Home Minister Patton highlights views of Nagaland Government on Act East policy
Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 4
Nagaland’s Minister for Home Y. Patton today highlighted the views of Nagaland government on various issues connected with the implementation of India's Act East Policy, and the implementation of development schemes in the Indo-Myanmar border areas.
Speaking at the 9th edition of Delhi Dialogue on "Strengthening the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership Charting the Course for the next 25 years" at New Delhi, he said the North East India provides the natural land-bridge between Indian Sub-Continent and ASEAN Countries.
“When we think of creating pathways to a shared future between India and the ASEAN countries, the North-East Region provides the only viable natural land route. Therefore, our first priority should be construction of highways and railways within the region, and connecting it with mainland India, as well as with the ASEAN countries,” he said.
For this, Patton said, the Four-Lane East-West corridor has to be extended from Doboka junction in Assam to Moreh via Kohima and Imphal.
The Dimapur-Kohima section is already being taken up for four-laning. There is already a good highway connecting Moreh upto Kuala Lumpur, which needs to be upgraded to international standards. Similarly, the railway line from India to ASEAN countries should also run more or less parallel to this alignment.
Way back in 1997, the Indian Railways had already approved a DPR for a new BG railway line from Diphu (Dhansiri) to Karong in Manipur via Peren district of Nagaland. However, due to some strange political considerations, this project was abandoned, and an alternative railway line to Imphal via Silchar is being constructed.
“I am not against the on-going work on railway connectivity via Silchar-Imphal, but if we are to think in terms of South East Asian Connectivity, the project which was approved in 1997 will be much more convenient, shorter in distance, and also more viable,” the home minister said and strongly viewed that the abandoned Diphu-Karong railway project should be taken up afresh, with the ultimate idea of extending it further to Moreh via Imphal, and thence to South East Asian countries. This will be in line with the visions of the Look East and Act East Policy.
Border fencing
He said border-fencing is not the solution for Indo-Myanmar border, adding “what we need is better road connectivity across and along the border to open up the area and to unlock the land-locked border areas.”
“The Government of India seems to be keen on fencing of all our international land borders. While there is logic behind the fencing of India's land borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the same logic does not apply in the case of India's land border with Myanmar, which is 1643 km long. In the case of Longwa village in Mon district, the international boundary runs right through the middle of the Angh's (Village Chief's) house, half of his house in India and the other half in Myanmar,” he said.
I cite this example to show, how badly the Nagas and their ancestral lands have been divided by the Indo-Myanmar border. Naturally, the villagers have to continue their movement across the international boundary almost on a daily basis for their agricultural activities. Hence, border fencing is not a viable proposition in the Nagaland sector.
Another peculiar character of this sector is that in spite of the open border, and in spite of the free-movement regime, there has been practically no migration of the native Nagas across the international border. This is basically because of the strong attachment the Nagas have for their ancestral land, and because of their traditional land-holding system. I am stressing on this point, as I want the policy makers and planners to clearly understand this peculiar nature of the Nagaland sector of the Indo-Myanmar border, he said.
In fact, what we need is not barbed wire fencing, but construction of roads along and across the border to “un-lock the land-locked areas” and promote trade and development. This is a better approach from security point of view also. It is the absence of roads and communication that make these areas the hiding grounds for insurgents. The people living along the Indo-Myanmar border should not be left behind, when we are charting new courses for India-ASEAN partnership for the next 25 years.
Restrictions on construction
activities in border areas
He said the restrictions on various construction activities in border areas need to be relaxed for Indo-Myanmar border.
He said the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been imposing various restrictions on construction and other development activities in the border areas due to security concerns.
He said there is a restriction for construction of road within 25 Kms of aerial distance from international border. In the hilly terrains of Indo-Myanmar border, an aerial distance of 25 Kms from the border can mean a lot. Some sub-divisional and block headquarter are actually located within such distance. Many of the roads being constructed under PMGSY, MGNREGA and BADP are within such 25 Kms of aerial distance from the border. In the case of Indo-Myanmar border, these restrictions need not be imposed, in view of the special situation I have stated earlier. What we need is to develop and to open up these land-locked areas, not border fencing, or restrictions on developmental and construction activities.
Call for better internet
connectivity in NE region
He also stressed on the need for better internet connectivity in the North East Region to enable the North East People to fully participate as equal partners in building regional value chain between India and ASEAN countries.
“The telecom and internet connectivity in the North-East region is generally poor. This has been preventing the English speaking and internet savvy youth of the North East from using the global internet highway for educational and business purposes,” he said adding that this situation is not favourable for building regional value chains across the N.E. region.
In this, he urged the Government of India to expedite the proposal to bring broad-band internet network to N.E. region via Cox Bazaar, Bangladesh, so that the N.E. region can fully participate in the building of regional value chains via internet and IT enabled services.
