Northeast India

Northeast India
Country	India
States and territories	Arunachal Pradesh Assam Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Sikkim Tripura
Largest city	Guwahati
Most populous cities (2011)	Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar Naharlagun Pasighat Aalo Seppa Assam: Guwahati Silchar Jorhat Dibrugarh Nagaon Manipur: Imphal Thoubal Kakching Ukhrul Lilong Meghalaya: Shillong Tura Mawlai Nongthymmai Madanrting Mizoram: Aizawl Lunglei Champhai Saiha Kolasib Nagaland: Dimapur Kohima Tuensang Mokokchung Wokha Sikkim: Gangtok Namchi Rangpo Jorethang Rhenak Tripura: Agartala Dharmanagar Udaipur Kailasahar Khowai
Area
• Total	262,230 km2 (101,250 sq mi)
Population (2011 Census of India)
• Total	45,772,188
• Density	170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Official languages	Assamese Bodo Garo Khasi Kokborok Meitei (Manipuri) Gorkhali Hindi English Bengali

Northeast India (officially called North Eastern Region, NER) is the eastern-most region of India. It comprises eight states – the contiguous Seven Sister States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura), and the Himalayan state of Sikkim. The Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal, with a width of 21 to 40 kilometres (13 to 25 mi),^[1] connects the North Eastern Region with East India, and separates Sikkim from the Seven Sister States. The region shares more than 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) of international border with China (Tibet Region) in the north, Myanmar in the east, Bangladesh in the southwest, and Bhutan to the northwest.^[1] The region comprises an area of 262,230 square kilometres, 8.0 percent of India.

The states of North Eastern Region are officially recognised under the North Eastern Council (NEC),^[2] constituted in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the eight states. At the time of induction of NEC, the North Eastern Region comprised the Seven Sister States only. Sikkim was introduced as the eighth member in 2002.^[3][4] Sikkim is the least populous and the second smallest state in India.

History

The earliest settlers were Austro-Asiatic speakers,^[5] followed by Tibeto-Burmese^[6] and lastly by Indo-Aryans.^[7] Due to the bio- and crop diversity of the region, archaeological researchers believe that early settlers of Northeast India had domesticated several important plants.^[8] Writers believe that the 100 BC writings of Chinese explorer, Zhang Qian indicate an early trade route via Northeast India.^[9] The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mention a people called Sêsatai in the region,^[10] who produced malabathron, so prized in the old world.^[11]

In the early historical period (most of first millennium), Kamarupa straddled most of present-day Northeast India, besides Bhutan and Sylhet in Bangladesh. Xuanzang, a travelling Chinese Buddhist monk, visited Kamarupa in the 7th century. He described the people as "short in stature and black-looking", whose speech differed a little from mid-India and who were of simple but violent disposition. He wrote that the people in Kamarupa knew of Sichuan, which lay to the kingdom's east beyond a treacherous mountain.^[12] For many of the tribal peoples, their primary identification is with subtribes and villages, which have distinct dialects and cultures.

The northeastern states were established during the British Raj of the 19th and early 20th centuries, when they became relatively isolated from traditional trading partners such as Bhutan and Myanmar.^[13] Many of the peoples in present-day Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland converted to Christianity under the influence of British (Welsh) missionaries.

Formation of North Eastern states

In the early 19th century, both the Ahom and the Manipur kingdoms fell to a Burmese invasion. The ensuing First Anglo-Burmese War resulted in the entire region coming under British control. In the colonial period (1826-1947), North East India was made a part of Bengal Province from 1839 to 1873, when Assam became its own province.^[14]

After Indian Independence from British Rule in 1947, the Northeastern region of British India consisted of Assam and the princely states of Manipur and Tripura. Subsequently, Nagaland in 1963, Meghalaya in 1972, Arunachal Pradesh in 1975 (capital changed to Itanagar) (formed on 20 February 1987) and Mizoram in 1987 were formed out of the large territory of Assam.^[15] Manipur and Tripura remained as Union Territories of India between 1956 until 1972, when they attained fully-fledged statehood. Sikkim was integrated as the eighth North Eastern Council state in 2002.^[3]

The city of Shillong served as the capital of the Assam province created during British Rule. It remained as the capital of undivided Assam until formation of the state of Meghalaya in 1972.^[16] The capital of Assam was shifted to Dispur, a part of Guwahati, and Shillong was designated as the capital of Meghalaya.

