North east states prisoner within its own frontiers

Shillong, Nov 9 : Terming the land locked North Eastern Region as ‘prisoner within its own frontiers,’ Union DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today urged the sister states to develop trade relations with its neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. However, by 2009, the North Eastern states could actively get involved in trade collaboration with Bangladesh after both New Delhi and Dhaka come out of the era of protectionism, Mr Aiyar said, addressing a seminar on ‘Development of Border Trade in North East India to enhance National Security’ organised by the Border Security Force.

‘Once the general elections are held and a democratically elected government is installed in the neighbouring country, the DoNER ministry would depute a delegation comprising all eight Chief Ministers and local entrepreneurs of the North Eastern states to Dhaka,’ he said. ‘The Chief Ministers of the region should be actively involved in formulation of the foreign policy of the country vis-à-vis Bangladesh,’ Aiyar added.

Underscoring the need of a ‘very dynamic’ economic relationship between the North Eastern states and its ‘natural economic hinterland Bangladesh,’ the Union Minister said, ‘Put into the right perspective, the nature of the problem is partly political and partly economic.’ Pointing out that Dhaka too needed to positively respond to the idea of re-opening border trade, Aiyar said, ‘’So long as the other hand is unwilling to clap it’s impossible to applaud!’

‘The Look East Policy has only benefitted the Western and Southern India and has brought zero dividends for the NE,’ he said, expressing optimism that the Centre now appeared to be ready to allow the NE States and the DoNER to take steps in reviving the age-old trade relations with Bangladesh.

UNI