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Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Northeast as a trade hub

By Amit Baruah

It is time to shed these suspicions and discuss a detailed partnership among Northeast India, China, Myanmar and, possibly, Bangladesh.

CAN NORTHEAST India link its economy to China and South-East Asia? Is New Delhi ready to relax its security paradigm to develop the region? Will the hawks in the Indian establishment be able to see China through non-suspicious eyes?

It was an unusual gathering that took place on September 10-11 in Guwahati to discuss the state of the region in all its dimensions. Organised by the Centre for North-East India, South and South-East Asia Studies, the gathering had intellectuals from North-East India, China specialists, Bangladeshi opinion-makers and, yes, Delhiwallahs.

India's difficult relationship with Bangladesh was reflected in a lively exchange between the Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Rajiv Sikri, and Mohammed Rahmatullah from the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka.

Myanmar too figured in the discussions. India's inability to put in place a meaningful trade mechanism with Myanmar was clear. Speaker after speaker pointed to the fact that the thriving bazaar in Moreh, Manipur, had shifted across the border to Tamu in Myanmar despite the presence of an official trading post.

For some time to come, India's relationship with Bangladesh is likely to remain troubled. New Delhi could take some unilateral steps to improve it on the model of that with Sri Lanka — a preferential trade agreement for Bangladeshi goods could be a good beginning.

At the same time, India cannot lose sight of the fact that major Northeast insurgent outfits use Bangladesh as a base. For some top insurgent leaders, Dhaka is the platform to "telephone" their views into Assam and neighbouring States. Bangladesh needs to take India's concerns on the issue seriously.

Several speakers, including the Assam Power and Forest Minister, Pradyut Bordoloi, made an impressive case for the re-opening of the World War II-vintage Stilwell Road — the 1,726-km link from Ledo (Assam) through Arunachal Pradesh into Myanmar and then on to Kunming in south-western China.

The Stilwell Road, named after the American General Joseph Stilwell, was a demonstration of the links possible between India, Myanmar and China. Today, there is a case for its revival in a completely different context.

Mr. Bordoloi, MLA from Margherita in upper Assam, favoured looking at boundaries not as barriers but as gateways. In an audiovisual presentation, he made out a strong case for trade linkages between India, Myanmar, and China through the Stilwell Road. According to him, Assam had presented at least two memorandums to the Centre demanding that this Road be re-opened as a link among India, Myanmar, and China.

The problems, however, are clear and direct. The Power Minister revealed that a "track two" Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar (BCIM) initiative to form linkages between the four countries was held in Margherita earlier this year. "At the last minute, the Chinese delegation could not turn up because they were denied visas," Mr. Bordoloi claimed. Why did this happen? The Assam Minister laid the blame at the door of North and South Block in New Delhi. Posit this against the fact that on August 15, a Chinese delegation from the People's Liberation Army crossed into Bumla, Arunachal Pradesh, (an area which the Chinese claim as their own) and celebrated India's independence day along with the Indian military.

As the Chinese signal their intent to improve relations, the Government of

India denies visas to Chinese academics from Kunming to discuss the non-formal inter-regional BCIM Initiative, which covers, among other issues, transport and trade. Clearly, the fact that the BCIM meeting was being organised in Margherita in "upper Assam" had something to do with the fact that the Chinese academics could not get a visa to attend the conference.

It is clear that New Delhi must drop its suspicious attitude towards the people living in the region. If Indian academics can travel to Yunnan, why can their Chinese colleagues not visit Assam? Such an attitude points to a distrust of people living in the Northeast, as if the state must protect itself from "these" people. If the region has live insurgencies and commercialised underground outfits, the Indian state should bear a large share of the blame.

It is time to shed these suspicions and discuss a detailed partnership among Northeast India, China,- Myanmar and, possibly, Bangladesh. In China, it is the Yunnan Government that has been promoting the idea of cooperation among all these entities. Can Assam play the role of Yunnan in India?

The fact is that the Assamese, Bodos, Mizos, and Khasis have as good or as bad an idea of nationhood as Indians living in other parts of the country. Development and trans-national linkages will promote, not hinder, the ideas of peace and progress.

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