The North Eastern region of India, often referred to as the Seven Sisters, may seem like an idyllic, peaceful haven nestled between mountains and rivers, but don’t be fooled. Beneath the lush green forests, tea gardens, and scenic landscapes lies a geopolitical powder keg. This chunk of land, inconveniently attached to India through a piece of land as thin as a pencil—the Siliguri Corridor or “Chicken’s Neck”—has long been a coveted treasure for anyone looking to shake up the region’s fragile equilibrium. It is said that certain Western powers, particularly the U.S. (because why not?), have set their sights on carving out a Christian buffer state here, straddling parts of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. This new creation would conveniently serve as a happy little bastion of Western influence, sitting pretty between India and China, like the ultimate referee in a heavyweight geopolitical boxing match.
You see, it’s not enough that India has to contend with China’s never-ending fascination with Arunachal Pradesh (or as they lovingly call it, “South Tibet”). No, the story gets juicier when Western missionary groups, backed by some of the holiest folks from the American Baptist Church, swoop in to fan the flames of regional tensions. These groups apparently have a not-so-subtle agenda of saving souls by creating what some are calling “Nagaland for Christ”—a phrase that sounds more like a reality TV show than a political movement. Backed by insurgent groups like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)—because nothing says “socialism” like separatism wrapped in religious fervor—these missionary-backed endeavors are not just about building churches. No, they’re about building a nation. A Christian one. And what’s a little insurgency among friends if it helps create a geopolitical paradise between India and China?
Of course, while India frets about keeping the region together, the Western powers are busy pursuing their grand Indo-Pacific strategy. This strategy, in case you haven’t heard, is the West’s answer to China’s growing influence in Asia, and what better way to counter China than by meddling in India’s backyard? The theory goes something like this: If you can carve out a chunk of North East India, throw in some bits of Myanmar’s Chin and Kachin states, mix in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar, and create a Christian utopia with sea access, you’ve got yourself a buffer state. This magical new creation would not only let the West meddle in the region’s politics at will but would also be a perfect tool for containing China’s rise. Just imagine—Western strategists are probably salivating over the idea of a Christian nation sandwiched between two of the world’s biggest powers, ready to play peacekeeper, gatekeeper, and (most importantly) puppet.
Let’s not forget the key players in this diabolical plan: the American Baptist Church and its merry band of separatist insurgents. Their biggest project in India? Oh, just a little something called “Nagaland for Christ.” Now, while this might sound like a quaint missionary campaign to convert a few souls, it’s really a nation-building project in disguise, supported by a delightful mix of religious zealots and armed militants. The NSCN, for instance, has been fighting for a Christian utopia for years, and with Western missionary backing, they’re feeling more ambitious than ever. After all, nothing screams geopolitical stability like a bunch of separatist militants with international backers, right?
Of course, the Christian conversion business isn’t confined to just Nagaland. It seems the Western missionaries have found fertile ground in Manipur as well, where the Meitei and Kuki communities have been at each other’s throats for years. Enter Daniel Stephen Courney, the blacklisted American street preacher who, despite being deported once already, managed to sneak back into India like a bad sequel. This time, he decided to take sides in the Kuki-Meitei conflict, calling Meitei Hindus the “enemy” and whipping up the Christian Kukis into a righteous frenzy. Courney’s sermons probably weren’t as much about love and peace as they were about helping the Kukis realize that what they really needed was an international border between them and the rest of India.
And just when you think India might have had enough of these foreign missionaries, along come a few more. Sweden, Germany, the U.S.—it’s like a religious Olympics, with missionaries from across the world competing for the gold medal in conversions. You’ve got American citizens getting arrested in Assam for attending a Baptist convention, Swedish missionaries deported for preaching without permits, and Germans getting their travel restricted for participating in “religious activities.” It’s almost as if India is hosting a world missionary jamboree, with everyone vying for the title of “Most Unwelcome Preacher.”
On the geo-economic front, the North East has been blessed with natural resources—oil, natural gas, coal—that should theoretically make it an economic powerhouse. But instead of becoming the Dubai of India, the region remains underdeveloped, underappreciated, and, of course, under constant threat of insurgency. The region’s isolation hasn’t helped either. It’s like being invited to the world’s richest potluck dinner but realizing your table is at the other end of the banquet hall with no clear path to get there. India’s Act East Policy, designed to turn the North East into a bustling gateway to Southeast Asia, remains a distant dream as long as insurgents, militants, and foreign missionaries keep throwing a wrench in the works.
Now, the Western powers would have us believe that this Christian buffer state they’re supposedly cooking up would bring peace and stability to the region. Because clearly, breaking apart India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh to create a religiously homogeneous buffer nation is the surest way to calm things down. After all, what could go wrong with cutting a giant geopolitical hole in the middle of one of the most volatile regions in Asia? This new buffer state would, in theory, not only weaken India and China but also give the West a shiny new pawn in their Indo-Pacific chess game. And of course, if they get sea access via Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, well, that’s just icing on the cake.
The genius of this strategy is that it’s all done under the holy guise of religious freedom and humanitarian aid. Who could possibly criticize missionaries for spreading the good word, even if that “good word” happens to come with a few AK-47s and an insurgency or two? And what’s a little regional instability when the ultimate goal is to create a geopolitical paradise? The irony, of course, is that while Western powers preach democracy and sovereignty on the international stage, they’re busy trying to carve out a theocratic utopia on the other side of the world.
In the face of all this, India has tried to take control of the situation. The government has cracked down on illegal religious conversions, tightened visa rules for foreign missionaries, and ramped up security in the region. Yet, like cockroaches, these preachers seem to find their way back, even when deported. The solution for India lies not just in stronger laws but in integrating the North East economically and diplomatically with Southeast Asia. After all, nothing would take the wind out of separatist sails faster than prosperity and development.
So, while Western missionaries plot, separatists dream of new Christian nations, and geopoliticians salivate over buffer states, India is left holding the bag, trying to keep its North Eastern region from being sliced and diced in the latest geopolitical experiment. Because if there’s one thing we know about geopolitical experiments, it’s that they always work out just as planned. Just ask the Middle East.
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Rajeev Ahmed
The Editor of Geopolits.com and the Author of the book titled Bengal Nexus
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