State	Historic Name	Capital	Statehood
Arunachal Pradesh	North-East Frontier Agency	Itanagar	1987 (earlier a Union Territory of India, constituted in 1972)
Assam	Pragjyotisha, Kamarupa Main article: Etymology of Assam	Dispur	1947
Manipur	Kangleipak[17]	Imphal	1972 (earlier a Union Territory of India, constituted in 1956)
Meghalaya		Shillong	1972
Mizoram	Lushai	Aizawl	1987 (earlier a Union Territory of India, constituted in 1972) [18]
Nagaland		Kohima	1963
Sikkim		Gangtok	1975
Tripura	Tipperah [19]	Agartala	1972 (earlier a Union Territory of India, constituted in 1956)

World War II

In 1944, the Japanese planned a daring attack on India. Traveling through Burma, its forces were stopped at Kohima and Imphal by British and Indian troops. This marked the furthest western expansion of the Japanese Empire; its defeat in this area presaged Allied victory .

Sino-Indian War (1962)

Arunachal Pradesh, a state in the Northeastern tip of India, is claimed by China as South Tibet. Sino-Indian relations degraded, resulting in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The cause of the escalation into war is still disputed by both Chinese and Indian sources. During the war in 1962, the PRC (China) captured much of the NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) created by India in 1954. But on 21 November 1962, China declared a unilateral ceasefire, and withdrew its troops 20 kilometres (12 mi) behind the McMahon Line. It returned Indian prisoners of war in 1963.^[20]

21st century separatist unrest

In 1947 Indian independence and partition resulted in the North East becoming a landlocked region. This exacerbated the isolation that has been recognised, but not studied. East Pakistan controlled access to the Indian Ocean.^[21] The mountainous terrain has hampered the construction of road and railways connections in the region.

Some political groups have argued for creating states independent of India. On 2 November 2000, in Malom, a town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur, ten civilians were shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop. The incident, known as the "Malom Massacre",^[22][23] was allegedly committed by the Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary forces operating in the state.^[24][25] This incident resulted in continuing unrest in the area.

The militant groups have formed an alliance to fight against the governments of India, Bhutan, and Myanmar, and now use the term "Western Southeast Asia" (WESEA) to refer to the region.^[26] The separatist groups include the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Pro (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) of Meghalaya, Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO), which operates in Assam and North Bengal, National Democratic Front of Bodoland and ULFA of Assam and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).^[27]

Geography

The Northeast region can be physiographically categorised into the Eastern Himalaya, the Patkai and the Brahmaputra and the Barak valley plains. Northeast India (at the confluence of Indo-Malayan, Indo-Chinese, and Indian biogeographical realms) has a predominantly humid sub-tropical climate with hot, humid summers, severe monsoons, and mild winters. Along with the west coast of India, this region has some of the Indian sub-continent's last remaining rain forests, which support diverse flora and fauna and several crop species. Reserves of petroleum and natural gas in the region are estimated to constitute a fifth of India's total potential.

The region is covered by the mighty Brahmaputra-Barak river systems and their tributaries. Geographically, apart from the Brahmaputra, Barak and Imphal valleys and some flat lands in between the hills of Meghalaya and Tripura, the remaining two-thirds of the area is hilly terrain interspersed with valleys and plains; the altitude varies from almost sea-level to over 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) above MSL. The region's high rainfall, averaging around 10,000 millimetres (390 in) and above, creates problems of ecosystem, high seismic activity, and floods. The states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have a montane climate with cold, snowy winters and mild summers.

High risk seismic zone

The North Eastern Region of India is a mega-earthquake prone zone caused by active fault planes beneath formed by the convergence of three tectonic plates viz. India Plate, Eurasian Plate and Burma Plate. Historically the region has suffered from two great earthquakes (M > 8.0) - 1897 Assam earthquake and 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake - and about 20 large earthquakes (8.0 > M > 7.0) since 1897^[28][29]. The 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake is still the largest earthquake in India.

