Assam is the centre of the most dramatic and protracted unrest courtesy of ongoing rebel activity by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Springing fully armed from the loins of mid-1980s civil unrest (when a series of strikes and riots gave way to widespread violence and terrorism), the organisation dedicates itself to the independence of Assam.
Discontent had been simmering in Assam for decades. There was perceived government neglect, particularly in rural areas, and a well-founded suspicion that revenue from lucrative oil wells wasn't being spent where it originated. When an unstoppable flow of Bangladeshi refugees put pressure on an infrastructure barely adequate for the indigenous population, the situation was ripe for a popular uprising. The government's lack of action in addressing the province's grievances proved catastrophic when the Assamese took matters into their own hands and engaged in wholesale slaughter of Bangladeshis. The ULFA took advantage of the chaos to hole up in jungle lairs and knuckle down to guerilla warfare. After five years of concerted ULFA insurrection, a horrified Indian government took stock. In 1991, facing the loss of this populous and strategically crucial area, the government mounted a military force capable of flushing the rebels from their bases deep in the jungle and over the border in Bangladesh.
The ULFA is weakened and fragmented but not defeated. Periodic talks have been attended by some rebel leaders prepared to negotiate peace, while those in favour of continued armed struggle have not only refused to attend but have issued statements condemning those who agreed to the talks. Ceasefires have been characterised by enthusiastic rearmament and 'accidental' volleys of fire.
To Assam's south and east, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland (all predominantly populated by tribal peoples) have problems with refugees arriving from Myanmar (Burma). Following the Myanmar army's massive drive against Muslims in north-west Myanmar, feeding and sheltering these refugees has been a major burden on the Indian government. Although an agreement was signed between the Indian and Myanmar governments in 1992 to guarantee the refugees' safety upon their return, trust is an elusive commodity and few are keen to bank on it. Pressure in Nagaland is most acute, as the refugee situation is coupled there with political instability.