Veteran BBC journalist's new book on Northeast India released

Guwahati, Dec 16 (ANI): Veteran BBC journalist Subhir Bhaumik's new book - "Troubled Periphery- Crisis of India's North-East" - was released here on Tuesday.

Speaking after the book launch, Bhaumik said his attempt was to explain the crisis roiling the restive region for the rest of the country.

"I tried to write a book, which explains the crisis of India's northeast and this is basically for the rest of the country to understand why northeast is different, is not like the rest of the country. In fact northeast India is a place where India looks less and less India and more and more like the high land societies of South Asia, Burma or South East China, precisely because the ancestors of many of the ethnic groups of these region came from those area than from the mainland," he added.

Hailing from Tripura, Bhaumik has been working with BBC since 1994. 'Troubled Periphery' is his second book after "Insurgent Crossfire".

Bhaumik said that the government must hold open dialogue with the rebel groups fighting for a separate state.

"Both sides have to think what this conflict means for the people of Assam and the people cannot take this conflict anymore. 30 years is a long time. But it is also true that there has to be peace with honour, honour for all sides. So I think it should be an open-minded dialogue. It should be a dialogue without precondition," said Bhaumik.

India's northeast region, linked to the rest of the country by a strip of land just 32 km wide, is home to seven of India's 29 states and is surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The region has more than 200 ethnic and tribal communities and two dozen rebel groups. (ANI)