Shantiniketan Declaration - 30th March 2010
Peace Through Tourism In Historically Changed Cross-border
- Part 1 -

R.K. Shivachandra *

The above caption was the theme of the seminar held on 29th and 30th March 2010 at Shantiniketan, West Bengal. This was organized by Visva Bharti University with ICRT-India, IIPT, Travel to Care, ACT & Initiated by Help Tourism. This was initiated as a project in regard of "150 years of Rabindranath Tagore". Rabindranath Tagore, born on May 7, 1861.

I have been invited to speak on the above theme with special reference to Myanmar India border tourism chapter .Manipur is a border state and a significant location when it comes to the context of south East Asian countries strategic borders. 36 participants from all over India, especially Northeast, West Bengal and Orissa with delegates from Bhutan and Bangladesh participated in the seminar. There are Government officials, NGOs, Academicians, tourism industry representatives, tourism activists, film makers, social activists and travel writers. Some research scholars and students of the University also took part in the Seminar.

I did convey my inability to honour the invitation at the first place giving excuse of my engagement on home front. However I took part in the seminar later considering the paramount importance of the discussion. Moreover the name Shantiniketan was too tempting to hear, a lovely place that I never wanted to miss.

In spite of my crisscross travels over the years, I had not been able to visit Shantiniketan. It was here that Rabindranath Tagore started Patha Bhavan the school of his ideals, whose central premise was that learning in a natural environment would be more enjoyable and fruitful. Later, this developed into an International University, Visva Bharati. So this is also an important border between the concept of Patha Bhaban and sophisticated computer age teaching of the modern generation.

Basically I am not a seminar man. In my own view Seminars and Workshops organized by the academic circle often belonged to the scholastic echelon alone, a podium specially designed for them to cat walk with their heavy volumes of books. And such place never linked to me. An insignificant easy going person like me should not attempt to stake claim to be part of the academic circle that I never was by all account.

However the organizers never mistook me as a scholar but as a maverick traveler especially on the borders of South East Asia especially on India Myanmar border. The Seminar as such focused on many practical issues that crippling the border tourism in India. So it was in one way a get-together of many bodies who either have vast array of practical knowledge on borders of India or people who could analyze of the aspects. I would like to really appreciate the people who have conceptualized the theme of the Seminar.

Through this column I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Raj Bashu, a soft spoken Bengali gentleman, a tourism activist that I came to realized later, who was so desperate about my presence in the seminar that according to him I was one person who had physically travelled over the terrain and my comment would be useful in the seminar. I was so happy that through him I could have shared the 'tale of woes' Manipur struggled over the years in the wake of imposition of Act like RAP/PAP in this border state.

I could also have been able to put forth many issues despite my limited knowledge. I know my pinch of effort in the sea of woes of Manipur is considerably insignificant. However every raindrop counts in the desert. On the other hand I am happy for one reason that my unflinching love of Myanmar and lust of traveling on the rough terrains of South East Asia sometimes seemed to have bore fruits. With this kind of experience my wild romance with many unknown land and unknown habitat grew stronger within me day by day.

The concept of the seminar thus begins. Several regions in East & Northeast India share common land borders with neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Tibet. These regions once had the privilege to have several trade routes, which were connected to the historical Silk route. There were several developments which took place then and became the landmark in the history of the world, like the spreading of Buddhism etc helping to bring peace to the region and nurturing better 'people to people relations'.

Today, the trade routes have been closed inspite of the easy land connectivity that exists and has been a major reason for poverty . This further has been a pressure on the rich natural resources, which are the last frontiers of the global biodiversity remains of the subcontinent. The people across the borders have now through generations have awaited the old cultural and trade relations.

The capitals now need to understand this emotion & need of the time. Several countries across the globe have shown sense of better cross-better relations in tune with the demand of time and have achieved positive results. Many more issues also discussed in the two days workshop/Seminar. On the final day the following declaration have been made.

The Declaration:

The Cross-Border description:

• Borders are human-made, both physical and in the minds.
• Capitals far away from the borders should understand and address the sentiments, livelihood and basic needs of the people living in the borders and constantly seek cooperation of neighboring countries.
• Tourism should be seen as meaningful tool to bring our borders and communities out of isolation and create better people to people participation along the borders.
• We must first confirm our inter-district and inter-state cooperation in regard to tourism and have common tourism circuits.
• Permits at gates or on the internet for the various districts or states (wherever may be necessary) within a country to confirm National citizenship.
• West Bengal & Orissa with eight Northeastern states of India should be brought under a single brand of Northeast for tourism purposes.
• Interstate transport Permit to be simplified for the implementation of integration as one region.
• We must reciprocate among the different neighboring countries each others respect in regard to entry permits, visas etc.
• Armed forces, customs and other Government personnel at borders must display good behavior as they are the face of the country.
• Online Visa and Visa on arrival at the borders is a priority for the countries of the Indian sub-continent joining south and southeast Asia to promote more land and water based travels.
• Medical Tourism potential for people across border should be brought under a more organized sector through a policy.
• Education Tourism should also be a priority to attract students and scholars from across the borders.