Climate

Northeast India has a subtropical climate that is influenced by its relief and influences from the southwest and northeast monsoons.^[30][31] The Himalayas to the north, the Meghalaya plateau to the south and the hills of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur to the east influences the climate.^[32] Since monsoon winds originating from the Bay of Bengal move northeast, these mountains force the moist winds upwards, causing them to cool adiabatically and condense into clouds, releasing heavy precipitation on these slopes.^[32] It is the rainiest region in the country, with many places receiving an average annual precipitation of 2,000 mm (79 in), which is mostly concentrated in summer during the monsoon season.^[32] Cherrapunji, located on the Meghalaya plateau is the rainiest place in the world with an annual precipitation of 11,418.7 mm (449.6 in).^[32] Temperatures are moderate in the Brahmaputra and Barak valley river plains which decreases with altitude in the hilly areas.^[32] At the highest altitudes, there is permanent snow cover.^[32]

Temperature

Temperatures vary by altitude with the warmest places being in the Brahmaputra and Barak River plains and the coldest at the highest altitudes.^[33] It is also influenced by proximity to the sea with the valleys and western areas being close to the sea, which moderates temperatures.^[33] Generally, temperatures in the hilly and mountainous areas are generally lower than the plains which lie at a lower altitude.^[34] Summer temperatures tend to be more uniform than winter temperatures due to high cloud cover and humidity.^[35]

In the Brahmaputra and Barak valley river plains, mean winter temperatures vary between 16 to 17 °C (61 to 63 °F) while mean summer temperatures are around 28 °C (82 °F).^[33] The highest summer temperatures occur in the West Tripura plain with Agartala, the capital of Tripura having mean maximum summer temperatures ranging between 33 to 35 °C (91 to 95 °F) in April.^[36] The highest temperatures in summer occur before the arrival of monsoons and thus eastern areas have the highest temperatures in June and July where the monsoon arrives later than western areas.^[36] In the Cachar Plain, located south of the Brahmaputra plain, temperatures are higher than the Brahmaputra plain although the temperature range is smaller owing to higher cloud cover and the monsoons that moderate night temperatures year round.^[36][34]

In the mountainous areas of Arunachal Pradesh, the Himalayan ranges in the northern border with India and China experience the lowest temperatures with heavy snow during winter and temperatures that drop below freezing.^[34] Areas with altitudes exceeding 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) receive snowfall during winters and have cool summers.^[34] Below 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) above sea level, winter temperatures reach up to 15 °C (59 °F) during the day with nights dropping to zero while summers are cool, with a mean maximum of 25 °C (77 °F) and a mean minimum of 15 °C (59 °F).^[34] In the hilly areas of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, winters are cold while summers are cool.^[35]

The plains in Manipur has colder winter minimums than what is warranted by its elevation owing to being surrounded by hills on all sides.^[37] This is due to temperature inversions during winter nights when cold air descends from the hills into the valleys below and its geographic location which prevents winds that bring hot temperatures and humidity from coming into the Manipur plain.^[37]

Rainfall

The southwest monsoon is responsible for bringing 90% of the annual rainfall to the region.^[38] April to late October are the months where most of the rainfall in Northeast India occurs with June and July being the rainiest months.^[38] Southern areas are the first to receive the monsoon (May or June) with the Brahmaputra valley and the mountainous north receiving later (later May or June).^[38] In the hilly parts of Mizoram, the closer proximity to the Bay of Bengal causes it to experience early monsoons with June being the wettest season.^[38]

Flora

WWF has identified the entire Eastern Himalayas as a priority Global 200 Ecoregion. Conservation International has upscaled the Eastern Himalaya Hotspot, which initially covered the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling Hills, Bhutan, and Southern China, to the Indo Burma (Hotspot) which now includes all the eight states of North-East India, along with the neighbouring countries of Bhutan, southern China and Myanmar.

The population and diversity of the region’s birds largely reflects the diversity of habitats associated with a wide altitudinal range. North East India supports some of the highest bird diversities in the Orient, with about 850 bird species. The Eastern Himalaya and the Assam plains have been identified as an Endemic Bird Area by the Royal Society for Protection of Birds, (ICBP 1992). The global distribution of 24 restricted-range species is limited to the region. The region’s lowland and montane moist-to-wet tropical evergreen forests are considered to be the northernmost limit of true tropical rainforests in the world.^[39]

The region has been identified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research as a centre of rice germplasm. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), India, has highlighted the region as being rich in wild relatives of crop plants. It is the centre of origin of citrus fruits. Two primitive variety of maize, Sikkim Primitive 1 and 2, have been reported from Sikkim (Dhawan, 1964). Although jhum cultivation, a traditional system of agriculture, is often cited as a reason for the loss of forest cover of the region, this primary agricultural economic activity practised by local tribes supported the cultivation of 35 varieties of crops. The region is rich in medicinal plants and many other rare and endangered taxa. Its high endemism in both higher plants, vertebrates, and avian diversity has qualified it as a biodiversity ‘hotspot.’ This aspect is elaborated in details in the subsequent sections. In 1995, the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh as a centre of plant diversity.

