Putting Connectivity in Place to Act East
June 3, 2012 by Team SAISA
Filed under foreign policy, geopolitics
India and Myanmar have turned a new leaf with Dr Man Mohan Singh’s visit to Myanmar. As Myanmar begins its journey towards democratisation and opening up to the world, there is a growing interest by China and the West too in investing in the geo strategic, political and economic potential of Myanmar. The US has evinced interest in shaping the new dynamics in the Bay of Bengal as part of its pivot to Asia. The likely location of the seventh fleet in Chittagong underscores this sentiment with an aim to contain China in the Bay of Bengal. Simultaneously while US has not yet lifted sanctions it has liberalised its outlook and soon the west would engage Myanmar to meet their strategic needs in Asia-Pacific. It has also promised to look into the aspects of military cooperation with Myanmar in the Shangri- La Dialogue.
China, which has engaged Myanmar for the last five decades has a head start over the world in exploiting the geographical location, economy and military relations with the Tatmadaw. As per Thant Myint U, the author of “Where China meets India- Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia”,
”Now and for the immediate future, the influence comes overwhelmingly from China — because of its high-speed growth, because of its trade across its rugged land border with Myanmar, because of its demand for that country’s raw materials and for commodities that can come in by sea to Myanmar’s ports. China has roughly America’s geographic scale and layout, with a dry and mountainous interior.” “What China is lacking is its California,” Thant points out, “another coast that would provide its remote interior provinces with an outlet to the sea.”
In our earlier post Looking East: The Gateway to South East Asia we had argued that India needs to put the connectivity issue at top of their agenda to ensure seamlessness in its Look East policy. The various accords signed during the PMs visit beg a sound delivery model seeped in the spirit of developing people to people contacts, as highlighted by Ms Suu Kyi. People to people contacts depend on sound connectivity more by rail and road than air. India has to harmonise its North Eastern states policy with the Myanmar policy to ensure these interests are aligned. Before India connects with Myanmar, it has to connect with Bangladesh and its own North Eastern states. The Road to Moreh explains this dichotomy.
India needs to combine application of its Look East policy in all dimensions of economic, social and strategic perspectives. Until recently border connectivity development philosophy of India operated from the paradigms of fear of China and insurgents rather than a policy of hope. Now that Indian policy making has altered this myopic view in favour of development of infrastructure in border areas, connectivity with Bangladesh and with in North Eastern States must be taken up on priority to augment the Look East policy. Going back first on Teesta water accord and now the border enclaves has eroded Indian credibility in Bangladesh for partisan political interests. This is a direct affront to the credibility of the nation in pursuing its foreign policy.
On the connectivity of minds front, India has to invest heavily in secondary education and skilling to make Myanmarese self-reliant in jobs. One Kendriya Vidyalaya is too little. As ASSK articulated in Thailand, “Hopelessness is more dangerous than joblessness”. India’s connectivity thus has to transcend physical connectivity to mental and moral connectivity with the people of Myanmar and raise hope for a better future.
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Why not Myanmar being included in the SAARC family? This is necessary.The number of SAARC nations would rise to 9, an auspicious number.
The biggest problem in SA is two Punjabs and two Bengals which is the limit of absurdity.First of all, we have to address this problem.We must follow, like US’s policy for China, ONE PUNJAB and ONE BENGAL Policy.Let there be two govts.Lahore/Dhacca or two sovereign/independent nations of Pakistan and B’desh, this should not come in the way of people to people contact between Punjabis and Bengalis on both sides of the border.They are one by language and culture.For permanent peace and security in SA this is most essential.
What we need is a EU-like structure in SA; this can be done through SAARC.Like EU, SAARC Union can be formed.
But the problem is Pakistan and its deadly hangover with Medieval anti-Indian
Arab/Muslim Imperialism.A corrective measure could be renouncing the very word Pakistan and instead opting for “Muslim India” or “Islamic Republic of India”.
B’desh has already renounced the Pakistan word and returned to its original name.Today we have four sovereign nations of Old India ie Af/Pak/India/and B’desh.Pak/India are wasting huge amounts and resources on meaningless arms build-up. This should stop.
