The great land grab. Sounds like something from the Old West when pioneers claimed their stakes. But this one was done more stealthily.
In this area of remote India it’s a little different. The area borders Myanmar and China and these borders are quite porous. There are foot trails that lead to both nations with no real enforcement of entry. Border control is quite impossible in this area.
I was surprised to see on one of my visits here a huge wooded area suddenly cleared and these nomadic campsites set up. It happened in just a few months. The Nyishi tribe had just taken over this government land and claimed it as their own.
Such a strange thing! How can they get away with this?
Well, there is a government presence in this area but it is rather minimal. In addition, the government forces are often targeted here by terrorist forces. In a matter of self preservation the government seems to maintain a low profile and prefer to not engage in conflict unless required.
The Nyishi tribe is quite an aggressive tribe and not one the government forces seem willing to engage. So they just sit quietly and allow this to happen! Quite unbelievable to me.
This area of India gets little attention from the India government. The people here are seen as a mixed breed of nationalities and not true India people. As a result, poverty is abundant here as little government resources are expended.
This province in particular is prone to terrorism. My first visit here was filled with deep anxiety, especially at night. But after making a half dozen or more trips here I felt quite comfortable. The terrorists were not targeting the few Westerners that venture this way, but only the government.
Although I had encounters with the government here, it was favorable. I posted on one encounter in the past. I actually feel rather sorry for the few who are unlucky to get a post here. They are responsible for maintaining the peace, yet they are a frequent target of the people who live here.
The insurgence is a result of the area residents wanting to separate from India and have their own government. Since they get little resources from the current government, that is understandable.
This conflict is exacerbated by the Chinese government as they believe they have claims to the area as well (like they do all regions in the area). If they can destabilize the government in the area, they will do it.
Regardless, it is amazing to me that a tribe can just enter the region, cut down so many trees (a scarcer resource here), and just take it over. I guess you can get away with it when you got a bad boy reputation. Sounds like the streets of New York in times past,
I also find it peculiar that people can just come in and settle on property that they never purchased. The government is influenced by this group of people very interesting. It's like homeless people only with some influential power