National Seminar on Look East Policy and North East held at Golaghat
A national level UGC sponsored seminar on “Look East Policy and North East India” was held at DR College auditorium today. The seminar was organized by the Economics department of Debraj Roy College, Golaghat in association with Vox-Populi, an NGO. The open session of the workshop was presided over by Devojit Phukan, associate professor of the college. The welcome address was being given by Proip Kumar Saikia, Principal D.R. College. In the seminar Dr. Sunil Kr. Saikia, Head Center for Enterprise Development and Management, Indian Institue of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Prabhat Bezboruah, prominent tea cultivator and Director of Bokaholla Tea Co. Ltd and Bidyananda Barkakoty, Chairman North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) presented their keynote address. The seminar was organised for enhancement of a social research base in the Northeastern region.
Speaking on the occasion Prabhat Bezboruah, prominent tea cultivator and Director of Bokaholla Tea Co. Ltd was of the opinion that, the country’s look east policy is India centric whereas we need a Northeast centric Look East Policy. The policy makers in Delhi have little idea of the ground realities of the North Eastern states and the proof of which lies in the widespread social discontentment in this region which was the primary fuel of the many brands and phases of militancy that we have seen. He further said that the Stilwell Road is a vital link in connecting Northeast to Yunan and beyond into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and we as North-Easterners see no negatives in reopening this vital artery which will greatly facilitate the integration of this regional economy with the great ones further to our East. However, the mandarins in Delhi feel that a good road leading right to the border may encourage China to venture into a fresh expansionist thrust and their way of discouraging this is to leave the border road un-motor-able, so that Chinese may have a second thought about looking west.
Bidyananda Barkakoty, Chairman, NETA said that the Northeast region shares 98% of its border with China, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh, while a narrow strip of land constituting just about 2% measuring 27 km links Northeast with the rest of India. It is in Northeast India that South-East Asia begins and therefore Govt. of India should ensure that the Northeast plays the arrow head role in the country’s look east policy but unfortunately the policy has remained a slogan and has not yet evolved into a harmonious and productive relationship with neighboring countries. He also point out certain issues which require immediate attention of the Govt. of India, such as setting up of Export Promotion Council (EPC) exclusively for Northeast region, signing of Transit Treaty between India, Myanmar and Thailand, setting up of Visa offices of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand at Guwahati, Air Cargo services should be introduced storage facilities at LGBI Airport, explore and promote use of Ranong port of southern Thailand as an alternative shipping lane connecting Malay peninsula with India etc. Barkakoty further added that maximum benefit of Look East Policy are being reaped by Kolkota and they were using Northeastern region as their flyover.
Dr. Sunil Kumar Saikia of IIE said that India’s Look East Policy which was initiated in 1991 marked a strategic shift in India’s perspective of the world. The term “Look East Policy” was mentioned for the first time in the Annual Report of the Ministry of External Affairs, 1995-96. India’s look east policy would further open up new vistas for the country in general and the Northeast region in particular.
Random Stories
4 Jan 2016 - 11:04pm |
Shajid Khan
The 4th Bhairabkunda Tourism Festival will be held from January 20-23 at Bhairabkunda a beautiful picnic spot on the foothills of Indo-Bhutan border. The three day programme will include cultural...
24 May 2014 - 5:43pm |
Syed Miraz Ahmed
Two years have passed since Dr Bhupen Hazarika shuffled off his mortal coils. But the dead music maestro is still living in the minds and hearts of millions of people. His baritone voice continues to...
16 Feb 2018 - 12:52pm |
AT News
NEW DELHI: Trouble brews for Pema Khandu after a woman leveled a serious charge against the Arunachal Pradesh chief Minister. The woman who has moved the National Commission for Women has...
30 Oct 2011 - 3:28pm |
editor
In yet another bizarre incident, a young girl who was believed to have died a couple of days ago surfaced in a police station on Friday. It took place in Nagaon district. Nineteen-year-old...
Other Contents by Author
At a time when Assam and Nagaland are embroiled in bitterness with both the states declaring blockade and other prohibitions against each other, there comes a piece of good news that some prominent and senior citizens of Wokha District in Nagaland and Golaghat District in Assam have formed a friendship forum to work as a harbinger of peace between the people of both district of the two states.The process of forming the Forum has begun last year with first consultative meeting held on 27th March, 2012 at Hotel Saramati in Dimapur. It was presided over by Yansathung Jami, President Kyong Hoho and attended by noted citizen of both sides like Bhaben Gohain (IPS), Dinesh Gogoi (Retired...
