The much hyped look east policy of the government of India has a lot of implications for a state like Manipur which is located in the corridor of the presumed economic agenda of the participating countries.

It is almost for a decade since the launch of the policy by the former BJP government at the centre that the much talked policy has endured its existence. The policy is spearheaded with economic motives with other socio-cultural and political dimensions. Manipur, located in the periphery of the Indian sub continent which is going to look towards east, can lead from the front taking its locational advantages.

But the sorry state of the whole undoing of the policy is seemingly synonymous with India’s minimal engagements with its neighbouring country Myanmar in particular and other south East Asian countries in general.

On many counts Look East policy of India is more or less similar to dialogues of inter country containments of insurgency problems in the troubled north east and patchy initiatives to engage china’s growing economic and political influence on Myanmar..

Of course, constructions of some infrastructures have taken place in recent times by India in few areas of Myanmar. But it is nothing much more than for the record. Pragmatism and practicality is missing from the whole affair. India’s engagement with East Asian countries in general and Myanmar in particular is not productive enough.

Despite India’s strategic historical lineage with many of the south Asian countries, it could not convert it into its advantage. In recent times there is some progress in its engagement with ASEAN but the productivity of the engagement has to be seen.

On the other hand, China’s trade with ASEAN is worth more than 100 billion as compare to India’s minimal 20 billion. Taking intra regional trade between china, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN, for example, India’s contribution is far from significant.

Physical link with consistent political intonations in its engagement with the neighbouring countries of East Asia and delicate handling with is the need of the hour to successfully implement the touted Look East policy. China’s physical infrastructures with all its neighbouring countries are top of the line.

They have many world class land and sea ports where physical trading of goods and services can take place with their neighbouring countries at equal ease. The recent surge in china’s economic and political engagements with many of the neighbouring countries should be an eye opener for India in the light of its Look East Policy and its relevance in the region.

Even if China centric ideas and policies have nothing to do with the larger goals of the Look East policy, it has a lot of implications as China is increasingly playing a dynamic role in the economy of the region. Policies do not bear any significance if it does not promote the social and economic prosperity of its citizens.

So Look East policy is always under the microscopic eye. It is true, Indian economy is growing but in isolation. It is not in a position to integrate with the other regional economies of Asia.

Border States like Manipur could not get benefited from the so called growing Indian economy for so many inherent reasons. Apathy from the central government is one of the much oft-mentioned reasons. India is a big country and sometimes it is natural on the part of the central government to underestimate and simply overlook the genuine problems of the state.

It happens time and again and it is states like Manipur that suffers the most. It makes me to think why certain areas of the world are extremely beneficial in its rapid development. If you look little carefully you will find that location of the place plays a very pivotal role in the development of a region. This is true in the case of the Port of Melbourne in Australia too.

Port of Melbourne, Australia

Port of Melbourne, Australia

Port of Melbourne, Australia