Greetings and welcome to the Myanmar Guest and Dignitaries

R.K. Shivachandra *

Burma Myanmar Flag

For many reasons Myanmar goes hand in hand with Manipur in many fronts especially when it comes to a bigger spectrum of globalisation. Myanmar is simply an inseparable parts of history for the Manipuris . All the episodes whatever written down on the pages of history had been an epoch of unforgettable chapters and that is why Myanmar otherwise 'Awas' to the Manipuris had always been a name to be reckoned with.

Even this time the two great leaders of Myanmar who are none other than the Chief Ministers of Mandalay and Saigang States with their siezable entourage created an epoch with its giant International Aircraft landed in Imphal Airport in its maiden visit to Manipur and of course this is the first ever International Foreign Aircraft that had touched the Imphal Tulihal Airport in 50 years since the broke out of IInd World War. This is another history, a gift worth capturing another page of history in the recent days.

Being a common citizen and representing an organisation called Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance strongly subscribe to the idea of development through the medium of cultural exchange, tourism and bilateral relationship with our neighbour Myanmar. Driven by this concept I along with few likeminded people had handled more than twenty tour packages to different destinations in Myanmar with the support of Myanmar Hotel and Tourism via Moreh Tammu land road earlier. Visa and passports were not mandatory during those days in 2007-2008.

Later it was banned. If love and unity should prevail in these two regions we need to use economy growth as the perfect vehicle through the medium of trade. The Indo Myanmar border trade was inaugurated on 12th April 1995 by the then Commerce Union Minister of India, Shri P. Chidambaram but the volume of border trade between India (Manipur) and Myanmar is sliding for lack of seriousness from both the countries.

It will not be proper for me to give technical view points on trade and commerce for this is purely lies with the policy of two countries with their experts in the job. But I personally feel that Myanmar and India's border Tammu and Moreh should adopt a policy like the one which is practicing in Muse and Zegao in Myanmar –China border or the system in Tachilek and Maysot in Myanmar-Thailand border. The two governments of Myanmar and India have relentlessly discussing on border trade and connectivity for years but nothing practical had reached so far. The Ministry of Transport and Highways through Mr. Vijay Chhibber secretary of the Ministry said yesterday it is awaiting comments from the Myanmar government on the proposed bus-link between India and Myanmar.

As per the proposal, India and Myanmar will be linked through a bus service between Moreh in Manipur and Mandalay in Myanmar. The proposal was mooted a couple of years ago. Recently U Thar Naing, the Chairperson of the Yangon Airbus Association told that the Transnational bus line between Myeik Township in Tanintharyi Division to Imphal in Manipur, India will soon kick off. He assured through the Medias to take-off before the SEA games which is scheduled in Myanmar in November. According to him the bus service was suppose to be flagged off on 10th November, 2013 but failed. Many National and Manipur newspaper carried the news in their headlines. So whole set up seems scrambled and starting from the square one.

Before we begin any challenging venture in term of trade and commerce and before we start discussing on globalisation it is highly necessary to let the people of the two neighbouring countries enjoy a free access to one another's land without obstacles. It is long overdue. Trade sectors, tourism and others will follow by and by. While the Manipuris think of travelling to Muse the border to China and wish to glue their eyes on the enchanting plains of China, perching on the Muse hill near the lovely pagoda, the same thought was with the Myanmarese in Saigang Sate of Myanmar to visit Bodhagaya enroute Imphal at a much cheaper cost and performed their NIRVANA at the bottom of the Bodh tree in Bodhgaya.

What a lovely co-incidence? It is so time consuming and expensive travelling to Mandalay via Kolkata by Manipuri people and the same is the case with the people in Tammu who travel Bodhgaya via Yangon. We have a land connectivity which is shorter, less expensive. Though The Manipur Government boast off International aviation service launched from Imphal, it is doubtful whether they will continue..remains another riddle in a land that already piles up with a stack of riddles that was never disclosed.

R.K. Shivachandra

* R.K. Shivachandra contributes regularly to e-pao.net
The writer is President, Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance
He can be contacted at nongpokharam(at)gmail(dot)com


This article was posted on November 21, 2013 .