India's NE States for Establishing Road Links With SE Asia
"We have formally requested the central government to reopen the stilwell road. In fact, all the seven northeastern chief ministers have recently exhorted New Delhi to consider our plea," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IRNA Saturday.
The 1,079-mile (1,726-kilometer) stilwell road was used by allied forces during world War II.
It starts at Assam, in the heart of India's northeast, and cuts through the Pangsau pass in Myanmar to Kunming in south China. It touches almost all the important South Asian capitals.
The chief ministers are unanimous in their opinion that allowing business along the international border would bring economic prosperity to the underdeveloped region, which is wracked by more than five decades of violent insurgency.
"Free-trade with the South Asian countries and India's northeast region would be possible with the re-opening of the stilwell road," gogoi said.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mukut Mithi, echoed the same sentiment.
"Once border trade gets going, there will be lots of avenues for youth and in that way frustrated young people will then opt for running businesses instead of taking up arms because of a lack of employment," Mithi said.
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said, "The northeast could become the gateway to South Asia and turn into a potential business hub" if road links to South Asia was established.
India's External Affairs Minister Jaswant singh earlier in april this year announced a 24-month time-bound highway project that would connect the country by road to thailand via myanmar.
the proposed 1,400 kilometer long trans-asian highway would run from moreh in india's northeastern state of manipur, cutting across the ancient city of bagan in central myanmar to join thailand at mae sot.
the road is likely to be completed within the next two years.
a major stretch of the proposed super highway already exists as that road was frequently used during the world war ii although the corridor now requires reconstruction and renovation.
prime minister atal behari vajpayee had in a meeting with the northeastern chief ministers said his government would look into the possibility of allowing border trade with neighbouring south asian countries.
vajpayee said the move could provide a ready market for agricultural produce from the northeast.
following the signing of a trade agreement between india and myanmar in 1995, border trade takes place on a daily basis only at moreh in manipur, in india's northeast.
indian automobile components, fruits, grains, vegetables, textiles and cotton yarn finds a strong demand in almost all the neighboring countries.
in the other direction, indian traders are strongly interested in importing electronic gadgets, synthetic blankets teak, gold, and semi-precious stones.
assam, the gateway to the northeast, is about 2,000 kilometers from the indian capital new delhi and some 3,000 kilometers from the country's biggest commercial center, bombay.
rangoon, bangkok and even some chinese cities are much closer to most northeastern states than delhi or bombay.
for instance, kunming in china is only 1,079 kilometers from ledo in assam where the stilwell road begins.
the pushing for road links to south east asia, provincial chiefs have pointed out that only 250 kilometers out of the northeast's 5,000-kilometer outer perimeter touches india.
the remaining 4,750 kilometers represents international boundaries with china, myanmar, bhutan, bangladesh, china and nepal.