The Assistant Sessions Judge of Golaghat, R.L. Das, yesterday sentenced the mother, the son and the daughter to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six years each and to pay a fine of Rs.2000/- each in default they are to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for six months each for abetting the suicide of Anjumoni Mudoi, who was married to in the family. The convict Joon Saikia along with his mother Khiroda Saikia and sister Moon Saikia had forced Anjumoni Mudoi to take the drastic step by inflicting inhuman mental and physical torture upon her.Anjumoni who was married to Joon Saikia of Habigaon in Borpathar in Golaghat district ended her life on 12th April 2010 by hanging...
Numaligarh Refinery , situated at a distance of 250 KM from Guwahati and 25 KM from Golaghat, was engulfed in a devastating fire broke out at the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU) of the refinery in the wee hours of morning on Friday. “The fire was started at around 5.24 am and in a joint effort by the fire tenders of NRL, Bokakhat, Dergaon and Golaghat were able to put off the fire at 9.40 am.” Kajol Saikia of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL) told Assam Times. The CDU and VDU are considered to be the mother unit of the refinery as the CDU distills the incoming crude oil into various fractions, each of which are then processed...
Members of Golaghat Regional Students’ Union today started a week long signature campaign demanding solutions to various problems of Golaghat town. In a press release it was stated that the citizens of Golaghat town and Golaghat Regional Students’ Union have been demanding for a long time for solving the various problems such as traffic congestion, ensure supply of safe drinking water, to prepare a masterplan of the town, install pipe gas connection etc. but the government, the district administration and the municipality board have paid a deaf ear to the pleas. If the demands are not recognized by June 5th the student body alongwith the support of public would take stern measures.
Acting on a tip off the 142 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force stationed at Merapani along the Assam-Nagaland interstate border in Golaghat district, led by commandant Vishrant Kumar, today seized two trucks bearing registration nos. AS-05/B-5736 and AS-03/AC-6909 loaded with 355 cartoons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). The trucks were stranded in Gomariguri Tiniali area when the CRPF team carried out the raid. Three persons were also arrested in this connection and they were Mintu Konwar, Puwal Bora and Rubul Hussain. The illegal liquors were being carried from Bhalookpung in Arunachal Pradesh to Wokha district in Nagaland. The CRPF team also seized a truck loaded with illegal...
“Whether it is health or education or employment generation, during the regime of the congress govt. the state has got a facelift in every sector. Today we have among a few states in India to declare 80% dearness allowance. By successfully holding the panchayat poll, we have decentralized power by not letting it confined to Dispur but carrying it to the grass root level. Despite all our achievements there is a section of people who seemed to be blind to all the positive aspects of our governance but spend their energies in criticizing and burning our effigies. Let them continue with their business of criticism and we shall devote ourselves in achieving and fulfilling all the better and...
The Golaghat Dist. unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is undertaking a village to village Padayatra (foot march) across the district demanding the cancellation of the Assam government’s decision to handover its parts of lands to Bangladesh, protection of World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park and Assam’s pride one horned rhino, permanent solution to Assam-Nagaland border dispute and to highlight the failure of the state government. “The foot march will cover almost all the panchayats across the district and will over on 31stMay at Chinatoli where a special closing ceremony will be organized. The aim of the foot march which was started on May 20 is to make people...
As a part of the ongoing diamond jubilee celebration the Golaghat District Sports Association (GDSA) is going to organize an all assam open sports quiz on July 7. A maximum of two numbers of two member team accredited by their respective sports association can participate in the competition. There will be prize money of Rs. 25,000 and 20,000 for the winner and the runners-up respectively. The last date for sending entries is June 30 and one can contact 9435054453 for details.
Ananya Saikia of Reliance College Junior has brought glory to Golaghat by emerging as a state topper in the Higher Secondary (Arts) examination results declared today. Ananya the daughter of teacher parents Ratneswar Saikia and Debojani Barua has secured a total of 469 marks. She has also secured highest mark (100%) in Economics.Debojit Dutta, the principal of the college said that the college has been able to secure a position since the last ten years of its inception and they had been expecting Ananya to get a rank in the HS final examination.“I would like to pursue financial marketing and be a social entrepreneur in the future. I was hopeful of getting a rank but the 1st ...
A team comprising of citizens and members of Golaghat unit of All Assam Students’ Union visited Industrial Estate of Jonaki Nagar here today and were stunned on seeing the large scale encroachment being carried out by some unscrupulous businessman. The team also noticed that most of the tradesmen have converted the industrial estate into residential block by constructing concrete structures. Some of them have even projected their dysfunctional units as functional in a bid to encroach the land. At the same time, the team had also seized nine nos. of domestic LPG cylinders, ten bags of inedible flour and three tins of adulterated mustard oil from M/S Devi Food Products situated at the...
Add new comment