When Young Indians Nagaland Chapter initiated and organised an exposure trip to Moreh and Tamu we knew that it would be exciting. The trip was for us to experience firsthand just what border trade towns are all about. We’d all heard that Moreh was an interesting town where you get things - both legal and illegal - dirt cheap. I remember drinking cans of Coca Cola brought from Moreh when we didn't have it in India.
Moreh had always fascinated me. In my mind, it was like the cowboy towns in Louis L'Amour novels – lawless and mysterious, where if you know whom to ask and where to look, you could find anything at all: the trader’s paradise, though sometimes illicit.
It was a motley crowd of 13 excited people who finally made the trip. We left late on a Sunday afternoon. It took us less than four hours to get to Imphal, despite some bad stretches from Mao to Maram. We didn’t really mind – the drive down to Imphal valley was absolutely breathtaking. The Barak river snaking past the mountains into Peren district, with lush green fields on its banks, is amazingly beautiful.
The plan was to halt at Imphal for the night and leave for Moreh early next morning. The early part didn’t quite work out. We ended up leaving at around seven in the morning, because some of us just couldn’t wake up. (Not me – I was up at five as usual. No, really.) The drive across Imphal valley was enjoyable for more than just the view. The roads were really good and quite surprisingly wide. We reached Pallen in no time, where we halted briefly and were instructed to be extra careful because of security concerns. Pallen is the last checkpoint before we leave Imphal valley and head into Chandel district.
We snaked up the mountainous roads, but we were reminded very often that things were different here, since we had to stop regularly at numerous checkpoints by Manipur commandos and Assam Rifles. In that stretch of about 80 km, we stopped six times for security checks. We were made to get out of the cars, flash our IDs, give the details of our vehicle and so on. It might be meant to make you feel safe – after all, if so many security measures are in place, nothing can go wrong, right? – but it felt more like a real hassle and left us in no uncertainty of just what it was that everybody was so wary of! We are time and time again reminded of how delicate the situation can be, and how fragile the peace there is.
The last check before we approach Moreh town is worth mentioning. The standard procedure is that all the occupants of the car get down and stand in a queue to shows their IDs. Then they take out your entire luggage and go through each piece of it. The experience was even worse when we were coming back.
I felt a bit sad as we approached Moreh. We expected good buildings and organised infrastructure, but what met us instead were old, dilapidated wooden buildings that were quite haphazardly constructed. It looked like a sad state of affairs. It was obvious that local people were not benefitting from all the trade in the town. We realized that Moreh is really just a transit point for goods, while most financial transactions happen outside the town.
On the other side of the border, things look much more promising. There’s an immediate impression of order as we cross the border. The roads are wide and well-maintained, the sidewalks and pavements are all clean, and it’s obvious that the infrastructure has been carefully planned. It’s a tale of two towns: one organized and clean, the other dusty, shabby, unplanned and cluttered. Tamu is like any South-east Asian town, but it surprises you that things change so suddenly as you cross the bridge into Myanmar. The environment and surroundings all seem so different. The food changes drastically. It’s amazing how a border, which we think of as just a narrow stretch of land or a line, can be a signifier for changes that are much stronger and bigger than ‘this side’ and ‘that side’. The same tribes are present in both the towns, but I guess the national influence becomes stronger.
To say that the Moreh International Market is interesting would be understating it. Most of what we get in Hazi Park in Dimapur is sourced from here. Starting from clothes and umbrellas, and going on to alcohol, it seems as if you can get everything here.
There is so much potential for growth in the border area. Our policy makers have to ensure that all those bills and recommendations and laws and policies don’t just stay on paper. They must be implemented. Tourism could be a real industry here. Yes, the current situation isn’t very encouraging, but if infrastructure and town planning could be improved, with the government taking the initiative, the local people will definitely benefit from the measures.
All in all, the trip was an eye opener in terms of policy implementation for all of us. If we’re to make the most of the opportunities we could see even in those humble and dilapidated circumstances, we should also take responsibility and do what we can, apart from expecting those in power to do what they can.
