Unemployment, Youth Frustration Fueling Insurgency in Northeast, Warns Expert

The opening session of 'The Conclave 2025' turned the spotlight on one of the region’s most urgent issues- the Northeast’s border situation. With the theme “Northeast at the Borders,” the discussion set the stage for serious conversations about security, opportunities, and the future of communities living along India’s most sensitive frontiers.

The session was moderated by Mrinal Talukdar, Consulting Editor of Pratidin Time, and featured a panel of experts with deep knowledge of the region. Among them were Prof. M. Amarjeet Singh from Jamia Millia Islamia, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, and Dr. Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman, Visiting Associate Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi.

The panelists reflected on how the Northeast, surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, often finds itself at the crossroads of opportunity and conflict.

Offering a sharp perspective, Prof. M. Amarjeet Singh warned that the growing discontent among educated youth in the Northeast could fuel unrest. “There is a lot of discontentment among the youth, especially the educated sections, when they do not find suitable employment. We have seen in Nepal and Bangladesh that such frustrations led to movements driven by young, educated people. In the Northeast too, the situation is very similar,” he observed.

He explained that the lack of jobs and opportunities has become one of the root causes behind insurgent movements in the region. Unless this frustration is addressed, he warned, the cycle of instability could continue.

“What happened in Bangladesh and Nepal, where young people led big movements, can also happen here,” Singh warned.

Singh also connected the turmoil in neighboring countries to the situation in the Northeast. Pointing to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, he said thousands of people fleeing violence have crossed into states like Manipur and Mizoram. “The problems in our immediate neighborhood- whether in Bangladesh, Myanmar, or elsewhere- have repercussions here. Issues like human trafficking, smuggling, and unauthorized movement across borders are directly linked to instability in the Northeast,” he said.

“The influx of people fleeing bloodshed and violence in Myanmar is causing internal conflict within the Northeast. With diverse ethnic communities already grappling with sensitive issues, such migration risks deepening divisions and sparking new tensions,” he added.

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