By Prashanth Parameswaran
New Delhi’s operation is much less novel or controversial than some have claimed.
On Tuesday, the Indian army launched a rare cross-border strike against insurgents just over the border with Myanmar, inflicting significant casualties. Some have been quick to sensationalize the strike into a groundbreaking development in Indo-Myanmar ties and the advent of a new doctrine under Prime Minister Narendra Modi even as the basic details of the incident itself remain murky. In truth, what we know so far suggests that this is in fact much less novel or controversial than some media accounts have claimed.
The most frustrating thing about the operation is how little has been confirmed thus far, down to even the essential facts. At the time of writing, the Myanmar government has denied that the operation even occurred on its side of the border despite India’s insistence that it did. Other basic details, such as the time of the operation, the casualties incurred, and the degree to which there was coordination with Myanmar, are still unclear due to conflicting reports.
Yet even if these facts remain unconfirmed, what we do know is enough to look beyond the hype and put the strike in perspective. First, while some have quickly billed this as just another ‘revenge attack’ following a deadly rebel ambush that killed 18 Indian soldiers last week, such shallow tit-for-tat interpretations miss the broader context within which these engagements have occurred. In fact, India’s operation is a reaction to an old problem that has recently gotten worse. India’s northeast, which borders China, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar, has long been home to a range of insurgent groups who have been fighting for autonomy or secession for decades. In recent months, New Delhi has grown increasingly concerned about rising violence in the northeast following the failure to secure the renewal of a ceasefire with the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) which is largely based in Myanmar.
Read the full story at The Diplomat