The following figures highlight the biodiversity significance of the region:^[40]

• 51 forest types are found in the region, broadly classified into six major types — tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical semi evergreen forests, tropical wet evergreen forests, subtropical forests, temperate forests and alpine forests.
• Out of the nine important vegetation types of India, six are found in the North Eastern region.
• These forests harbour 8,000 out of 15,000 species of flowering plants. In floral species richness, the highest diversity is reported from the states of Arunachal Pradesh (5000 species) and Sikkim (4500 species) amongst the North Eastern States.
• According to the Indian Red Data Book, published by the Botanical Survey of India, 10 percent of the flowering plants in the country are endangered. Of the 1500 endangered floral species, 800 are reported from North East India.
• Most of the North Eastern states have more than 60% of their area under forest cover, a minimum suggested coverage for the hill states in the country in order to protect from erosion.
• North East India is a part of Indo-Burma 'hotspot'. The hotspot is the world's second largest, next only to the Mediterranean basin, with an area 2,206,000 square kilometres (852,000 sq mi) among the 25 identified.

Fauna

• The International Council for Bird Preservation, UK identified the Assam plains and the Eastern Himalaya as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA). The EBA has an area of 220,000 km² following the Himalayan range in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Myanmar and the Indian states of Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, southern Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Because of a southward occurrence of this mountain range in comparison to other Himalayan ranges, this region has a distinctly different climate, with warmer mean temperatures and fewer days with frost, and much higher rainfall. This has resulted in the occurrence of a rich array of restricted-range bird species. More than two critically endangered species, three endangered species, and 14 vulnerable species of birds are in this EBA. Stattersfield et al. (1998) identified 22 restricted range species, out of which 19 are confined to this region and the remaining three are present in other endemic and secondary areas. Eleven of the 22 restricted-range species found in this region are considered as threatened (Birdlife International 2001), a number greater than in any other EBA of India.
• WWF has identified the following priority ecoregions in North-East India:

Brahmaputra Valley Semi Evergreen Forests

Eastern Himalayan Broadleaved Forests

Eastern Himalayan Sub-alpine Coniferous Forests

India–Myanmar Pine Forests

Forest reserves

• Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh
• Manas National Park, Barpeta, (Assam)
• Kaziranga National Park, Assam
• Orang National Park, Assam
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Morigaon, (Assam)
• Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura
• Keibul Lamjao National Park, Bishnupur district, (Manipur)
• Nokrek National Park, West Garo Hills (Meghalaya)
• Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh
• Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Tinsukia (Assam)

Highest mountains

Peak	State	Range/Region	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Coordinates
Kangchenjunga (shared with Nepal)	Sikkim	Eastern Himalaya	8,598	28,208	27°42′11″N 88°08′53″E / 27.703°N 88.148°E / 27.703; 88.148
Kangto (shared with Tibet)	Arunachal Pradesh	Eastern Himalaya	7,090	23,261	27°51′54″N 92°31′59″E / 27.865°N 92.533°E / 27.865; 92.533
Mount Saramati (Shared with Myanmar)	Nagaland	Naga Hills	3,841	12,602	25°44′31″N 95°01′59″E / 25.742°N 95.033°E / 25.742; 95.033
Mount Iso (also known as Tenipu)	Manipur	Senapati District	2,994	9,823	25°31′52″N 94°05′06″E / 25.531°N 94.085°E / 25.531; 94.085
Phawngpui	Mizoram	Saiha District	2,165	7,103	22°37′53″N 93°02′20″E / 22.6315°N 93.0388°E / 22.6315; 93.0388
Shillong Peak	Meghalaya	Khasi Hills	1,965	6,447	25°31′54″N 91°51′04″E / 25.5316°N 91.8512°E / 25.5316; 91.8512
Unnamed peak near Laike	Assam	Dima Hasao District	1,960	6,430	25°19′17″N 93°27′10″E / 25.32135°N 93.4529°E / 25.32135; 93.4529
Betalongchhip	Tripura	Jampui Hills	930	3,051	23°48′35″N 92°15′39″E / 23.809782°N 92.260971°E / 23.809782; 92.260971

