BHUBANESWAR: Former diplomat and author G Parthasarathy on Thursday called for a greater regional integration and stronger economic cooperation with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations.
Even as the vast East Coast of India is facing the fastest growing economies in the world, the maritime trading activities of this part of the country with Southeast Asian nations are very negligible.
Recalling the rich maritime heritage of ancient Kalinga, Parthasarthy said the people of Odisha should ponder what went wrong with that tradition after nearly 70 years of Independence.
Speaking at the 16th Harischandra Baxipatra memorial lecture here, Parthasarthy said, “I don’t see any other State having rich maritime history as Odisha. We must ask ourselves where we stand now and why,” the former Ambassador to Myanmar said.
Asserting that the East Coast has the potential to be a trade hub of oil, gas and petroleum products, Parthasarthy said the Government should focus on improving and expanding connectivity with SAARC nations and increased economic partnership with Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar and Thailand. He said the total value of India’s trade with all other SAARC members, put together, is less than a third of its total trade with China.
There has been a shift in the foreign policy in the last two and a half years. The Government in Delhi seems to have realised this anomaly. A meaningful cooperation can materialise only when there is mutual trust and willingness among member countries to resolve and overcome bilateral differences and apprehensions for the greater good of their own people, he said.
However, Parthasarthy, also the former High Commission to Pakistan, expressed his reservation on isolating Pakistan from the SAARC nations. Parthasarathy said the real challenge before India is China, not Pakistan. China is seeking to be the number one in the world order and using Pakistan against India by supplying nuclear weapons.
To address this security threat, India must improve its religious and cultural ties with the vast majority of Chinese people who follow Buddhism, he said.
Governor SC Jamir, senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik and senior journalist Rabi Das also spoke. Secretary of Harischandra Baxipatra Memorial Trust Lopamudra Baxipatra introduced the guests.