The National Highways Development Project (NHDO) which envisages and development of 13,1416 Kms. of Highways at a cost of Rs.54,000 crore is one of the biggest highway project at present in the world in the propose time framework. The project was launched by the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vaspayee on 2nd January 1999. The project includes the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) connecting Delhi-Mumbai_Chennai-Kolkata-Delhi with a total length of 5846 Kms.

And North-South and East-West corridors connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari (with Kochi to Salemspur ) and Silchar to Porbandar with a length of about 7300 Kms. Shri Holkhomang Haokip MP, however, propose to extend the National Highway project up to Moreh via Imphal to enable Trans Asia Highways Project successful , which is a dream reality in the near future, running from Saurastra to Singapore via Silchar – Imphal Moreh, Tamu to Thailand, Thailand to Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia- Singapore i.e.” S to S.” Taking advantage of being a member of Standing Committee of External Affairs, one hand picked up Holkhomang for this arduous job.

Briefing courteously to Shri Yashwant Sinha, Minister of External Affairs and the Chairperson , Standing Committee of Ministry of External Affairs, Holkhomang Haokip express his deep feeling on Pandit Nehru’s dream of a Trans-Asian Highway, Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s idea of ‘Look to the East’. Our recently adopted economic diplomacy and the on-going Indo-Myanmar border trade, all come together in the mind when we strike an arrangement for Transport Linkage between India-Myanmar and Thailand.

The India-Myanmar-Thailand Ministerial Meeting on Transport Linkage was held on 5th and 6th April 2002 at the Sedona Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar. This meeting was attended by Shri Jaswant Singh the then Minister of External Affairs of India, Shri U. Win Aung, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar and Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

The Ministers discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to transport linkages among the three countries, including the possibility of constructing a new highway linking the three countries and promote co-operation between Southeast Asia and South Asia.

The Ministers agreed that the objectives of the trilateral cooperation shall be to develop and promote cooperation in multi-modal transport and other linkages with a view to enhance trade and investment, tourism and people to people contact, so as to further contribute to the economic development of the three countries and two regions. Cooperation between the three countries shall be supportive and complimentary to BIMST-EC, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation as well as the ASEAN-India dialogue. Cooperation shall include the participation of private and public sectors as well as funding by countries, regional organizations and international financial institutions.

Trade, Investment and Economic issues have assumed center stage in global affairs, and have emerged as extremely important foreign policy objectives. Many key issues for human survival and development like water, energy, food, environment, etc. need to be addressed in a regional, if not global perspective.

Once the Transport Linkages between these three countries are made there will be a major fillup to the existing Indo-Myanmar border trade. Then people can think of a Preferential Trade Agreement or Free Trade Agreement with these countries. This is very much in conformity with our economic diplomacy.

Economic considerations are now central to India’s Foreign policy initiatives and responses, besides the usual political, defence and strategic consideration. Expansion and diversification of India’s exports, both in goods and services is a major objective of our economic diplomacy. Our objectives are sought to promote through a wide variety of interactions, both through direct efforts at the global flora as well as through bilateral and multilateral interactions. This trilateral understanding will certainly pave the way for further cooperation and interaction between South Asia and South East Asia and particularly between the three countries.

The National High Way No. 39 which runs up to Moreh a Border Town in Manipur is connected with road network of Myanmar (via Tammu a border town in Myanmar). In the year 1996-97 a sum of Rs. 116.16 crores was spent by the Ministry of External Affairs for construction of road from Tammu to Kalemew inside Myanmar which was completed in the year 2002 and inaugurated by Shri. Jaswant Singh, the then Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India. The roads connecting India-Myanmar & Thailand are already there but the only thing to do is to expand and improve them. Now Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s National East-West corridor from Saurastra to Silchar may well be extended beyond national boundary to the Far East. Holkhomang Haokip proposed that from Silchar (NH53) is connected to Imphal and Imphal is connected to Moreh(NH39) up to Indo Myanmar boundary river called “Menal Lok ( Lokchao ) . Tammu Kalemrw road has been completed and it will link with Indo Myanmar Thailand from there transport road connectivity will extend to Malaysia and finally to Singapore. This idea was mooted by Late Pandit Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India naming it as Trans Asia Highways. South East Asian countries will make Imphal, the global centre in trade and commerce in the hemisphere.

Trans-Asian Highway will be running in the near future from Saurastra to Singapore via Silchar. India should take the initiative to make the dream of a Trans-Asian Highway a reality.

In this regard, Holkhomang Haokip, MP urge upon the Minister for External Affairs to take the follow-up in this matter of Transport Road Linkage between India-Myanmar & Thailand so to make our dreams, ideas and policies come to a vivid reality and extension to Malaysia and Singapore.

The new proposal is

• Saurastra to Silchar,
• Silchar to Moreh,
• Tamu to Thailand and
• Thailand to Kuala Luampur – Malaysia – Singapore i.e. S to S (SAURASTRA to SINGAPORE),