• The local people must be direct stakeholders of all cross-border initiatives.
• The local people should be empowered ownership on the local natural & cultural resources, which are to be protected.
• The local natural and cultural heritage should be part of the school curriculum at site.
• There should be cross-border relation development through tourism festivals and several tourism events.
• Establish 'Cross-Border Tourism Peace Parks' in Inter-District and Inter-State within a country and also across neighboring countries.
• Appreciate & support the local community initiatives in tourism and help to set up local bodies to advise the district officials on tourism matters.
• Local traditional beliefs, legends, rituals, myths etc to be a part of tourism.
• Low Cost & Simple local information brochures at every village with maps.
• Rural trails through river walks, boat rides.
• Also the same for the wetland conservation tourism initiatives.
• Ultapani, in Bodoland, Assam with Sarpang in Bhutan to access the other areas of Bhutan.
• Upper Assam & Eastern Arunachal Pradesh through Pangsau Pass on the Stilwell Road with Myanmar.
• West Bengal-Assam-Nagaland-Manipur through Tamo-Morreh Border with Myanmar, the existing arrangement to be made more active.
• Connect Paharpur World Heritage Site near Joypurhat in Bangladesh with Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Darjeeling District India through the Hilly Border.
• West Bengal-Assam-Meghalaya to Bangladesh through Dawki and Dalu.
• Orissa and West Bengal-Nepal through Panitanki and Pashupati Fatak in Darjeeling District.
• West Bengal-Sikkim to Tibet through Nathula Pass.
• Open up the route from Agartala through Bangladesh to Kolkata for transit of tourist, saving both economic resources and carbon emission.
• South Tripura, Sabrrom-Agartala to Chattagong which existed should be re-established for Buddhist circuit with Pilak Heritage site as the main attraction.
• Re-establish the Bali/Java/Sumatra-Orissa sea relation initiated during 1992.
• Include similar old Buddhist ties of Orissa with Cambodia and Srilanka.
• Land-route Religious (Buddhist & Hindu) circuits through contiguous Northeastern states to Myanmar and on to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China.
• Connect the Common Heritage sites of the countries across borders.
• Following the historic trails of Lord Buddha, Guru Padsambhava and early travelers to India.
• Nepal-India-Bhutan Heli-Tourism on the Guru Padmasambhava trails to start discussions immediately.
• Connect West Bengal-Orissa through water route with India's Northeast, considering the Brahmaputra to Sea route.
• India-Bangladesh Sunderbans through water route.
• Andaman Islands with the Malayan Peninsula and Myanmar by water route.
• Consider immediate upgradation of Kolkata Airport for International Tourist in all respects including making it tourist friendly.
• Consider the same for Bagdogra and Guwahati.
• Improvement of the existing airports and air traffic for the Northeastern states with existing air terminals.
• Multiple Permits from a single window at the airports and railway stations like NJP, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur.
• The future is in Heli-Tourism and immediate introduction of Inter-state services among the tourism Northeastern states.
• Protected Area Permit system for Manipur is the major hurdle for any kind of tourism and is stopping the Cross-Border International tourism through Myanmar.
• For other India's Northeastern states ILP, RAP and PAP should be abolished or made easier through internet or permits at gate.
• Bhutan is already planned two domestic air terminals which will be a new opening for Northeast India.
• Silting of the rivers makes it impossible during low tide, same for Namkhana, Bhagwatpur etc in Sunderbans. IWAI to look into desilting.
• Too many restrictions on waterways route by security forces and Forest Department, the matter to be considered to make a policy.
• The common circuit for the legendary Barahmaputra-Ganga cruises connecting through Bangladesh can make the subcontinent the most popular River Cruise destination to be made possible.

• Circulate the 'Shantiniketan Declaration' widely across countries and all International developmental organizations.
• Constant endeavor through a committed volunteer team to follow up after this workshop.
• The first action will be going into Myanmar through Manipur to be organised by Mr.R.K.Shivachandra with workshop at Imphal and Myanmar.
• The other action will be arriving Paharpur through Hilly with a workshop with Rajsahi University and Joypurhat Municipality by Mr.Apurba Sarkar.
• Dr.R.Panth offered the next International Festival of the said countries in cooperation at Nalanda Deemed University in November 2010 to make a basis for confidence building.
• The action with the title of 'Peace through Tourism' to be continued as a part of the 150 years of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore with the support of Visva-Bharati Study Circle was proposed by Mr.Sandip Basu Sarbhadhikary.
• The UN bodies including ADB working in the Indian subcontinent will be requested to nurture the agenda of 'Cross-Border Tourism for Peace'.
• Mr.Ajoy Roy suggested the Natural, Cultural and Economical status Audio Visual documentation of all the border areas.