The Act East Policy and what it bodes for the North East

By Trishanu Bipul Borah

The North East links India with its Eastern neighbours, sharing international boundaries with Myanmar  in the East, Bangladesh in the South and Bhutan, China, Nepal. Geography and geopolitics of the past has thus ensured that the much neglected North East is a vital junction for India and any policy step, even tiny baby ones, towards the East, has to take into consideration the concerns of this region at the very outset.

That the Minister for External Affairs Mrs Sushma Swaraj recently briefed the Governors of the North Eastern States about the various aspects of trade and upcoming cross border connectivity projects is a sign that the Indian State is pursuing the matter in a serious manner, while the same cannot probably be said of the issues like the “framework agreement” with a single non-state actor and it’s not- so- real-politikally- feasible demands, which have been termed as “historic”. However, questioning the historicity or not, of that matter, is not the subject of this article; elucidating the possibilities and potentialities of a greater connectivity strategy in the North Eastern region is.

The North Eastern region which shares many of its cultural, ethnic, linguistic aspects with the land and people lying to its east, is connected to the rest of India through a small corridor which has been christened as the “Chicken’s Neck”. This small stretch of land in the Siliguri district of Bengal which has ever since partition (and the formation of East Bengal) been India’s sole line of access to the North Eastern states is a mere 14 miles at it narrowest!

A section of people from the North East of India have for long complained about the perceived “step-motherly” treatment from the Centre, be it in terms of economic policies leading to exploitation or due to the implementation of draconian laws like the AFSPA which has led to widespread violation of human rights in a region which has already seen much division and in-fighting along ethnic lines. In the light of this, the new Act East Policy of the Indian Government brings about much needed optimism to the region, especially when it is seen in consonance with renewed efforts to bring in order and peace through “historic” peace deals.

What actually is Acting East?

 “..A new era of economic development, industrialization and trade has begun in India. Externally, India’s ‘Look East Policy’ has become ‘Act East Policy’,” was what the Prime Minister said in his opening statement at the 12^th ASEAN summit in November, 2014.

The “Look East Policy” was formulated and implemented during the governments of P.V. Narasimha Rao in the face of the opening up of the Indian economy and the subsequent globalization in the early 1990s and was followed up by A.B. Vajpayee. It aimed at forging closer trade and economic ties in order to expand Indian markets, security and strategic cooperation in matters of counter-terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering etc. In the realms of soft power, it emphasized on the shared value, culture and history and sought to utilize the long running historical and religious connect between the region using Buddhism and tried to attract Buddhist tourism, bringing people to the birth place of Buddhism. While much had been attained during this period, including bringing in much needed investments from the ASEAN block, signing of Free Trade Agreements as well as varied schemes such as Harvest Schemes etc, a lot remained to be done, and thus, a new and enhanced outlook.

In the current scheme of things and the pro active pursuance of “Act East Policy” where trade, economic development and industrialization plays an important role, the development of the North East region becomes utmost important. Only then can the fruits of Acting East be amply enjoyed by the country, along with bringing about much needed stability, prosperity and job creation in the North Eastern States through the creation of new infrastructures.

Importance of Connectivity

When it comes to the internal connectivity with the rest of India, often termed the “mainland”, and the North Eastern region, matters had been complicated due to the refusal of transit via Bangladesh, which had long evaded the matter when raised by the Centre. This had put the focus on the narrow “Chicken’s Neck” and securing it was one of India’s main security concerns, especially with the areas nearby having borders with Bhutan, Nepal and with a Chinese geo-strategic threat never really off the cards. Siliguri district is also a hotbed of international smuggling, crime and occasional instability with the Gorkhaland demand always doing the rounds, thus only adding to the apprehensions. Of late, the Bangladeshi policy has changed for the good in this regard, with the starting of bus service, renewal of old riverine networks and the proposed setting up of a Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Guwahati following the visit of Prime Minister Modi during July this year, though much still needs to be done.

With the area bearing the brunt of not just terrorism and ethnic divide but also brutal State sponsored repression for a longer period in the post independence history, the pressure on the supply lines and infrastructure have been over stretched for long and one blockade or the other can suck the lifeblood out of a whole state. Manipur is a good example of this. Thus the shoring up of connectivity is even for important for not just the sake of the region but also for the sake of creating a bridge to the international borders and the countries that lie beyond it.

Projects and policy Steps in this direction

1. The recently signed BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) Motor vehicle agreement will promote safe, economical efficient and environmentally sound road transport in the sub-region and will further help each country in creating an institutional mechanism for regional integration. BBIN countries will be benefited by mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for overall economic development of the region.
2. The ambitious Trilateral Highway project to link India, Myanmar and Thailand can be further used to connect the region and even be used to promote trade and transport via Mekong-Ganga cooperation.
3. Better railway connectivity within the region with the opening up of new railway links like Mendipathar-Guwahati and the proposed Dimapur-Imphal rail link.
4. The enhanced railway connectivity can be relied upon for the reopening of Stilwell road, which can connect the region to the fast growing Yunnan province of Chin.
5. The building of BCIM corridor between Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar further enhances the potential of the region.
6. The opening up of pre-partition railway links with Bangladesh as well as re-establishing the dormant riverine links is of vital importance for transport  of both passenger and goods.

The trade routes to the ASEAN block stand to be shortened via road linkages through the North East. The need for better roads and infrastructure, thus cutting down costs, becomes even more urgent in the light of the RCEP Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN+6 which includes India.

What we already have is a set of policy guidelines and projects either in incubation or semi-complete and in halfway stages. Though it sounds easy on paper, the important task is the coordination and connection of these well laid out plans so that seamless connectivity across the region can lead to the creation of a pan-Asian Highway of some sort someday.

 India needs to be pro-active in doing the necessary. The North East can potentially be at a crucial junction in its history where globalization finally delivers the promised fruits. The increased opportunities arising out of growth of infrastructure, economic development and enhanced people to people contact can undo the harm that the hastily drawn boundaries of the past century had brought upon the people of the North East. Of course there are challenges that the government has to overcome, both in terms of economic feasibility as well as security which have to be overcome before all of the above mentioned projects can be delivered, but isn’t deliverance exactly what the Modi government had promised before and while coming to power?

((The writer  is a recent BITS PILANI graduate and a civil service aspirant)