Collaborators, Rebels and Traitors

Investigates attitudes toward and relationships with the Indian Union from those in frontier states, who at times rose up in opposition from centralized Indian powers.

This book delves into the status of three regions: Kashmir, Sikkim, and the province of Assam in 1947. In Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah had emerged as a charismatic leader before it was raided by Pakistan. It explores how Sikkim was accorded the status of an India-protectorate stage in 1950. The Naga National Council, led by Z.A. Phizo, resorted to armed uprisings in the 1950s in Naga Hills, followed by M.N.F. and Laldenga thereafter.

The work sheds light on the dynamics of collaboration and rebellion involving leaders like Sheikh Abdullah and the last King of Sikkim, P.T. Namgyal, with the Indian establishment, and why and how they rebelled against them. Additionally, it discusses consequences of these tribal leaders' armed insurrections, and the role in the formation of Nagaland and Mizoram am Indian states.

Offering a unique perspective on the historical evolution of these regions, this book will be invaluable for Indian policymakers, allowing readers to see the Indian Union from the viewpoint of the Frontier leadership.


Awadhesh Coomar Sinha is an anthropologist and sociologist. Having taught sociology and served as Dean of the School of Social Sciences at North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, he has also been a visiting professor in various universities in India and beyond, and is a pioneer in the field of Eastern Himalayan research. Among his highly acclaimed books on the region are Nepalese in Globalized Era (2016), Dawn of Democracy in the Eastern Himalayan Kingdoms (2019) and Federation of the Himalayan Kingdoms and a Greater Nepal (2023).