As a result, militant groups have successfully transformed themselves into huge abduction and extortion rackets collecting regular contributions from the public, government servants and the business houses.

With small arms being easily available in the region and the neighboring countries, capabilities of even relatively smaller groups to challenge state authority have dramatically grown over the years. For example, in Nagaland, most fatalities are recorded as a result of the infighting between the two factions of the N.S.C.N., rather than from government forces.

Militant groups in certain states also have clashed among themselves. Militant outfits in Tripura, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (N.L.F.T.) and the All Tripura Tiger Force espousing the tribal cause have indulged in a number of attacks on the tribal population. Subsequently, a number of militant organizations have formed with each representing the cause of different tribes, sometimes more than one outfit espousing the same cause.ДЄnalysts indicate that most of the militant outfits in the region have been quick to transform themselves into purely terrorist entities, bereft of their original objectives and ideology. In 1964, the United National Liberation Front formed with an avowed objective of ending the discrimination against Manipur, which was accorded statehood only in 1972 nearly 23 years after its merger. In the state of Manipur, militancy originated in protest against the forcible merger of the former Manipur Kingdom with India. Prominent among these groups are the Bodo Liberation Tigers, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (N.D.F.B.), the United PeopleвЂ™s Democratic Solidarity (U.P.D.S.) and the Dima Halim Daogah. Following U.L.F.A.вЂ™s example, a number of militant groups, each claiming to represent the aspirations of different tribal communities in the state, formed. Starting in 1970, militant groups sprang up in the state demanding the restoration of the tribal rights from the Bengali population, who are accused of dominating the political and economic affairs of Tripura state.ДЄ movement that started demanding the deportation of the illegal migrants also witnessed the birth of the militant outfit the United Liberation Front of Assam (U.L.F.A.) in 1979. In Tripura, the smallest of the northeastern states, migration of Hindus from the British-ruled East Bengal, which subsequently became East Pakistan and then Bangladesh, is believed to have been responsible for reducing the indigenous tribal people in the state to minority status this development sparked a violent backlash among the indigenous people. Similarly, in Mizoram, which was a part of the state of Assam before it was granted statehood in 1987, experienced militancy after the Union government failed to respond positively to its demand for assistance during the massive вЂњMautam famine.вЂќ The Mizo National Front (M.N.F.), led by the legendary leader Laldenga, launched the movement on Februand demanded independence for Mizoram. Nevertheless, in most of the states in the northeast, anti-government militants retain significant nuisance value and often indulge in successful strikes against government interests. Militants in IndiaвЂ™s northeast once enjoyed vast popular support since they, in their formative years, voiced genuine grievances of the people such as poor governance, alienation, lack of development and an apathetic attitude from the central government in New Delhi in recent years, however, this influence has been reduced. Nevertheless, the region remains a potential tinderbox. In recent years, the Indian government has had some success in achieving stability in the region, using tactics from negotiations to military operations to root out militants.

At one point, more than 120 militant groups operated in IndiaвЂ™s northeast. Such militant movements started early with IndiaвЂ™s independence in 1947.

The demands of the different militant groups range from autonomy within the provisions of the Indian constitution to outright secession. A fact that further jeopardizes mainland IndiaвЂ™s links with the region is the thriving militancy in most of the northeast states.

Insurgency meaning