April 26 : It is interesting that what looks like a radical idea from Delhi seems sensible at the field. When the late Rajiv Gandhi talked of regional cooperation and a somewhat activist policy with the leadership in Pakistan, Myanmar and even Central Asia, it was thought of by some as fairly idealistic. But when I discuss it with the chief minister of Punjab, he sees the whole process of sustainable agricultural progress in the mecca of the green revolution linked up with trade with Pakistan. The Kashmiris do rightly think of themselves as heading a creative phalanx of cooperation of India with Central Asia, for after all Bishtek is not more than an hour and half of flying from Srinagar.Recently a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan was telling me the advantages of power import and agricultural trade to the nature-starved inhabitants of western Rajasthan and Sindh. The Northeast was always a part of agricultural trade nexus with China and Myanmar, not to mention Bangladesh. Problems arise for farmers, workers and ordinary people when old communication links are disrupted without care and thought.We stand for cooperation with our neighbours. The first systematic delineation of this objective as a process was by the late Rajiv Gandhi in his speech to the Planning Commission on the early work on the eighth plan. In 1989, he spelled out his vision of the world as a system of countries linked in groups of mutual interests of political, social and economic objectives, and of concentric circles of possible pursuit of collective well being.I remember that when five years ago, in a study commissioned by the EEC on regional cooperation, I had argued for an Indian initiative for tariff reduction on a non-reciprocal basis, there was some criticism. Yet this has now become a basis of our policies, and has paid rich dividends. With Nepal and in selected commodities with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and now with Pakistan we have given unilateral tariff concessions.India must let it be known that it welcomes regional cooperation in South Asia and is striving to achieve greater economic cooperation and integration for the well-being and prosperity of the peoples. It has supported SAARC, the regional cooperation association in South Asia, and with tariff reform and other initiatives, its trade and investment cooperation with Ban-gladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka has expanded very rapidly. Recently, unilateral initiatives have also been taken to improve trade links with Pakistan. It has made serious efforts at investment and other cooperation on many fronts including power, transport, and water resources projects.India is a dialogue partner of ASEAN and an important sponsor of the Association of Indian Ocean Rim Co-untries. It has signed a regional cooperation agreement with Thail-and, Sri Lanka and Ba-ngladesh (The BISTEC Agreement). India is b- uilding a road project in Myanmar, in the North-South direction and has cooperated in completing a rail link for its fr-iends in Central Asia with the Arabian Sea.Kazakhistan, Kyrg- hizstan, Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan have now through Bandar Abbas a land-and-sea route to India. The country is committed to strategies of economic cooperation beyond its borders and many more infrastructure projects are under discussion including for water, electricity and transport. The first transborder energy projects involving gas flows in the eastern region are already being implemented.There are proposals for energy supplies to India which initially take gas from Tripura and the Northeast and pipe it through Bangladesh to energy demand sectors in eastern and southern India. In the long run, there are also proposals to supply gas/hydel power from Myanmar to India, also from Central and West Asia to India; and LNG from the Middle East to India. ASEAN industrialists who are already developing communications and energy infrastructure in countries like Malaysia and Laos and have some interests in India, are interested in the development of communications and energy projects in India.The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has developed an interesting presentation where the Northeastern states of India can link with wider markets in the region (These include Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) provided proper attention is placed to policy measures and communications linkages. They have argued for an integrated plan of river, air, road and telecommunications infrastructure.As it is known, the rivers of the Northeast can be integrated into communication systems apart from providing flood control irrigation and electricity. The Asian Highway is at a more advanced stage than what we think it to be. The Mekong is not that far from our borders with China and Myanmar and in the new plans for the integrated development of the Mekong the priority to communication is much greater, even though it means lower sizing of dams and power facilities. The Mekong planners take interest in Indian water resources project and had invited me to give a presentation on Sardar Sarovar, a project they show high appreciation of. The possibility of transforming circles of poverty and misery to triangles of prosperity are real. Top
