Connectivity with India’s neighbors can transform northeast, says Jaishankar

Work on restoration of 6 historical rail links with Bangladesh dormant since 1965 is underway, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said adding the government is also looking at creating a cross-border rail line from India to Bhutan.

GUWAHATI: Increased and improved connectivity between India’s northeast to the country’s neighbours in the east can help transform the region from being a frontier to a hub, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in Guwahati on Saturday. Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Asian Confluence River Conclave, Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence-3 (NADI-3), in Guwahati, he said that better connectivity, which is linked to ease of doing business and ease of living, is a priority of the Indian government.

“When done with imagination and on scale it can have repercussions far beyond immediate issues of the day. An India that is more connected to the northeast and a northeast that is more connected to India’s neighbours will mean a complete transformation of the regional economy,” said Jaishankar.

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“Instead of being regarded as a frontier, the northeast region will emerge as a hub in itself. Its resources and skills will have a more ready market and the supply lines will be shorter,” he added.

Jaishankar said that work on restoration of 6 historical rail links with Bangladesh dormant since 1965 is underway and overland trade is taking place using 28 notified land customs stations and 3 integrated check points.

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He added that India is looking at the feasibility of creating a cross-border rail line from India to Bhutan running through Assam for expanding the Buddhist circuit to connect religious places in Bhutan and Nepal to those in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The conclave, the third of its kind after the first two in Shillong and Dhaka, aims at closer cooperation with other countries in its eastern borders and beyond and help forge strategic initiatives for energy and water security in the region. Several ministers and diplomats from Bangladesh, Japan and ASEAN countries are attending the event.

“This is a timely and commendable initiative. The South Asian and South East Asian regions are endowed with ever-flowing and perennial rivers and water bodies,” Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said in his address.

“Bangladesh hopes to be the land bridge between South Asia and SE Asia. Given our strategic geo-political location, Bangladesh can be a link to connect India, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and other East and South East Asian region,” he added.

In his address Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pointed out that northeastern region provides the only land link between India and the ASEAN countries and they share historic, cultural, social and economic ties.

“This conclave gives us a remarkable opportunity to articulate a collective vision for our shared prosperity. I am sure the deliberations here will promote collaboration for revitalising our riverine economy to facilitate faster economic growth in the region,” he said.

In a video address, Thailand’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Don Pramudwinai said the conclave will facilitate a constructive dialogue among our partners in the Bay of Bengal region and pave way for stronger cooperation among governments and other stakeholders through sharing of information and insights.

“The potential is immense, but at present the total percentage of India’s trade to SE Asia through northeast is less than 2% of the total trade with ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). For investors from Singapore, this means the region has potential for great growth,” said Simon Wong, high commissioner of Singapore to India.

He mentioned that Singapore is already in talks with the Assam government to set up a skills university, establish a smart logistics centre and help in implementing the master-plan of Guwahati, the biggest city in the northeast.