• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

CPT for reviving Tibetian connection

Santanu Sanyal

THE Calcutta Port Trust has prepared a monograph on Tibet and submitted it to the Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST), indicating that the port (along with the Tibetan economy) will stand to benefit immensely from the resumption of trade with Tibet by t he traditional land route via Kalimpong in West Bengal and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The Tibetan economy, the monograph points out, will have the most cost-effective route to foreign trade if it is permitted to use Calcutta port to handle its imports and exports. The port, in turn, will have a larger volume of traffic to and from a much expanded and diversified hinterland.

Tibet's major imports, according to the monograph, include sugar, rice, tobacco, medicines, fuels, dried nuts and fruits and exports carpets (mainly to the US, Japan, Germany and Hong Kong), textiles, ethnic products, wool, salt, borax, mica, medicinal h erbs and skins. The region also has mineral deposits of chromium, coal, chrome ore, borax, crystal, marble and salt.

But, then, the report concedes that the logistics and diplomatic issues have to be sorted out first.

The Tibetan economy, which has been growing at a very rapid rate for the past few years, is now showing signs of consolidation as well as further expansion. It is no longer a backward economy devoted to traditional and primitive systems of agriculture bu t has transformed into a modern vibrant economy characterised by an all-around growth in agriculture, industry and the tertiary sector, thanks to generous assistance provided by the national government of the People's Republic of China.

In past 40 years, the Chinese Government is believed to have pumped into Tibet over 20 billion yuan in terms of subsidies and infrastructural support. In addition, the Chinese Government adopted a number of preferential policies such as low tax regime, n o ceiling for loans, preferential interest rates, 100 per cent retention of export earnings with encouragement to private enterprises, an so on.

But, then, the biggest hurdle to achieving a much faster growth in Tibet is its location away from any sea port. From the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, Hong Kong's distance is nearly 2,500 km by air and Tshanghai's nearly 3,000 km. By land, the distance is e ven more. Side by side, Calcutta is only 836 km away.

By urging the Centre to explore the possibility of reopening the trade by land route to Tibet via Kalimpong, CPT, it is felt, is not really asking for the moon. CPT is only suggesting the need for revival of an arrangement that was in force for centuries to the benefit of all concerned.

It might be recalled that Nathu La pass _ its distance from Lhasa being the shortest _ formed the gateway to Tibet till it came under the Chinese control in 1960. The silk trade between Kalimpong (in Darjeeling district) and Lhasa used to be carried out through this route. In fact, prior to 1960, Tibet relied a good deal on India, both Kalimpong and Kashmir, Nathu La (then part of Sikkim ruled by the Chogyal) and Nepal, for its external trade.

A few years ago, while participating in a discussion in Calcutta on how to achieve resurgence of the economy of the eastern states, the then Chairman of Hindustan Lever Ltd, particularly emphasised the need for providing the southern part of China, locat ed far away from the ports of its own country, with an access to the waters of the Bay of Bengal. The speaker felt that such an arrangement would benefit both the countries and would particularly help the economy of the eastern region revive.

The issue of the promotion of border with China has been coming up for reviews again and again for the past few years at various levels of discussion between Indian and China. It surfaced again recently during the visit of our President to that country.

Last year, a conference was organised at Kunming, the capital of Yunan province of China, subsequently known as the Kunming Conference, to discuss the scope of extending border trade among four countries in the region. A 22-member delegation from India p articipated in the conference. There were representatives also from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The participants of the conference expressed themselves strongly in favour of the constitution of a forum for regional economic cooperation among the four countries and, as a first step, recommended the formation of a working group or a coordination comm ittee comprising two representatives from each country.

It was also agreed that the proposed regional cooperation would be based on the principle of peaceful co-existence, with accent on equality and mutual benefit, sustainable development, comparative advantages, adoption of international standards and infra structure development to enhance connectivity and facilitate cooperation.

Driven by the down-to-earth economic considerations, China is now pushing its own concept of grand Asian passages covering several transport link projects, including those between Yunan and Vietnam via Kampuchia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, railway hooku ps, through both upgrading and new construction, with Yangong and Bangkok (railway already exists between Kunming and Hanoi), freight corridor, known as Eurasian land bridge, covering Asia and Europe, highway connections between northern Chinese city of Harbin and Tokyo passing through Korean peninsula and a road link between Pyongyang and the Russian port of Vladivostok.

CPT's appeal for the revival of the trade link with Tibet by the traditional land route fits perfectly in that scenario. Whether the powers-that-be in Delhi will heed to the appeal is, of course, another matter. India has so far refrained from taking muc h interest in international highway projects for whatever reasons.

True, there are hurdles to such projects such as the absence of links between countries, lack of common highway standards and border facilities and, above all, lack of agreements to harmonise Customs, immigration and other administrative formalities. But , then, as we wait _ perhaps for an indefinite period _ hoping that the problems will get resolved by natural course, others pursue a pro-active role to tackle the problems, build the highways, modernise their economies, reach out to the world and create markets. If Tibet is not provided with an access to the Bay of Bengal through the Calcutta port, it will perhaps have the same facility extended to it by either Bangladesh or Myanmar through Chittagong/Mongla/Chalna/Yongong or whatever other ports.