C-da Well, Govt. of India has been holding talks with Bangladeshi counterparts through direct channel.. Bangladesh could never forgive India for the Farakka barrage.
International diplomacy requires more than just dialog. India is not a good brother in its neighborhood; disliked by everyone..we may blame conveniently on foreign hand..:) mkd On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 6:40 PM, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > M: > > > > > > Number one is Bangladesh, which is > >constantly frustrating India's efforts to get transit through the male > river > > > > > *** What do we know about what INDIA has been doing to get B'deshi > co-operation to get river access to Assam and the region ? > > Has Indian govt. told us what it has been doing all these decades, > and how B' or why B'desh has been FRUSTRATING it? > > > As you can imagine, these efforts always involve give and take. Just > demands and/or intimidation does not bring results. Have Indian > officialdom ever brought the people into confidence and shared their > negotiating stances and the B'deshi responses ? > > I am sure the people of Assam would want to know that. Wouldn't you? > > c-da > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 9:41 AM +0530 6/2/08, Manoj Das wrote: > >I was thinking this all along! > > > >When I shared this news with a Japanese thinker from ADB, he was stunned.. > >There are many players in this. Number one is Bangladesh, which is > >constantly frustrating India's efforts to get transit through the male > >river. Secondly a grand politics of undermining Assam's destined position > as > >the land bridge between giant Asian land and economic masses. > > > >mkd > > > > > >On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 9:33 AM, Dilip&Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > >> Forwarding. > >> > >> Dilip&Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 > >> 20:58:13 -0700 (PDT) > >> From: Dilip&Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Los Angeles Times on Northeast India > >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> Dear Sanjib, > >> You said, "But are they producing or is it only assembling products. > I > >> don't know the answer. " > >> Even Assembling products is better than not doing anything. Mexico is > >> making a lot of money assembling products for USA. Assembling products > >> eventually leads to local production if the local entrepreneurs mean to > take > >> part in the process. > >> Car battery industry is a good example. As I understand, back in > seventies > >> batteries were assembled in Assam. I heard that most of the parts are > now > >> made in Assam. Is it true? > >> Dilipda > >> > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> Dear Dilipda and Mahanta, > >> > >> Good hearing from you. I am skeptical, as Mahanta has noted. But not > >> because a lot new is not taking place -- but because things that are > >> crucial for a breakthrough are not happenning. There is a much more > >> affluent India, and many in Delhi are genuinely committed to doing > >> more. So if earlier we talked about 100 crores, now the language is of > >> 1000 crores. But is money enough? Domestic policy and foreign policy > >> cannot be separated when it comes to Northeast India. Our relations > >> with China may be improving in many ways, but not when it comes to > >> Arunchal Pradesh. Only last summer China has begun referring to AP as > >> China's Southern Tibet. So long as the Burmese military regime is > >> there, huge amount of foreign funds are not going to move in to build > >> infrastructure in Burma. Indian money or Chinese money can do a little > >> bit of this and that, but not the funds that could be mobilized for > >> Northeast india to benefit from India's Look East policy. No matter > >> how much we shout about Bangladesh's animosity, the burden of normal > >> relations is on the bigger neighbour as in all such cases of a country > >> that is far more resourceful than the aggreived smaller neighbor. We > >> may be landocked by India, said a Bangladeshi foreign minister, but > >> Northeast india is landlocked by us. So the military man's vision of > >> the Look East policy -- linking up with the Burmese or the Bangaldeshi > >> army to get support for their anti-insurgency operations--is a very > >> poor substitute to the huge leap of resources -- material as well as > >> intellectual -- that is needed for the task. At the same time I am > >> willing to say that we do not know the implications of some of the > >> huge amount of money that is being spent. There are about 15 daily > >> flights from Delhi to Guwahati -- more than any other comparable city. > > > There is much more energetic road-building (and the massive > >> disappearance of trees and of the familiar surroundings around the > >> trunk road) etc etc. I know the planes carry many businessmen taking > >> advantage of the tax benefits of investing in the region. But are they > >> producing or is it only assembling products. I don't know the answer. > >> But we surely need a new language to talk about the region -- > >> certainty "neglect" is not what is happenning any more. > >> > >> Hope all is well. > >> > >> With warm regards, > >> > >> Sanjib > >> > >> > >> Quoting Chan Mahanta : > >> > >> > Thanks for sharing the article Baruah. > >> > > >> > But I share your skepticism. We have heard these for decades on end > >> > now. The politicians attempt to take credit for imaginary > >> > achievements and establishment spokespersons paint rosy scenarios, in > >> > the air. But what has the reality been? > >> > > >> > m > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > At 8:33 PM -0400 5/30/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> >> > http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-india29-2008may29,0,6712115.story > >> >> > >> >> From the Los Angeles Times > >> >> Northeast India is poised to tap economic potential > >> >> The eight-state area plans multiple projects to increase its trade > >> >> with Southeast Asia. > >> >> By Shankhadeep Choudhury > >> >> Los Angeles Times Staff Writer > >> >> > >> >> May 29, 2008 > >> >> > >> >> NEW DELHI - India's remote northeast region has been both blessed > and > >> >> cursed by its geography. The region is rich in natural resources but > >> >> is landlocked and surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and > Bhutan, > >> >> leaving it impoverished. > >> >> > >> >> The eight-state region may finally get a chance to start living up > to > >> >> its economic potential with several projects to enhance connections > >> >> with