Remove inner line permits, revive old routes: IPCS study
Saturday, 28 Jul 2012 at 02:32
Rising Kashmir News
Srinagar, July 28: A Task Force constituted by the Institute of Peace Conflict Studies (IPCS), has recommended a three-tier approach at three levels to improve trade and development along the Himalayan states starting from J&K to India’s Northeast.
Srinagar, July 28: A Task Force constituted by the Institute of Peace Conflict Studies (IPCS), has recommended a three-tier approach at three levels to improve trade and development along the Himalayan states starting from J&K to India’s Northeast.
Titled ‘Trans-Himalayan Trade and Development 2020: Looking Beyond Nathu La’, the report of the Task Force has recommended that the state and Union governments should build the infrastructure within and between the states, and with the border countries, and with China.
Minister Chandra Deo, releasing the report, admitting several lacunae in the formulation of policy regarding border states and border trade, opined that the Task Force report goes a long way in bridging the gaps therein.
He particularly commended the report’s recommendation to promote medical tourism.
Prof Saugata Roy, another Union Minister, who jointly released the report also commended the report for having several pragmatic suggestions.
He also agreed on the need to develop physical infrastructure in the border states.
B G Verghese, commenting on the report, said the focus should have been trans-Karakoram, rather than trans-Himalayan.
He asked for the reopening of the Silk Routes which link India historically, culturally, politically and economically with Central Asia.
“The region which was once Eurasia is also a natural spin-off of such a connection and in today’s day and age, its salience is once again being realized, especially given its wealth in terms of resources and geostrategic importance,” Verghese said.
He said that since 1962, there had been a persistent fear of mythical Chinese hordes descending into India and a widespread fear that India will be transformed into a dumping ground for cheap Chinese goods.
“This inhibits a view of the actual economic and political advantage that such trade can bring,” Verghese said. “Border trade would, for example, provide access to the heartlands of Tibet and allow India to build a foundation of trust, which would go a long way to ironing out the creases in diplomatic relations.”
Pema Wangchuk, a leading journalist from Sikkim and an editor of a daily said Nathu La trade was not about trade with Tibet.
“It is about trade with China, and always has been,” Wangchuk said.
He criticised the government for being apathetic to the border trade and recommended that unless there was a change in attitude toward border trade from New Delhi, there would not be much change.
Reflecting the same sentiment, a senior media person from J&K also commented that the attitude of New Delhi vis-à-vis the cross-LoC trade suffers from the same syndrome, which is not helping the traders.
“As a result, the traders are repeatedly resorting to the boycott of the trade,” he said.
Participants from J&K and Sikkim agreed that the trade basket should be decided with local inputs from respective states and not only by the Union government officials.
The Task Force report has also recommended the opening of Kailash-Mansarovar route, a new bus service between Gangtok and Lhasa, and the removal of inner line permits.
Minister Chandra Deo, releasing the report, admitting several lacunae in the formulation of policy regarding border states and border trade, opined that the Task Force report goes a long way in bridging the gaps therein.
He particularly commended the report’s recommendation to promote medical tourism.
Prof Saugata Roy, another Union Minister, who jointly released the report also commended the report for having several pragmatic suggestions.
He also agreed on the need to develop physical infrastructure in the border states.
B G Verghese, commenting on the report, said the focus should have been trans-Karakoram, rather than trans-Himalayan.
He asked for the reopening of the Silk Routes which link India historically, culturally, politically and economically with Central Asia.
“The region which was once Eurasia is also a natural spin-off of such a connection and in today’s day and age, its salience is once again being realized, especially given its wealth in terms of resources and geostrategic importance,” Verghese said.
He said that since 1962, there had been a persistent fear of mythical Chinese hordes descending into India and a widespread fear that India will be transformed into a dumping ground for cheap Chinese goods.
“This inhibits a view of the actual economic and political advantage that such trade can bring,” Verghese said. “Border trade would, for example, provide access to the heartlands of Tibet and allow India to build a foundation of trust, which would go a long way to ironing out the creases in diplomatic relations.”
Pema Wangchuk, a leading journalist from Sikkim and an editor of a daily said Nathu La trade was not about trade with Tibet.
“It is about trade with China, and always has been,” Wangchuk said.
He criticised the government for being apathetic to the border trade and recommended that unless there was a change in attitude toward border trade from New Delhi, there would not be much change.
Reflecting the same sentiment, a senior media person from J&K also commented that the attitude of New Delhi vis-à-vis the cross-LoC trade suffers from the same syndrome, which is not helping the traders.
“As a result, the traders are repeatedly resorting to the boycott of the trade,” he said.
Participants from J&K and Sikkim agreed that the trade basket should be decided with local inputs from respective states and not only by the Union government officials.
The Task Force report has also recommended the opening of Kailash-Mansarovar route, a new bus service between Gangtok and Lhasa, and the removal of inner line permits.
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