Quest for development
- Sangai Express Editorial :: May 27, 2013 -

Apart from being immediate neighbours, Myanmar and North East India have many commonalities.

The two regions are rich in natural resources yet they continue to languish in poverty and underdevelopment.

Again the two regions have large number of ethnic groups with divergent political aspirations, some fighting for right to self determination or autonomy.

Ethnic strife, insurgency and repression have been dominating the socio-politcal and economic landscape of both North East India and a large part of Myanmar.

Compounding the plight of common man is New Delhi’s military-centric outlook towards the North East region. Trade and commercial activities between NE India and Myanmar were restricted almost to the point of suffocation.

It was only in 1995 formal trade between India and Myanmar was launched through Moreh and Tamu. Whereas formal trade has failed to take off so far, unofficial trade between the two regions is booming, more particularly so in banned items like drugs, timber and wildlife produces.

One need not delve any deeper to understand why official trans-border trade though the border township of Moreh has failed to take off.

The border trade would only dwindle, forget about growth, given the state’s little support and enthusiasm. Any casual observer would see that Moreh is not yet equipped with any infrastructure necessary for international trade and commerce.

One cannot expect any commercial activities to grow and sustain on its own in the virtual absence of basic infrastructure. This is the tragedy of Moreh and the entire North East region.

Security checkpoints and collection of taxes by security forces and unlawful elements make the 110 kms long journey from Moreh to Imphal painstakingly slow and expensive which is another major factor for the dwindling volume of official trade.

Ironically, North East India or Moreh to be more precise is best suited for international trade and commerce through terrestrial routes than any other region of India in view of its strategic location at the tri-junction of Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and China. Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share 1,640 kms long border with Myanmar and Moreh is rightly named India’s “Gateway to the East”.

Despite all the shortfalls and backwardness of Moreh, people of Manipur have all the reasons for dreaming about Moreh evolving into a major international trading centre, a key station on the ambitious Trans-Asia Railway that will enable containers from East and Southeast Asia to travel overland across India to Europe.

Strategic location of Manipur and Moreh has been acknowledged by the Government of India. What is crucial now is state support in the form of building necessary infrastructure.

In addition to adequate, modern infrastructure, capacity building is another foremost responsibility of the state. Without infrastructure, people’s dream of Moreh evolving into a major international trading hub would simply remain a pipe dream and without capacity building, local people would never be able to reap any significant benefit.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi is perhaps the first Chief Minister of Manipur who is visiting Myanmar in an official tour. This, in fact, is a historic event.

But what is more important is the outcome of his official visit. Currently, a delegation from North East India headed by the Manipur Chief Minister is attending a business conclave of North East India and Myanmar at Monewa.

What a happy and historic tiding it would be, if the Chief Minister can open a door for closer socio-economic cooperation and investment between North East India and Myanmar during his historic visit to the neighbouring country.

Definitely, it would be a great boost to the stagnating official trade through Moreh and Tamu.

Yes, it would require support and approval of New Delhi for dealing with a foreign country is not within the authority of Manipur Government even though Myanmar and Manipur shares a long history of friendship and rivalry.

Nonetheless, the Chief Minister can certainly initiate a process towards this end. If it happens as we wish, it would be the first meaningful step in the quest for economic development of Manipur post 1891 Anglo-Manipur War.