Gallery

• 
  Mt. Kanchenjunga, Sikkim
• 
  Ropeway, Gangtok
• 
  Teesta River, Sikkim
• 
  Aizawl, Mizoram
• 
  Aerial view of Shillong
• 
  Dzükou Valley (Manipur)
• 
  Sela Pass, Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh)
• 
  Bhalukpong, Arunachal Pradesh
• 
  Loktak lake, Manipur
• 
  Majuli Island, Assam
• 
  Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunji
• 
  Living root bridge, Meghalaya

Demographics

State	Population	Males	Females	Sex Ratio	Literacy %	Rural Population	Urban Population	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
Arunachal Pradesh	1,383,727	713,912	669,815	938	65.38	870,087	227,881	83,743	17
Assam	31,205,576	15,939,443	15,266,133	958	72.19	23,216,288	3,439,240	78,438	397
Manipur	2,570,390	1,290,171	1,280,219	992	79.21	1,590,820	575,968	22,327	122
Meghalaya	2,966,889	1,491,832	1,475,057	989	74.43	1,864,711	454,111	22,429	132
Mizoram	1,097,206	555,339	541,867	976	91.33	447,567	441,006	21,081	52
Nagaland	1,978,502	1,024,649	953,853	931	79.55	1,647,249	342,787	16,579	119
Sikkim	610,577	323,070	287,507	890	81.42	480,981	59,870	7,096	86
Tripura	3,673,917	1,874,376	1,799,541	960	87.22	2,653,453	545,750	10,486	350

Largest cities in Northeast India

According to 2011 census, the largest cities in Northeast India are

Rank	City	Type	State	Population
1	Guwahati	UA	Assam	1,260,419
2	Agartala	UA	Tripura	522,613
3	Imphal	UA	Manipur	414,288
4	Dimapur	City	Nagaland	379,769
5	Shillong	UA	Meghalaya	354,325
6	Aizawl	City	Mizoram	291,822
7	Silchar	UA	Assam	228,985
8	Dibrugarh	UA	Assam	154,019
9	Jorhat	UA	Assam	153,249
10	Nagaon	UA	Assam	147,137
11	Tinsukia	UA	Assam	125,637
12	Dhubri	UA	Assam	109,234
13	Tezpur	UA	Assam	100,477
14	Kohima	UA	Nagaland	100,000
14	Gangtok	City	Sikkim	98,658
16	Itanagar	City	Arunachal Pradesh	95,650
UA: Urban Agglomeration[41]

Languages

Northeast India constitutes a single linguistic region with about 220 languages in multiple language families (Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Tai–Kadai, Austroasiatic)^[42] that share common structural features.^[43] Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language spoken mostly in the Brahmaputra Valley, developed as a lingua franca for many speech communities. Assamese-based pidgin/creoles have developed in Nagaland (Nagamese) and Arunachal (Nefamese),^[44] though their use has been on a decline in recent times. The Austro-Asiatic family is represented by the Khasi, Jaintia and War languages of Meghalaya. A small number of Tai–Kadai languages (Ahom, Tai Phake, Khamti, etc.) are also spoken. Sino-Tibetan is represented by a number of languages that differ significantly from each other,^[45] some of which are: Bodo, Rabha, Karbi, Mising, Tiwa, Deuri, Biate etc. (Assam); Garo, Biate (Meghalaya) Ao, Angami, Sema, Lotha, Konyak etc.(Nagaland); Mizo, Hmar, Chakma (Mizoram); Hrusso, Tanee, Nisi, Adi, Abor, Nocte, Apatani, Misimi etc. (Arunachal). Meitei is the official language in Manipur, the dominant language of the Imphal Valley; while Naga languages such as Mao, Maram, Rongmei (Kabui) and Tangkul, and Kuki languages such as Thadou, Hmar and Paite predominate in individual hill areas of the state.

Among other Indo-Aryan languages, Sylheti is spoken in South Assam in the Barak Valley. Besides the Sino-Tibetan Tripuri language, Bengali is a majority language in Tripura. Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language, is dominant in Sikkim, besides the Sino-Tibetan languages Limbu, Bhutia and Lepcha. Bengali was the official language of Colonial Assam for about forty years from the 1830s.

