ABSTRACT
The chapter highlights the ‘strong historical and geographical links’ that the ethnic communities of the borderlands of India and Myanmar share with each other. These relations, as the author argues, are rooted in shared historical, ethnic, cultural and religious ties. The Chin and Mizo people, for instance, share common historical, cultural and religious backgrounds. These linkages were rejuvenated and opened the doors for cross-border migration of Chin people from the other side of Myanmar borderlands in search of economic security and survival to India. The estimated populations of the Chin state located in the western part of Myanmar, bordered by Bangladesh and India in the west, Rakhine state in the south, and Magwe and Sagaing Division in the east is 500,000. According to the latest report from the staff of Chin Human Rights Organization, approximately 50,000 Chin refugees have settled in different parts of the state of Mizoram in India’s borderlands. What implications would the bilateral relations between the two countries have on these refugees who traverse these borderlands? In the context of increasing subregional cooperation, India and Myanmar conceptualized and proposed several bilateral ventures in the areas of ‘infrastructural development, communications, road and rail connectivity.’ However, the main question that needs to be addressed is how these connectivity projects impact the lives of people living in the India-Myanmar borderlands. In a nutshell, the chapter argues that these mega projects would have implications on the cross-border communities and would perhaps work in the favor of cross-border communities only if the two countries are able to establish ‘vigorous and meaningful people-to-people contacts in the India-Myanmar borderlands.’
