Look East Positively (LeP)

By Geoffery *

India embarked on the economic liberalization in nineties and today the country, with second highest growth rate, is envy of the world. India has proved that a developing country can be a major player in the regional economy and an equal partner in the globalized world.

At the same time India also conceptualized the Look East Policy (LeP) with an aim to strengthen the age old civilisational linkages with our neighbours. These linkages are a strong basis of economic associations which is order of the day.

India is a multicultural society with a broader outlook unlike mono cultural societies in the neighborhood. Therefore, Indian citizens irrespective of the religion can be leaders to other societies for a globalized community. But for this there is a need to fashion conditions that India meets the economic interests of the West agreeable to India.

Developed countries have already started looking into their foreign policies for better economic ties with India. At the same time India needs a dedicated and committed look towards its strategic North East Region (NeR) for LeP to bring results.

LeP is ASEAN centric and its first Phase was launched in 1995. Now it is in Phase II with expanded definition of east to include from Australia to China and East Asia.

India had entered into Mekong Ganga cooperation with five South East Asian nations (Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand) and other pillar of LeP is BIMSTEC (littoral states of Bay of Bengal Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmasr, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand). Strategically there is a need to diminish the Chinese influence in this region.

In fact both India and China are considered two wings of ASEAN Jumbo Jet. Most of the countries are willing to have economic association with China due to its cheaper products that no country can match. India's trade with China, other Asian countries and European Union has grown many folds.

The largeness of this region can be gauzed from the fact that the proposed PAFTA (Pan ASEAN Free Trade Area) has gross income more than NAFTA (North America Free Trade Area) and European Union.

India's Prowess as a future leader has already been predicted by a British historian EP Thompson who wrote, "India is perhaps the most important country for future of the world". All the convergent influences of the world run through this society. There is not a single thought that is being thought in the West or East that is not active in some Indian mind".

This prophecy is true for the whole nation including unexplored NeR. This region has very high untapped human resource that is simple and innocently industrious which can be shaped to meet the new needs. There are large numbers of NRIs from this region who have carved a niche for themselves in international arena. With limited facilities some of sports persons of international fame, from this region, cannot be ignored.

Even in physical resources this region is richer and plans have been made to explore these but due to some or the other reason these are not seeing light of the day. Completion of rail link to Agartala after Dharmnagar is a silver lining in the region.

There are plans to harness Hydro Electric Power (HeP) potential (50000MW) of this region and transmit this to power deficient regions of the country through power grid lines. Out of this huge potential, only 7% has been exploited till date. Surface, Air and Water communications are being improved.

Major highways, NH 39 & NH 53 have been ordered to be four laned. Rail links are being improved- New Azra to Byrnihat (to connect Meghalaya to New Delhi), Dimapur to Kohima, Jiribam to Imphal, Kumarghat to Agartala, Trans Asian Railway to connect 28 nations to include China, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Iran and Turkey is planned.

This will enter India at Moreh in Manipur. Air connectivity is planned to be improved in terms of improving existing air fields, creating new air fields, increasing the number of flights and paving way for new airlines to enter the market. The coming year 2009 may see launch of new north east airlines if reports are to gone by.

Mizoram can become a trade hub when trade starts through Sittwe Port in Myanmar which is to be linked through 160 km of Waterway (through Kaladan River) and 65 km of road link. Besides above there are other upbeat indicators.

Four land custom Stations i.e. Moreh in Manipur, Dawki in Meghalaya, Sutrakandi in Assam and Agartala in Tripura have been planned. It is also being proposed to convert Nathula into a Land Custom Station. China has already planned to connect Nathula with Lhasa through a rail link in next three years. This will help boost Sino Indian trade.

This region of our country is floating on oil and other sources of energy like natural gas and coal that need to be explored. Meghalaya has huge deposits of Uranium to meet our nuclear energy needs. Not to mention the money spinner tourist attractions of the region. These are only a few of the areas but there are many that can be added either by innovating on existing resources or exploring the new ones.

It is not only the material resource that can be outsourced from our country but spiritual resource as well. One of the topmost historians Arnold Toyabee, remarked, "It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a western beginning will have an Indian ending…. …Here we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family…"

First step to identify potential of this region was formation of toothless North East Council in 1972. There after silver linings started becoming visible after the formation of DONeR by NDA government and up gradation of the same to a full fledged ministry by UPA government. But the region still lacks what it deserves to make strategic contribution to itself and the nation as a whole. There is a need to make a paradigm shift from intentions of rhetoric to attended actions.

There is a need to fire the ceasefire agreements with various outfits to make them lively and effective. There is a need to inculcate end to end commitment and accountability of resources and efforts towards various projects. There is a need to synergize the local thought towards exploration for benefit of the people of this region.

There is need for unified Gung Ho approach for vital leap of this region. Wish NeR receives the attention it deserves.