We need a Gandhi-like leader today.WE ARE ONE. But unfortunately, we have not been able to solve our problems; how long we would be carrying the old baggage of history? Let academics deal with it. Why we are caught up and quarelling over petty matters, that too by invoking religion. Let us remember we are in the 21st century, not 17th.
Muslim India and Secular India can exist in perfect peace and harmony.On Partition, Gandhiji who never accepted Partition, had said-”Sarkaren do ban gayin hain, Dil to ek hai”.We have to find and establish this “Dil ki Ekta”, only then the Golden Era can become a reality.
If Dara had become Emperor in 17th century, instead of Aurangzeb, the situation would have been totally different today.
My opening thoughts are in line with “better late than never”. The PM’s visit is akin to a scramble to cover ground lost willingly and wilfully to China, and ironically, even to the US led Western lobby that has consistently backed Aung San Suu Kyi and her “return to democracy platform. Aligning Myanmar for USA is putting a “garland” to stretch this abused word, around China. The other important beads of the “garland” are, of course, strung all the way from India through SE Asia to Taiwan and Australia; all these countries being humoured; encouraged; emboldened to keep China in sight and in mind.
I wonder when we will learn to unlearn…We bluntly and boldly need to help upgrade Myanmar with a multi-pronged initiative that goes beyond cosmetic gestures (opening one KV etc). We need Myanmar for its oil, gas and geostrategic location. We need to treat the whole NE…all seven sisters…as mainland India. We need superb air, rail, road and people; trade and commerce connectivity. We need Myanmarese to study in India, work in India; we need Indians to work in Myanmar. Did the PM treat the visit as Transformational rather than as “long due”?
The SAI article does a good job in indicating that the initiative is a good beginning. MEA now must work at the consistency angle and scale up Myanmar into one of the linch pins of our diplomacy…Access Myanmar on all fronts and you become a great SE player…Play “hookey” by fooling around with the Junta and Aung San Suu Kyi and we revisit our uninspiring past…The choice is ours.
The North East still remembers Nehru’s lofty and insensitive words of 1962…”our hearts bleed for Assam” in the lines of the Churchillian stupidity of ” our hearts bleed for Calais/Dunkirk”. The article correctly suggests that the time to make the Bhramhaputra River into the Ganges River has come… emotionally, ideologically and for connecting India to SE Asia, with Myanmar as the gateway…
General Mehta elaborates the points made in the article very succinctly. For a landlocked India this 1600KM border with Myanmar is its strategic and economic lifeline to South East Asia. If we sleep now and overlook the entire complex from our North Eastern states and Bangladesh to Myanmar we shall repent at leisure and pay a huge price for this unavoidable investment now.
I hope the policy makers get to understand this and take right proactive measures beyond ticking an event in the foreign policy calender. If they do China would be greatly amused. As a twitter read, before India can operationalise its Look East policy it has to get rid of its Overlook North East policy.
“I hope the policy makers get to understand this and take right proactive measures beyond ticking an event in the foreign policy calender. If they do China would be greatly amused. As a twitter read, before India can operationalise its Look East policy it has to get rid of its Overlook North East policy.”
Dr Joshi has brilliantly stated what all of us really fear…that MEA has got the PM to yet again “go thru” the motions of being neighbourly. Sad if that happens. I rather like his bluntness in stating that we must purge ourselves of our “Overlook North East policy”. We really must come of age and shake the apathy and linearity out of our foreign policy.
Mr Shyam Saran opines that India should aim for long term strategic interests in Myanmar rather than join the “rush for Gold”.
“India should, therefore, avoid being distracted by the gold rush and remain focussed on the long term. It has a unique opportunity to align itself with the priorities set by the leaders of Myanmar and make its own contribution to enabling a successful political and economic transition in a strategic neighbouring country.
This is a more sensible way of ensuring India’s political, economic and security interests in its strategic neighbourhood than joining the unseemly grab for resources that appears to have gripped Myanmar’s erstwhile detractors.”
We concur.