Official languages

State	Official Languages[46]
Arunachal Pradesh	Hindi, English
Assam	Assamese, Bengali (in the Barak Valley), Bodo (in Bodoland)
Manipur	Meiteilon
Meghalaya	Khasi, Pnar, Garo, Hindi, English
Mizoram	Mizo, English
Nagaland	English[47]
Sikkim	Nepali, English
Tripura	Bengali, Kokborok

Etymology of state names

Name of state	Origin	Literal meaning
Arunachal Pradesh	Sanskrit	Land of the rising sun
Assam	Sanskrit	Uneven - referring to the topography
Manipur	Sanskrit	Land of jewels
Meghalaya	Sanskrit	Abode of the clouds
Mizoram	Native Mizo language	Land of the Mizo people
Nagaland	English	Land of the Naga tribes
Sikkim	Limbu Language	New House - Derived from the word Sukhim, "Su" meaning New and "Khim" meaning House
Tripura	Sanskrit	Land of three cities

Endangered languages

Given the diverse population in the region with only a few widely spoken ones recognised as the official languages by both the state and central governments, a large number of languages from the North Eastern Region of India have become vulnerable. Without proper teaching and preservation efforts, the already underdeveloped literature of the endangered languages are on the verge of extinction. Additionally, the younger generation are rapidly adopting the widely spoken languages to secure employment and livelihood.^[48]

Religions

Religious population in North Eastern Region, according to 2011 Census of India^[49]

State	Hinduism	Islam	Christianity	Buddhism	Jainism	Sikhism	Other Religions	Religion Not Stated
Arunachal Pradesh	401,876	27,045	418,732	162,815	771	3,287	362,553	6,648
Assam	19,180,759	10,679,345	1,165,867	54,993	25,949	20,672	27,118	50,873
Manipur	1,181,876	239,836	1,179,043	7,084	1,692	1,527	233,767	10,969
Meghalaya	342,078	130,399	2,213,027	9,864	627	3,045	258,271	9,578
Mizoram	30,136	14,832	956,331	93,411	376	286	808	1,026
Nagaland	173,054	48,963	1,739,651	6,759	2,655	1,890	3,214	2,316
Sikkim	352,662	9,867	60,522	167,216	314	1,868	16,300	1,828
Tripura	3,063,903	316,042	159,882	125,385	860	1,070	1,514	5,261
Total	24,726,344	11,466,329	7,893,055	627,527	33,244	33,645	903,545	88,499

Ethnic Groups

Northeast India has over 220 ethnic groups and equal number of dialects in which Bodo form the largest indegenous ethnic group. The hills states in the region like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland are predominantly inhabited by tribal people with a degree of diversity even within the tribal groups. The region's population results from ancient and continuous flows of migrations from Tibet, Indo-Gangetic India, the Himalayas, present Bangladesh and Myanmar.^[50]

Major Communities

• 
  British India map of Northeast India by ethnicity, 1891
• 
  A Naga warrior in 1960
• 
  Bishnupuriya Bride
• 
  Shad suk Mynsiem, a Khasi festival
• 
  Aka tribe, Arunachal Pradesh
• 
  Mizo school girls
• 
  Women selling fruits in Senapati, Manipur
• 
  Princess of Sikkim in traditional royal dress

Culture

Northeast India cuisines

State	Staple diet	Popular dishes	Related article
Arunachal Pradesh	Rice, fish, meat, leaf vegetables	Thukpa, momo, apong (rice beer)	Cuisine of Arunachal Pradesh
Assam	Rice, fish, meat, green leafy vegetables	Assam tea, khar, tenga, pura, pitha, tamul (betel nut) - paan, rice beer	Assamese cuisine
Manipur	Rice, fish, local vegetables	Eromba, u-morok, singju, ngari (fermented fish), kangshoi	Cuisine of Manipur
Meghalaya	Rice, spiced meat, fish	Jadoh, ki kpu, minil, nakham (dried fish), momo, bamboo shoot	Cuisine of Meghalaya
Mizoram	Rice, fish, meat	Bai, bekang (fermented soya beans), sa-um (fermented pork), sawhchiar
Nagaland	Rice, meat, stewed or steamed vegetables	fermented bamboo shoot, smoked pork and beef, axone, bhut jolokia	Naga cuisine
Sikkim	Rice, meat, dairy products	Thukpa, momo, sha Phaley, gundruk, sinki, sel roti	Sikkimese cuisine
Tripura	Rice, fish, meat	Fish stew, bamboo shoot, fermented fish	Tripuri cuisine

• 
  Nagamese meal
• 
  Bhangui - ethnic food of Tripura
• 
  Paknam (Manipur)
• 
  Smoked freshwater fish (Manipur)
• 
  Thukpa - a popular Northeast India cuisine
• 
  North Sikkim meal
• 
  Assamese thali
• 
  Red rice with pork (Arunachal Pradesh)

Arts

Sattriya (from Assam) and Manipuri dance (from Manipur) have been listed as classical dances of India. Besides these, all tribes in the Northeast India have their own folk dances associated with their religion and festivals. The tribal heritage in the region is rich with the practice of hunting, land cultivation and indigenous crafts. The rich culture is vibrant and visible with the traditional attires of each community.

