NEW DELHI, May 4:Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein has bat for connectivity, trade and tourism between North East Region and ASEAN in an interactive session chaired by the Union Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj with the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States regarding integration of North Eastern States into the “Act East Policy” at New Delhi today.

Terming the North East as gateway to ASEAN, Mein stated that ASEAN holds a great promise for development of North East India which has many cultural similarities with these nations.

He further emphasised that if proper initiatives in connectivity are taken, it will transform North East in the coming years. He advocated that the historic Stillwell Road needs to be revived for boosting trade relation with ASEAN countries.

He further said that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway connecting Moreh with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar also held a great hope, as did a trade corridor linking all North Eastern States with the Indo-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.            

 In the field of Air connectivity, he pointed out that no Indian airlines private or public, provides direct air connectivity to ASEAN from the region. ‘The Government of India may explore providing viability gap funding to any airline which provide direct air connectivity from North East to ASEAN countries on the lines of Udaan Scheme,’ Mein said.

Underlying the importance of Trade and Commerce, he stated that the North East has great potential to offer in terms of Agriculture, Horticulture, Bamboo, Timber products etc to the ASEAN region. The time in transportation by road to the rest of India is higher and will cost more in marketing of goods than with the geographically nearer ASEAN region and Bangladesh from the region, he opined.

DCM further outlined that Tourism can be the fulcrum of India’s Act East Policy. Engagement of the ASEAN through tourism will be a win-win situation for both India and ASEAN countries. “There is a pressing need to market the whole Northeast as one Tourism destination”, he said and stressed that the North East Tourism Development Council should take a lead in making this concept a reality by coordinating with all the Tourism departments.

He further said that the other thrust area could be Buddhism in North East as Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim hold important seats of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. While informing that Bodh Gaya and Arunachal is visited by thousands of Buddhist pilgrims who can’t always afford to travel by air, he pressed for the provision of visa on arrival facility at Moreh, Manipur and Pangsau pass in Arunachal Pradesh in order to facilitate mass pilgrims.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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