear-of-rape-the-experience-of-women-in-northeast-india/|journal=Article 2|publisher=Asian Human Rights Commission|volume=1|issue=5|issn=1811-7023|author2=Meihoubam Rakesh|accessdate=21 June 2012|author=Nonibala Devi Yengkhom|archive-date=5 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105161716/http://alrc.asia/article2/2002/10/fear-of-rape-the-experience-of-women-in-northeast-india/|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{bcn|date=November 2024}}

== See also ==
*[[Insurgency in North East India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Social issues in India}}
[[Category:Human rights abuses in India]]
[[Category:Rape in India]]
[[Category:Human rights by region]]
[[Category:Discrimination in India]]

Human rights issues in Northeast India - Revision history

Antoniojaw at 15:02, 2 October 2025