Inferiority Complex and Strategic Disparities Fuelling Xenophobia in North East India

Reading Time: 5 minutes India’s North East has long been characterised by its geographical isolation, ethno-linguistic complexity, and a historical legacy of insurgency and underdevelopment. Yet, in 2025, a subtler, psychologically charged dynamic increasingly defines the region’s relationship with its neighbour Bangladesh: an inferiority complex that underpins and fuels xenophobic attitudes. This phenomenon is not merely an extension of historical ethnic tensions or security anxieties, but a reflection of stark developmental and strategic disparities that cast Bangladesh as a regional success story — one that highlights North East India’s persistent economic stagnation, political fragility, and infrastructural shortcomings. Economic Divergence: Growth Amidst Stagnation The economic trajectories of Bangladesh and North East India reveal a widening gulf with profound implications for regional identity and perceptions of threat. Bangladesh, despite a brief economic slowdown due to global pressures, remains on a resilient growth path. Its GDP growth rate, projected at approximately 3.9% for