All states in Northeast India share the handicrafts of bamboo and cane, wood carving, making traditional weapons and musical instruments, pottery and handloom weaving. Traditional tribal attires are made of thick fabrics primarily with cotton^[51]. Assam silk is a famous industry in the region.

State	Traditional Performing Arts	Traditional Visual Arts	Traditional Crafts
Arunachal Pradesh	Wancho dances, Idu Mishmi dance, Digaru Mishmi Buiya dance, Khampti dance, Ponung dance, Sadinuktso[52]		Cane and bamboo, cotton and wool weaving, wood carving, blacksmithy (hand tools, weapons, ornaments, dishes, sacred bells and smoking pipes)[52][53]
Assam	Sattriya, Bagurumba, Bihu dance, Bhaona (For more see Music of Assam)	Hastividyarnava (For more see Fine Arts of Assam)	Cane and bamboo, bell metal and brass, silk, toy and mask making, pottery and terracotta, jewellery, musical instruments making, boat making, paints
Manipur	Manipuri dance (Ras Lila), Kartal Cholam, Manjira Cholom, Khuba Kishei, Pung Cholam, Lai-Haraoba		Cotton textile, bamboo crafts (hats, baskets), pottery[53][51]
Meghalaya	Nongkrem, Shad suk, Behdienkhlam, Wangala, Lahoo dance [54][53] (For more see Music of Meghalaya)		Making hand tools and weapons, musical instruments (drums), cane and bamboo work, weaving traditional attires, jewellery making (gold, coral, glass), wall engravings, wood carving[53][55]
Mizoram	Cheraw, Khuallam, Chheih-Lam, Chai, Rallu-Lam, Solakia, Sarlamkai, Par-lam, Sakei Lu Lam[56] (For more see Music of Mizoram)		Traditional hand tools, weapons and textile work, bamboo and cane handicrafts[57][53]
Nagaland	Zeliang dance, war dance, Nruirolians (cock dance) (For more see Music of Nagaland)		Cane and bamboo crafts, traditional hand tools, weapons and textile work, wood carving, pottery, ornaments for traditional attire, musical instruments (drum and trumpet)[53]
Sikkim	Chu Faat dance, Lu Khangthamo, Gha To Kito, Rechungma, Maruni, Tamang Selo, Singhi Chaam, Yak Chaam, Khukuri dance, Rumtek Chaam (mask dance)[58][59][60] (See also Music of Sikkim)	Thangka (showcasing Buddhist teachings on cotton canvas using vegetable dyes)[59]	Handmade paper, carpet making, woollen textile, wood carving[59]
Tripura	Goria dance, Jhum dance, Lebang dance, Mamita dance, Mosak sulmani dance, Hojagiri dance, Bizhu dance, Wangala, Hai-hak dance, Sangrai dance, Owa dance		Cane and bamboo, weaving and handloom, sitalpati (mat making), wood carving [53], string and wind musical instruments

• 
  Sattriya dance (Assam)
• 
  Nyokum festival of Nyishi tribe (Arunachal Pradesh)
• 
  Manipuri dance
• 
  Bagurumba dance of Bodo tribe (Assam)
• 
  Wangala dance of Garo tribe (Meghalaya)
• 
  Dance of Angami tribe (Nagaland)
• 
  Zeliang tribesmen rehearsing dance during Hornbill festival (Nagaland)
• 
  Hojagiri dancers (Tripura)
• 
  Students performing traditional dance at Jorethang (Sikkim)

Government

The northeastern states, having 3.8% of India's total population, are allotted 25 out of a total of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. This is 4.6% of the total number of seats.

