North East eyes rail, road connectivity with ASEAN

With India and Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) pledging to take forward bilateral ties to newer heights in coming years, North East India is eyeing rail and road connectivity with South East Asia, which would probably end its geographical isolation.

The proposal to connect Guwahati with Asian Highway, which would pass through the Asean countries and end in Indonesia, has cheered up the mood across the North East. The Highway will enter India from Mandalay in Myanmar via Moreh in Manipur and pass through Nagaland before entering Assam through Golaghat district. The India-Asean 'Vision Document', unveiled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday at the plenary session of the ‘Commemorative India-Asean Summit’, made mention of the proposed highway up to Guwahati.

“Since independence we have been at a geographically disadvantaged position. Our only access to the outside world has been via the ‘chicken neck’ corridor near Siliguri in West Bengal. If we are connected to Asean via the proposed Asian Highway, our geographical disadvantage will overnight turn into advantage,” said Pradyut Bordoloi, Assam power and industry minister.

He said the Asean-India meet in New Delhi on December 20 had brought “hope” for the land-locked North Eastern region of India.

Bordoloi further said the Assam government had also requested the Centre to open diplomatic channels with Asean to connect Assam with the Asian rail network.

“We have broad gauge rail network till Ledo in Upper Assam. If we can build rail network of another 145 kms, we can connect it to the Asian rail network at Dali in Myanmar. This will give us rail connectivity with the Asean nations,” said Bordoloi.

Bordoloi said the ‘Vision Document’ had also made mention of building a natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to Assam, which might be also extended beyond Maynmar.