The North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) – a political coalition formed on 24 May 2016 with much enthusiasm by the BJP had a clear intent of uniting non-Congress parties in North East India. Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma was appointed Convenor of this political front. The founding political parties of the NEDA included the Naga People’s Front (NPF) Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF). Later other parties that formed governments in coalition with the BJP such as the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) of Meghalaya also joined the Alliance. Since its formation NEDA has not made much headway. It did little to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Manipur when the ethnic violence erupted. Efforts to broker peace between the warring parties – the Kuki-Zo and Meiteis and bring about a rapprochement were not even attempted.
In fact, not much is heard about NEDA these days because Assam which is playing the lead role in this Alliance happens to have border conflicts with nearly all the states bordering it such as Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Some of these border skirmishes have led to violent confrontations resulting in deaths. NEDA was supposed to be the Agency to get chief ministers of the states that share borders with Assam to sit across the table and talk things out in a spirit of give and take. But that has not happened. Neither has there been a common development agenda for the region so that they develop together and no one state is left behind. As the Convenor of NEDA the Assam Chief Minister is supposed to take a more mature stance and consult all the other partner states in the illegal migrant eviction issue which has become the tinder box in Assam. Without a proper action plan between the neighbouring states they now fear that the eviction process would result in inflow into their states. There is tension now between Nagaland and Assam on this issue. If the evicted alleged illegal migrants start taking shelter along the Meghalaya border, there will be tension in this state too. What is the point of a political front of all seven states if there is no conversation about solving common problems?
The exit of senior BJP functionary Mhonlumo Kikon who has been in the BJP since 2013 and has also been the Party’s its national spokesperson is a clear sign that senior BJP members in the North East are not happy with the BJP and NEDA. The manner in which the two nuns from Chattisgarh were accused of forced conversion without any proof and then thrown in prison has sent shockwaves in the region, especially in Christian majority states like Nagaland and Mizoram. The current climate of oppression of religious minorities has forced BJP leaders to reconsider their alliance with the Party. Kikon is not easily replaceable because he carries weight as an articulate leader, writer, poet, a loyal karyakarta and prabhari (in charge) of Mizoram during its election. Will the attrition claim more casualties? Only time will tell.