Chief Ministers and Governors

State	Capital	Chief Minister (2015 - )[61]	Governor (2015 - )[62]
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	Pema Khandu	Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya
Assam	Dispur	Sarbananda Sonowal	Banwarilal Purohit
Manipur	Imphal	Nongthombam Biren Singh	Najma Heptulla
Meghalaya	Shillong	Mukul Sangma	Banwarilal Purohit
Mizoram	Aizawl	Lal Thanhawla	Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma
Nagaland	Kohima	Shurhozelie Liezietsu	Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya
Sikkim	Gangtok	Pawan Kumar Chamling	Shri Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil
Tripura	Agartala	Manik Sarkar	Shri Tathagata Roy

Northeast High Court

State	High Court
Arunachal Pradesh	Guwahati High Court (Itanagar Bench)
Assam	Guwahati High Court
Manipur	Manipur High Court
Meghalaya	Meghalaya High Court
Mizoram	Guwahati High Court (Aizawl Bench)
Nagaland	Guwahati High Court (Kohima Bench)
Sikkim	Sikkim High Court
Tripura	Tripura High Court

Economy

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is the deciding body under Government of India for socio-economic development in the region. The North Eastern Council under MDoNER serves as the regional governing body for Northeast India. The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) is a Public Limited Company providing assistance to micro, small, medium and large enterprises within the north eastern region (NER). Other organisations under MDoNER include North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC), Sikkim Mining Corporation Limited (SMC) and North Eastern Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC).

Agriculture

The economy is agrarian. Little land is available for settled agriculture. Along with settled agriculture, jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation is still practised by a few indigenous groups of people. The inaccessible terrain and internal disturbances has made rapid industrialisation difficult in the region.

• 
  Jhum cultivation
• 
  Tea garden in Darrang, Assam
• 
  Paddy fields in Manipur
• 
  Oil palm plantation in Mizoram
• 
  Terrace farming in Nagaland
• 
  Local vegetables in Assam

Transportation

Air

Public airports in Northeast India

State	Airport	City
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar Airport (Under construction)	Itanagar
Assam	Dibrugarh Airport	Dibrugarh
	Jorhat Airport	Jorhat
	Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport	Guwahati
	Lilabari Airport	Lakhimpur
	Rupsi Airport	Dhubri
	Silchar Airport	Silchar
	Tezpur Airport	Tezpur
Manipur	Bir Tikendrajit International Airport	Imphal
Meghalaya	Baljek Airport	Tura
	Shillong Airport	Shillong
Mizoram	Lengpui Airport	Aizawl
Nagaland	Dimapur Airport	Dimapur
Sikkim	Pakyong Airport (Under construction)	Gangtok
Tripura	Agartala Airport	Agartala

Railway

The northeast India railway network is managed by the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways. The railway network in the region is poor with the states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim remaining almost disconnected till date (Jun 11, 2017). Projects are underway to extend the network and connect all the capital cities in the region^[63].

Look East Policy

In the 21st century, there has been recognition among policy makers and economists of the region that the main stumbling block for economic development of the Northeastern region is the disadvantageous geographical location.^[64] It was argued that globalisation propagates deterritorialisation and a borderless world which is often associated with economic integration. With 98 percent of its borders with China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, Northeast India appears to have a better scope for development in the era of globalisation.^[65] As a result, a new policy developed among intellectuals and politicians that one direction the Northeastern region must be looking to as a new way of development lies with political integration with the rest of India and economic integration with the rest of Asia, with East and Southeast Asia in particular, as the policy of economic integration with the rest of India did not yield much dividends. With the development of this new policy the Government of India directed its Look East policy towards developing the Northeastern region. This policy is reflected in the Year End Review 2004 of the Ministry of External Affairs, which stated that: "India’s Look East Policy has now been given a new dimension by the UPA Government. India is now looking towards a partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN countries, both within BIMSTEC and the India-ASEAN Summit dialogue as integrally linked to economic and security interests, particularly for India’s East and North East region."^[66]

See also

References

Citations

Sources cited

Further reading

• Meetei, Nameirakpam Bijen., Autonomy, Ethnic Politics and Conflict in North-East India. Ruby Press & Co.(New Delhi). 2014. ISBN 978-93-82395-29-4

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North East India.

• Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
• Arts of the tribal groups in the Northeast
• NE Region Website
• All states of NE Region

Northeast India travel guide from Wikivoyage

Adjacent places of Northeast India
	Bhutan	Tibet Autonomous Region, China
	West Bengal (India), Nepal		Myanmar
		Northeast India
	Bangladesh		Myanmar