NEW DELHI: An India that is more connected to the Northeast, and a Northeast that is in turn more connected to India’s neighbours, will mean a complete transformation of the regional economy.
"Today too, our national resurgence is directly connected to the economic revival of the East. The coming together therefore of the Act East and the Neighbourhood First policies have an enormous reinforcing impact,’’ said External Affairs Minister, Dr Jaishankar, while addressing the National Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave in Guwahati.
Dr Jaishankar also spoke about improving connectivity between the Northeast and Bangladesh, by the restoration of six historical cross-border rail links that have been dormant since 1965.
"Once operational, the Shahabazpur (Bangladesh) to Mahishasan (Assam) link will be extended within Bangladesh and connected to the Kuluara-Shahbazpur rail line currently being modernised using an Indian line of credit (LoC). Inaugurated in December 2020, the Chilahati-Haldibari (West Bengal) line will further enhance Assam’s connectivity to Bangladesh through New Jalpaiguri, including passenger traffic,’’ Dr Jaishankar said. The conclave was also attended by the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.
A new rail link from Akhaura (Bangladesh) to Agartala (Tripura) too is being developed under grant assistance and we all know that this is already increasing trade between India and Bangladesh.
Dr Jaishankar said if there was land connectivity through Myanmar and sea connectivity through Bangladesh, it would open a wide frontier of trade right up to Vietnam and Phillipines.
"On a commercial scale, a world all the way to Vietnam and Philippines, from Haiphong to Hazira and from Manila to Mundra will open up, creating an east-west lateral with sweeping consequences for the continent. It will not only build on the partnerships that we have with the ASEAN and Japan, but would actually make a difference to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that is now in the making,’’ the External Affairs Minister added.
Meanwhile, within Bangladesh, India is collaborating on a series of road projects, including improving the Ashuganj River Port-Akhaura Land Port Road under an LoC of more than $400 million. The road project connecting Baruerhat to Ramgarh on the India-Bangladesh border, which will increase Tripura’s road connectivity with Bangladesh, is also being implemented under another LoC of $80.06 million.
India is undertaking two projects as part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway – connecting Moreh to Moe Sot in Thailand, through Myanmar. Being implemented under a grant, these envisage upgrading 69 bridges in the Tamu-Kalewa-Kyigone sector and the 120 km Kalewa-Yargi sector. Separately, a bridge from Mizoram to Myanmar, across the river Bainu, will be built under a US$ 2 million government of India grant. Modernisation of the existing Bailey bridge that runs from LCS Rihkhawdar in Myanmar to LCS Zowkhawthar in Mizoram is being considered.