Southeast Asia and to increase outlets for such commodities as > >> >> organic foods, orchids, tea, coal and oil. > >> >> > >> >> Now, the only way to move major quantities of goods between > northeast > >> >> India and Southeast Asia is through Bangladesh. > >> >> > >> >> But authorities in Myanmar and India are nearing final approval of a > >> >> $100-million river project giving northeast India direct access to > the > >> >> Indian Ocean through Myanmar, said Abhijit Barooah, chairman of the > >> >> northeastern chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry, > India's > >> >> premier business association. > >> >> > >> >> The project envisages facilitating movement of cargo from India's > >> >> Mizoram state to Myanmar's port at Sittwe, via the Kaladan River. > >> >> > >> >> In addition, talks have begun between companies in northeast India > and > >> >> Thailand after a trade-promotion conference in Bangkok in October, > >> >> said Lemli Loyi, assistant general manager at the state-run North > >> >> Eastern Development Finance Corp. Loyi expressed hope that the talks > >> >> would result in increased business and possible joint ventures. > >> >> > >> >> India first enunciated a "look east" policy, an economic and > strategic > >> >> orientation toward Southeast Asia, in 1992. It had its genesis at > the > >> >> end of the Cold War, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Having > >> >> lost the Soviet economic and political support on which it had > relied, > >> >> the Indian government embarked on a program of free-market > >> >> restructuring at home and sought new markets and economic partners > >> >> abroad. > >> >> > >> >> Officials envisaged that the eight northeast states -- Assam, > >> >> Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and > >> >> Mizoram -- would emerge as a trading hub for two dynamic regions > >> >> connected by a network of highways, railways, pipelines and > >> >> transmission lines. The region is home to about 40 million people. > >> >> > >> >> But progress has been slow. The region's isolation dates to the > 1800s. > >> >> > >> >> "Nineteenth-century British colonial decisions to draw lines between > >> >> the hills and the plains, to put barriers on trade between Bhutan > and > >> >> Assam, and to treat Burma as a buffer against French Indochina and > >> >> China severed the region from its traditional trade routes -- the > >> >> southern trails of the Silk Road," said Sanjib Baruah, a professor > of > >> >> political science at Bard College in New York and an expert on > > > >> northeast India. > >> >> > >> >> The British built railways and roads mostly to take tea, coal, oil > and > >> >> other resources out of Assam and into the rest of India and also to > >> >> Europe. > >> >> > >> >> The problems increased with the partitioning of India and Pakistan > in > >> >> 1947. Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan in the 1970s. > >> >> > >> >> Barooah said trade would be boosted by an expected move by the > Indian > >> >> and Myanmar governments to expand the list of mostly agricultural > >> >> commodities allowed to be traded by land between northeast India and > >> >> Myanmar, from 27 to 42 items. > >> >> > >> >> "The northeast is the closest land mass connecting the dynamic > >> >> economies of south and Southeast Asia," said Pradyut Bordoloi, > Assam's > >> >> minister for power and industries. "Besides deep-rooted cultural > >> >> linkages, we can reap multidimensional benefits in this era of > >> >> regional economic cooperation." > >> >> > >> >> Bordoloi is closely associated with a campaign to reopen the World > War > >> >> II-era Stillwell Road, connecting Assam's town of Ledo to southwest > >> >> China. > >> >> > >> >> "If reopened, this would be the shortest surface route to Yunnan > >> >> province of China and other Southeast Asian countries hooking onto > the > >> >> trans-Asian highways," he said. > >> >> > >> >> The road served as the supply line into China during Japan's wartime > >> >> occupation, but it was shut after India's independence from Britain > in > >> >> 1947. > >> >> > >> >> Bordoloi said his campaign to reopen the road, initiated after he > >> >> became a state legislator in 1998, scored a victory when India > >> >> upgraded the road to a full-fledged national highway, developing it > up > >> >> to the Indo-Myanmar border. > >> >> > >> >> Officials say infrastructure development, power, bamboo-based > >> >> industries, orchids and organic foods are prospective areas of > >> >> cooperation with Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. > >> >> > >> >> But significant hurdles remain, including concerns that booming > trade > >> >> relations may fuel rises in insurgency, narco-terrorism and AIDS, > all > >> >> of which plague the northeast. Security in the region is tight, with > >> >> the army out in force to combat armed groups battling for greater > >> >> autonomy or independence from India. > >> >> > >> >> "The official restrictions that prevail in northeast India -- in > terms > >> >> of travel, land and labor markets -- are hardly conducive to > intensive > >> >> cross-border economic relations," said Baruah, the political science > >> >> professor. > >> >> > >> >> "Both the reality of insurgencies in the region and the security > >> >> anxiety of the government of India . . . are major obstacles to > >> >> dynamic cross-border economic ties," he added, calling current > efforts > >> >> hardly more than "a bare beginning." > >> >> > >> >> Also, Baruah said, it was difficult to imagine a big increase in > trade > >> >> given the political situation in military-led Myanmar. > >> >> > >> >> India's relations with China, a country it has long regarded with > >> >> distrust since a 1962 border war, would also have to become much > more > >> >> relaxed, Baruah said. > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ > >> >> assam mailing list > >> >> [email protected] > >> >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > assam mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> assam mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >> > > > > > > > >-- > >Manoj Kumar Das > >C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave > >New Delhi 17 India > >0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654 > >_______________________________________________ > >assam mailing list > >[email protected] > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > -- Manoj Kumar Das C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave New Delhi 17 India 0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
