Tilt the look east policy in favour of North-eastern region of India

Oct 10: Mani Shankar Aiyar speaking in a conference ‘ India’s Look East Policy - Challenges for Sub-Regional Cooperation’ in Guwahati said that central government should make a strategic shift in its look east policy to bend it in favour of its north-east region.

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He said, “The economy of the north-east has been the prisoner of the frontier”. He also said that India can enter South-East Asian region by using the option of Myanmar through the north east area of India.

He also urged for a change in the approach to China as well as Bangladesh so that all the seven sisters of north-east could be benefitted by the look east policy.

Addressing the security concerns of the country he suggested that a prosperous north east can be the only shield against the threats to the security of the country. He said, “Emergence of the north east as an economically prosperous zone could be the best guarantee to the security concerns”. He admitted that bilateral trade ties of north east with Bangladesh remained frozen for more than three decades.

He told that north east often complains that it is not consulted by the government of India while dealing with its neighbour country. This time we will have a session on October 31 st with national security adviser, home ministry, ministry of external affairs including chief minister of all the north eastern states.

Dwelling on Indo Bangladesh relations union minister for the development of north-east felt the need for revision of the relationship of India with Bangladesh and stressed on the need to have a healthy, friendly mutual relationship with Bangladesh.

He also expressed hope over the rebuilding of the historic Stilwell road which would link the region to china through Myanmar for trade with Southeast Asia.