Beyond Sangai festival
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: November 25, 2013 -
From the series of special reportage that we have carried on the ongoing Sangai Festival, 2013 with special focus on the views expressed by the participating delegates from Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh, it is amply clear how Manipur could transform itself into a destination not only for the tourists but also for entrepreneurs/companies looking for expanding their business in the region.
While Zarin P Bhesania, who is the Trade Advisor of Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government, has noted that Manipur is the gateway to Southeast Asia and it should be in the forefront of India's Look East Policy and the diplomatic issues with China should not become a hindrance for India to develop friendly ties with other Southeast Asian countries; Rituraj Roy, representative of the Bangladesh-based Pran Company, has envisioned good business opportunities and conveyed desire to expand the wings of the company, which is said to be a leading manufacturer of foods and beverages in Bangladesh, in Manipur as well.
On the other hand, the visiting Myanmarse delegates have expressed their desire for establishing more friendly ties with the Manipuris beyond the diplomatic policies of India and Myanmar, because they see and feel there is a lot in common between the people of Manipur and Myanmar.
They feel that even if the present diplomatic policies may be good for the two neighbouring countries, but there is lot more to be done for building a good relationship among the people.
There may be nothing new in what these visiting foreign delegates have said with regard to the business prospect in Manipur, the role that Manipur can play in the field and the need for more cordial relationship beyond the diplomatic ties, which could be achieved easily even through promotion of cultural exchange programmes and social interactions among the people.
But the sad part of the story is that it has not been happening at all, in spite of organising Sangai Festival to attract tourists and investors alike all these years.
Why it is so?
This is a question that the Government of Manipur needs to answer. Of course, there may be various factors, both tangible and intangible, that has prevented the State from moving ahead in the path of development and peace, and the Government may be trying its best to overcome these problems.
But one inexcusable blunder that the State administration has always got into is the failure of taking up follow-up actions based on the feedbacks generously given by the participating foreign delegates.
At the end of the 10-day long Sangai Festival, it is holiday time for all the officials who matter and everything is forgotten until the next edition of the festival.
If this mindset continues to remain, organising thousands and thousands of Sangai festival is not going to change the fate of Manipur at all.
And, the call of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for establishment of a North East Corridor to link businesses in the region to the economically prosperous South East Asia or the latest survey report from Ernst & Young, a global professional service firm, which concludes that India has overtaken China as the most attractive investment destination, would have no bearing on Manipur and its people.
Period.
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