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
31 May 2015 - 1:25pm |
AT News
In yet another incident that sends shocks and anger across the state, the person whom his children set afire in Jorhat a couple of days back died on Sunday.Identified as Deven Dutta, the sexagenarian...
12 May 2011 - 3:34am |
editor
Five members of All Assam Shramik Krishak Parishad were prevented from meeting Irom Chanu Sharmila on Wednesday as they were not given official permission. The five-member-team of the organisation...
14 Jan 2008 - 10:10am |
editor
The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), Bokakhat, earned Rs 30,03,155 in the year 2007, an increase of Rs 4,93,849 than the previous year. In the year 2006, the station got the third best...
21 Jun 2010 - 1:40pm |
editor
The much awaited meet between delegation of the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibarton and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which was scheduled to be held on Monday, canceled.
Other Contents by Author
The 104th birth anniversary of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of the Indian Republic was celebrated today at his ancestral place in Kacharihat under Golaghat District, with a daylong programme. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was elected to the Presidentship of the Indian Republic on 20 August 1974, and died in office on 11 February 1977. The programme was organised by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Trust in association with Kacharihat Junior College and Kacharihat Senior Citizen Forum. Speaking on the occasion the late president’s son, Dr. Pervez Ahmed appeals to the nation to follow in the footsteps of his father’s ideals. The programme was attended by Ajanata Neog, PWD...
Senior Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Amiya Bora today joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a glittering ceremony held at Golaghat Amateur Theatre Hall. BJP‘s national general secretaries Vijay Goel and Kiran Maheswari flew down specially from Delhi to welcome Amiya Bora into the party. Bora is counted amongst the founder members of AGP and was a member of AGP’s Core Committee. He played a vital role in formation of AGP in Golaghat in 1985 and was AGP’s candidate from Golaghat in the last assembly election.
Describing the event as a proud one for BJP, Goel said that in the form of Sarbananda Sonowal the party had discovered its “Lakshman” and in...
The 150 hours of free Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme on Digital Photography and Photoshop organised by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) in association with UB Photos Centre of Alternative Vocation, a wing of UB Photos, the premier Photo News Agency of Northeast India, and sponsored by Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India at the office of Golaghat Dist. Journalist Association was concluded today. A total of thirty students have participated in this vocational training. The goal of the training is to develop employable skills to unemployed youths so that they can earn their livelihood through it. A meeting was held to mark the conclusion of the programme and it was...
The Gomariguri Block Committee of Bharatiya Janata Party has sent a memorandum to State Election Commissioner opposing Election Commission’s directives to the voters to submit their photos at own cost for inclusion in the photo electoral roll of the state. In a press release, Devojit Bora president of BJP’s Gomariguri Block Committee said that it is very unfortunate on the part of the Election Commission to issue such directions. It is the sole responsibility of the Election Commission to prepare Voter List, Voter Identity Card etc and there is no point in burdening the voters to burn a hole in their pocket unnecessarily, Bora added. If every voter spent a minimum amount of ten rupees in...
The Golaghat Press Club (GPC) today felicitated Ruhiniballav Saikia, the first ever successful Indian Forest Service (IFS) candidate from the district at a solemn function held at the office of Golaghat Dist. Journalist Association.
General Secretary of GPC, Diganta Bhuyan presided over the function and Chairman of Golaghat Municipal Board Dr. Ajit Barua was the guest of honour. Ruhiniballav Saikia was in the 73rd rank in the Indian Forest Examinations, 2011 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Narrating the background story behind his success, Ruhiniballav Saikia told the gathering that if a person works hard by keeping a target, he would naturally succeed. The...
Five car lifters including two women were arrested by Bokakhat Police at Rajabari on NH-37 last night and a Winger (AS-13/C-2429)had been recovered from them. It has been reported that the gang of car lifters are on their way to Dimapur to sell the Winger which they had hired on 2nd April from Paltan Bazar, Guwahati on the pretext of going to Kaziranga. The gang had allegedly intoxicated Izazul Haque and Faizul Haque, the driver and handyman of the Winger respectively and tied their hands and feet. When the gang was on their way to Dimapaur they were intercepted by Police at Rajabari and recovered the driver and handyman from inside the vehicle and they were undergoing treatment at Bokakhat...
Education has been getting a facelift during the Cong(i) Govts regime and we are committed to bring a revolutionary change in the field of education by inducing qualitative change in education so that our boys and girls can compete with other States and contribute their mite towards nation-building. This was said by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, on Saturday morning while addressing a public meeting held on the occasion of foundation laying ceremony of an engineering college and a Polytechnic Institute at Golaghat. He laid the foundation stone of the Engineering College in Golaghat district, which was proposed by the Assam Government officially.
The Engineering College with an estimated...
A three day long Anwesha book fair gets underway at Golaghat from today. The book fair has been organised at the Dandadhar Girls High School under the aegis of Golaghat Dist. administration in association with Antarik, a socio-economical organisation of the district. The fair was formally inaugurated by Sanjib Gohain Baruah, Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat. Chairman of Golaghat Municipal Board, Dr. Ajit Barua, Dist. Information and Public Relationship Officer Anupjyoti Choudhury, besides office bearers of the organisers, students, and teachers were also present at the inaugural function.
Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Birendra Prasad Baishya was today vocal in the Parliament over the issue of declaring Tea as National Drink of India. He raised the issue under Rule 180 (A) for mentioning a matter of urgent public importance in the house. While talking to Assamtimes, Baishya said that “I would like to draw the attention of the Govt. Of India with an appeal to declare tea as a National Drink of India which is not just a product or commodity for people of the country, it emerged as a culture and integrating with the word chai chai reverberates from east to west and north to south”. He further added that Assam is synonymous to the outside world with Assam tea and 83%...
The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) in association with Golaghat Dist. Small Tea Growers’ Association today organized an Interactive Meet on “how to bring more discipline to the green leaf trade” between the black tea producers and green leaf growers of Golaghat Dist., at the NETA Conference Room, Golaghat. According to the Govt. of Assam survey, there are 11287 small tea growers and 23 bought leaf factories in Golaghat District, which are third highest in numbers in the survey conducted in 14 districts of Brahmaputra valley. According to the NETA Statistics, there are total 72 factories in Golaghat Dist., of which 43 are estate factories and 29 are bought leaf...
Add new comment