From CK Nayak
New Delhi: China is doing what India could not – developing better communication with Myanmar through a high-speed railway line between the two nations known to be the gateway to Southeast Asia.
China and Myanmar are contemplating a railway line between Muse on the Myanmar side of China-Myanmar border and Mandalay, according to recent media reports quoted by Observer Research Foundation.
The reports also suggest that China is also in the process of building a railway line connecting Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, with Ruili, a town on the China-Myanmar border.
It is not clear if these two railway lines would be connected or would operate separately. But once
operational, the two railway lines are expected to provide a major boost to economic and strategic activities between China and Myanmar and further cement the existing bilateral trade between the two countries.
On the other hand, the highway between Moreh and Mandalay is in bad shape on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border. Still, Indian planners hope a rail link from Imphal to Moreh will eventually be connected to the Myanmar railway system, allowing onward connectivity to Southeast Asia.
Moreh is already a huge commercial hub, and economists suggested that it could become a bustling city in the next couple of decades. The town is already seen as the commercial capital of Manipur and India’s ‘gateway to South-East Asia’.
Myanmar has also formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative and the two countries are working closely in realising the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. But on the issue of China-Myanmar Railways, what seems like a harmless transportation network initiative between the two countries, could pose long-term and significant strategic ramifications for India.
From the perspective of security, India’s border with Myanmar has historically presented serious security challenges. Chinese troops had used the Myanmar route to threaten India’s North Eastern States prior to the 1962 war.
NSCN militants are also using the territory of Myanmar for all their anti India activities. Many of the top insurgent leaders used this area for their anti-national work.
Experts feel that the work on infrastructure projects in India’s Northeastern states needs to be expedited to ensure speedy development. Most importantly, India on its part needs to proactively engage Myanmar in the realm of infrastructure upgrade.