2011-01-24
China will reportedly be rebuilding a key section of the famous Stilwell Road. The political and economic importance of this cannot be underestimated. This road will connect India and China through north Myanmar. Myanmar is rich in resources and China already has an upper hand on it. Geopolitically, both Myanmar and Pakistan have signed border agreements with China. China is also building an all-weather road through Gilgit/Ladakh through Balochistan along the west of India and is already connected to Burmese ports by road. The northern most island of Andaman archipelago called Coco Islands is with Myanmar, which has allowed China to set up a listening post and an airstrip there. Even in Sri Lanka, the southern port of Hambantota has been built by China after India did not respond fast enough to requests for the same.
Stilwell Road provides road connectivity between India and China through Myanmar, through a peaceful and undisputed area. The road will also bring prosperity to the Northeast. But India continues to act like an ostrich. Our security setup did not allow construction of roads up to the Chinese border either along the eastern or western posts after 1962. It did not allow the development of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Now, the Stilwell Road up to the Indian border will be constructed by Yunnan Construction Engineering Group and Yuzana Group. This is despite the fact that we had been requested to reconstruct Stilwell Road by Myanmar General Maung Aye in Delhi itself in April 2008.
Stilwell Road connects Assam to Kunming in Yunnan. It was built along the ‘alternate silk route’ by the US army in 32 months under famous General Joseph W Stilwell, commander of the US forces during World War II. This road of 1,726 km was constructed in a short span, a feat not to be underestimated considering the bad terrain, using a large contingent of American Engineers along with the Chinese and the Shinghpo, Khamtoi, Mishmi, Padam, Garo, Galong tribes of India as labour. The road was a joint effort of India, China, the US, Britain and South Africa, and cost $173 million in those days. But the road was abandoned by October 1945. Only about a 63-km fall on the Indian side is well-maintained by our PWD. Even the Myanmar customs post was being maintained by PWD.
The road was abandoned by India and Myanmar for many reasons. The Burmese had little control over the territories north of Mandalay. Independent armies of Kachins and Shans controlled these areas. There was smuggling of arms and narcotics into India. By the early 1980s, as insurgent activities started coming up to Indian side, the government of India sealed the border. Then, in 1999, the Chinese sponsored a Kunming Initiative with a conference on regional cooperation and development in Yunnan, with India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and China. The Indian delegation strongly supported rebuilding of the Stilwell Road but the Chinese did not show much interest. As a follow up, the Institute of Defence Studies, the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute of Chinese Studies in India jointly arranged a second meeting in India, reiterating the Kunming Initiative.
Next, India declared the Stilwell Road open on its side of the border and called it National Highway 153. By 2001, India had constructed another road, connecting Tamu to Kalema-Kahua in Myanmar, and inaugurated by the then foreign minister, Jaswant Singh. In the interim, a border agreement was signed between India and Myanmar in January 1994, promoting trade, education, agriculture, horticulture, etc.
On issues of trade and economic complementarities, it may be stated that coal has been found in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh adjoining Myanmar, and this coal is of good quality. There are prospects of oil, coal, minerals, forest products, etc. So, India really needs to open up ties with Myanmar along the Stilwell Road, especially to check the growing influence of China in Myanmar. China has already taken a lead in Myanmar by establishing better relations with the military regime while we were supporting the pro-democracy movement. It is high time to consider our best interests and act on these rather than non-strategic factors.
—The author is a commentator and has served in Arunachal Pradesh
China will reportedly be rebuilding a key section of the famous Stilwell Road. The political and economic importance of this cannot be underestimated. This road will connect India and China through north Myanmar. Myanmar is rich in resources and China already has an upper hand on it. Geopolitically, both Myanmar and Pakistan have signed border agreements with China. China is also building an all-weather road through Gilgit/Ladakh through Balochistan along the west of India and is already connected to Burmese ports by road. The northern most island of Andaman archipelago called Coco Islands is with Myanmar, which has allowed China to set up a listening post and an airstrip there. Even in Sri Lanka, the southern port of Hambantota has been built by China after India did not respond fast enough to requests for the same.
Stilwell Road provides road connectivity between India and China through Myanmar, through a peaceful and undisputed area. The road will also bring prosperity to the Northeast. But India continues to act like an ostrich. Our security setup did not allow construction of roads up to the Chinese border either along the eastern or western posts after 1962. It did not allow the development of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Now, the Stilwell Road up to the Indian border will be constructed by Yunnan Construction Engineering Group and Yuzana Group. This is despite the fact that we had been requested to reconstruct Stilwell Road by Myanmar General Maung Aye in Delhi itself in April 2008.
Stilwell Road connects Assam to Kunming in Yunnan. It was built along the ‘alternate silk route’ by the US army in 32 months under famous General Joseph W Stilwell, commander of the US forces during World War II. This road of 1,726 km was constructed in a short span, a feat not to be underestimated considering the bad terrain, using a large contingent of American Engineers along with the Chinese and the Shinghpo, Khamtoi, Mishmi, Padam, Garo, Galong tribes of India as labour. The road was a joint effort of India, China, the US, Britain and South Africa, and cost $173 million in those days. But the road was abandoned by October 1945. Only about a 63-km fall on the Indian side is well-maintained by our PWD. Even the Myanmar customs post was being maintained by PWD.
The road was abandoned by India and Myanmar for many reasons. The Burmese had little control over the territories north of Mandalay. Independent armies of Kachins and Shans controlled these areas. There was smuggling of arms and narcotics into India. By the early 1980s, as insurgent activities started coming up to Indian side, the government of India sealed the border. Then, in 1999, the Chinese sponsored a Kunming Initiative with a conference on regional cooperation and development in Yunnan, with India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and China. The Indian delegation strongly supported rebuilding of the Stilwell Road but the Chinese did not show much interest. As a follow up, the Institute of Defence Studies, the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute of Chinese Studies in India jointly arranged a second meeting in India, reiterating the Kunming Initiative.
Next, India declared the Stilwell Road open on its side of the border and called it National Highway 153. By 2001, India had constructed another road, connecting Tamu to Kalema-Kahua in Myanmar, and inaugurated by the then foreign minister, Jaswant Singh. In the interim, a border agreement was signed between India and Myanmar in January 1994, promoting trade, education, agriculture, horticulture, etc.
On issues of trade and economic complementarities, it may be stated that coal has been found in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh adjoining Myanmar, and this coal is of good quality. There are prospects of oil, coal, minerals, forest products, etc. So, India really needs to open up ties with Myanmar along the Stilwell Road, especially to check the growing influence of China in Myanmar. China has already taken a lead in Myanmar by establishing better relations with the military regime while we were supporting the pro-democracy movement. It is high time to consider our best interests and act on these rather than non-strategic factors.
—The author is a commentator and has served in Arunachal Pradesh
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