How To Bridge India’s Great Neighbourhood Divide
Despite all the attempts and initiatives by successive governments to increase connectivity with our neighbours to the east, India had far better overland connections with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar (then known as Burma) in the 1960s and earlier than it does now. The Look East and Act East policies as well as the Neighbourhood First policy seem more focused on maritime and even digital connectivity, while inland and overland connections remain mostly in the doldrums.
In a paper titled Beyond the Coastline: India’s Land Connectivity Options around the Bay of Bengal, Riya Sinha and Constantino Xavier from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi delve deep into this paradox. Arguing that ‘India must prioritise the development of multimodal transportation infrastructure beyond coastal areas to bridge the current gap between maritime and land-based initiatives around the Bay of Bengal and spur the creation of sub-regional, regional, and inter-regional economic corridors,’ the two authors, considered to be top-rung experts in this domain, suggest ways and means to do this.
In this episode of The Gist, they explain how a once-insular India, surrounded by suspicious neighbours, each with a different agenda, has tried to overcome these challenges, and suggest ways and means to resolve the myriad issues that are involved. Watch the full interview to find out more.
#india #china #nepal #bangladesh #bhutan #srilanka
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In Asean, Chinese BRI projects are ahead of Indian act east policy projects, while india railway still are working in Imphal, Chinese Rail currently reach the Thailand doorstep opposite the Mekong river
India and asean rail connectivity is imperative for India ,Nepal Bhutan and Bangladesh development. Hindu rate of growth and babu raj delayed all progress.
Love it!!!🎉 so informative
Rail Network 1. Kolkata Dhaka Agartala and rest of Northeast 2. Extending 1 above to Bairabi to Aizawl to Sittwr in Myanmar 3. Junction from 2 above from Thenzawl in Mizoram to Chin hills on the vank of Kaladan (Boinu) river then to Rangoon to rest of ASEAN countris. Road Network 1. AH1 2. Kolkata to Dhaka to Agartala to Aizawl to Champhai to Mandalay to rest of ASEAN Countries 3. Kolkata to Dhaka to Chittagong to Rangoon thru Arakan formerly now Rakhaine.
India's best Eastward overland project ready in ~ 1 year: the railway line to Imphal in Manipur. Option to continue to Myanmar available. Noney bridge nearing completion, longest tunnel too.
The last question was neither simple nor straightforward; but a complete googly. And it certainly called for a much better developed thought process on the part of the researchers. Personally, I believe that India is proceeding with the regional connectivity without FTAs in place with its neighbours by putting into play its vast consumer market. The primary reason India did not participate in RCEP and is now seeking a renegotiation of its existing FTA with ASEAN; is the absence of reciprocal benefits for India in the proposed or existing FTA. And maybe, a decade ago, India may have lacked the heft necessary to have a balanced FTA much less skew it in India's favour. Given India's current growth trajectory, two decades from now, India may well be in a position to dictate trade terms to much of the globe (different argument whether it should). Therefore, it is really upto India's neighbours to recognise the writing on the wall and decide whether to keep stalling the inevitable or join the party!
To dictate... that is india flaw.. you people think might is right.. and you wonder why your neighbours hate your guts. The world has eyes.. so does ASEAN. Writing on the wall😂😂😂 you people are so boastful. The way Asean people see you people 😂😂
Jai hind 🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳
Please write articles about Tibbat n East turkistan issue. N publish at international level.
We see problems problems problems Why not learn from the BRI even if we won't join it?
India rail connectivity with asean is imperative. India has to learn to complete projects in time frames.
It's not the right timing for act east imo. The problem you face in ASEAN is China is just a much larger player there, due to its far larger economy. In a decade+ from now that could shift, depending on success of the Indian economy, but that just highlights the all-important moment of India's demographic dividend period, to focus on generating as much development as possible, &for that India has to look West, not East.
And I say that especially bcuz ASEAN is much more of an economic competitor to India, dealing in more similar levels of value-add, whereas the wealthier, higher value-added markets further to the east like Japan & Korea, have demographies which will necessitate a large trading deficit in their favor, they simply don't have the young people to consume India's wares.
The gap between India and China grows and grows. 2014 chinese GDP was four times bigger than India's, now almost 6 times bigger. India should imho join rcep and asean asap.