India-Myanmar Border Realities: Observations from the border village of Longwa on Security Issues.

The Indo-Myanmar border, an international border with rugged hills and valleys stretches over 1,643 kilometres, reflecting the rich diversity of India’s Northeast and Myanmar. There are people who have spoken different languages and practiced distinct cultures and religions. Under the colonial administration this region was kept outside, but when the border was hastily demarcated in 1947, it divided traditional homelands of ethnic groups. However, both India and Myanmar agreed to uphold a ‘free border regime’ allowing the unhindered movement of people across the boundary. For decades, much of the border region remained inaccessible due to limited connectivity and persistent unrest, which also hindered research and detailed documentation. Nonetheless, significant changes are now evident across different spheres of life in the Longwa village due to its uniqueness. There has been improvement in communication infrastructure, however compared to many other villages in the rest of the country, this village needs particular attention, not only being a border village, but also how poverty, illiteracy and unemployment has encouraged the youth to join insurgent groups. This village also acts as a transit route for many insurgents hiding in Myanmar, often trafficking drugs and armaments. The security concerns in this village needs urgent attention from the central government. This paper aims to examine the border realities of this village Longwa situated in the Indo-Myanmar border.