India’s position on Myanmar continues to be shaped by strategic concerns, humanitarian sensitivities, and the realities of geography, said Dr. Om Prakash Das, Research Fellow at the South Asia & Oceania Centre, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi.
He was speaking at a one-day lecture on “Geo-Political Developments in Myanmar and Its Impact on the Indo-Myanmar Border with Special Focus on Manipur”, organised at Manipur University’s VC Court Hall under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Assam Rifles.
Sharing his observations with the media after the lecture, Dr. Das said the civil war in Myanmar over the past four years has been “massive, brutal and violent,” with spillover effects on Manipur’s demography, law and order, and youth.
“These seminars are essential to clearly understand the situation, because only then can we move toward solutions,” he remarked. He noted that refugee influx is natural given tribal linkages across the border, while the porous nature of the Indo-Myanmar boundary has made accurate data collection difficult. “The conflict creates space for illicit activities, which in turn impacts our security architecture,” he added.
Lt. Gen. Vikas Lakhera, Director General of Assam Rifles, stressed the importance of engaging with academia on critical regional issues.
“Engagement at the academic level is the answer to many questions. When we interact with scholars, research fellows, and eminent personalities, we gain insights and solutions that strengthen our approach,” he said.
The DG outlined the four-fold role of Assam Rifles: securing the Indo-Myanmar border, maintaining internal security, assisting civil administration when called upon, and humanitarian interventions during emergencies such as floods, fires, and medical crises. “You cannot choose your neighbours, and geography doesn’t give you the option to shift them. Instability in bordering regions inevitably affects national security,” he cautioned.
The event was attended by Manipur University Vice-Chancellor Prof. N. Lokendra Singh, IGAR (South), the Security Advisor to the Manipur Government, faculty members, Assam Rifles officers, scholars, and media representatives.
