It would be a tremendous boost to the impoverished economies of India’s northeastern states if the border it shares with Southeast Asia were to be opened up, linking both regions through a free trade agreement. Experts argue that the Northeast must be allowed to play the arrow-head role in the further evolution of India’s look east policy.

Given the state of insurgency most of the states of the region continue to be affected by, the projected economic gains from such a marriage of two contiguous economies will be overshadowed by the advantages that would accrue to the armed non-state groups. Moreover, the insurgents have the ability to derail the entire process. A position where the state is able to nullify such abilities of the insurgents must be reached before the international borders of the region are thrown open to the forces of globalization.