India wants B'desh investment in Northeast

[eastwatch]

India wants B'desh investment in Northeast | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

India wants B'desh investment in Northeast
Tue, Dec 8th, 2009 7:15 pm BdDST
bdnews24.com New Delhi Correspondent

New Delhi, Dec 8 (bdnews24.com) ・Senior leader of India's ruling Congress Manishankar Aiyar has come out strongly in support of opening up of the country's northeastern region for investments from Bangladesh.

"While our government has made it incumbent to channel ten percent of our funds to Northeast, the private sector has not routed one percent of its investments there," said Aiyar, a former union minister of India.

He was speaking at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi after launching eminent BBC journalist Subir Bhaumik's book "Troubled Periphery: Crisis of India's Northeast".

"So it makes sense to allow Bangladesh's big capital to invest in Northeast and giving them market access for their products," said Aiyar, adding: "That will allow us to fulfill the dreams of 1971, by creating a friendly Bangladesh to secure east and northeast India."

Aiyar, himself a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, said that Indian diplomacy has failed to advance India's 'cause' in the neighbourhood, including Bangladesh.

"But now we have great opportunity. There's a very friendly government in Dhaka and they are helping us handle the insurgents. I think we should carry forward our relations to new heights," he added.

Aiyar, who has been a close associate of India's late and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, held the Panchayati Raj and Development of Northeastern Region portfolio in the country's central government till the parliamentary elections in April-May this year.

Veteran Indian editor B G Verghese, who conducted the discussion during the book launch, advised Indian decision makers "to see borders as bridges rather than as barriers." "Borders are what you make of them," he added.

 

[Stumper]

Interesting Post. While i personally believe this is good step for both the countries .... knowing what BD members think about this shall be interesting.

 

[idune]

Double face indians came back begging bowl. Indians in every breath accuse Bangladeshis for illegal migration. And IF that is the case then Bangladesh should concentrate in investing for own people, make more jobs and make their life better so these people do not have to go to india.

 

[rajeev]

Double face indians came back begging bowl. Indians in every breath accuse Bangladeshis for illegal migration. And IF that is the case then Bangladesh should concentrate in investing for own people, make more jobs and make their life better so these people do not have to go to india.

Your venom on India is so apparent. It appears to me that aids infected RAW had man handled you in the past. Sorry buddy! Bad luck to get other Bangladeshis infuriated.

 

[FlickerSingh]

Your venom on India is so apparent. It appears to me that aids infected RAW had man handled you in the past. Sorry buddy! Bad luck to get other Bangladeshis infuriated.

aids infected RAW man handled you in the past

 

[eastwatch]

Colonialism, politics and religion have divided the Sub-continent. We are three free but separate countries. We had been fighting each other when united under British Raj. Now, we are supposed to behave properly. But, our 17th century mentality does not help us. India itself is no less responsible for many of the bi-lateral problems. But, it is not necessary that we become a country like tight-fisted India. We are generous people, we should remain so.

When humanity suffers, it is not time to do fingerpointing at each other. Division of the sub-continent has created some very absurd geographical maps. Indian NE is located in such an absurd geography. Here people suffer and they blame the central govt and also hate Marwaris and Bangalis from Kolkata.

Somehow, but I just do not know exactly why, NE people do not specifically dislike us or our investors. May be, they think that the Kolkatawalas will someday swallow them because they are from the same country. Just for the opposite reason, they do not worry about us. Think of Tripura. The Chief Minister there is from BD. When our business delegates meet him he forcefully demands investments. Our business leaders connot refuse his demands.

BD was poor and still remains poor. But, some of its sectors are developing fast. With a $25 billion foreign exchange earning every year, BD is becoming a little more rich every passing year. BD has to solve much of its unemployment problem. But, in a age where monetary capital is allowed to flow freely among a group of countries, it will be difficult to say no to a outflow of capital to the NE.

There is also the question of human sufferings that must be tackled. We must support the people of Tripura, Meghalaya and other States of NE. This can be done by trading and investment. While Kolkata Indians should be allowed to investment in our west, similarly, we must also invest in the Indian NE.

RIZQ is given by Allah. His banda has to work hard to earn it. It is not that BD investment in the NE will take away our jobs or our RIZQ. NE people will be working hard to earn it. On the contrary, investment there will boost the relationship. There can also be investment to procure limestone and timber. We need both and many other items from the NE.

So, considering all the factors above I am in favour of arranging BD investment opportunity in the Indian NE.

 

[Spring Onion]

ahh the words like friendly government in BD, Indian dream of 71 and north east all these words ring a bell.

Why Indians themselves invest in North East so that atleast the insurgency is ended there.

 

[eastwatch]

ahh the words like friendly government in BD, Indian dream of 71 and north east all these words ring a bell.

Why Indians themselves invest in North East so that atleast the insurgency is ended there.

India cannot fulfill its main dream, i.e, economic development in NE alone, mainly because people there do not trust other Indians like Marwaris and Bangali Babus from Kolkata. They have long been expelled from these States.

So, this is where India finds a role to be played by BD. NE people do not distrust us. But, I do not know the situation now after ULFA Chiefs have been expelled from BD at gunpoint. Indian posters know better.

 

[praveen]

India cannot fulfill its main dream, i.e, economic development in NE alone, mainly because people there do not trust other Indians like Marwaris and Bangali Babus from Kolkata. They have long been expelled from these States.

So, this is where India finds a role to be played by BD. NE people do not distrust us. But, I do not know the situation now after ULFA Chiefs have been expelled from BD at gunpoint. Indian posters know better.

last time I met them they were asking me to do institutional purging of illegal bangladeshis from NE.You may be knowing what I mean

 

[Spring Onion]

last time I met them they were asking me to do institutional purging of illegal bangladeshis from NE.You may be knowing what I mean

Better start doing so instead of grinning again and again if you really meant that.

 

[eastwatch]

last time I met them they were asking me to do institutional purging of illegal bangladeshis from NE.You may be knowing what I mean

Problem is not Bangladeshi illegals in the NE, because there is none. It is the Indians themselves who are regarded by the natives of NE as illegals. All those calcutta Babus do not even dare to vist there. So, how can these capitalists invest there?

 

[praveen]

Problem is not Bangladeshis in the NE. It is Indians themselves who are regarded by the natives of NE as illegals. All those calcutta Babus do not even dare to vist there. So, how can these capitalists invest there?

Iam an officer on probation in NE till recently, so I know what they think

 

[eastwatch]

Iam an officer on probation in NE till recently, so I know what they think

O.K, you are an officer there to catch illegals. But, all those other illegal Indians have been expelled from NE long before you have been posted. Now, tell us something about the present status of these Calcutta Babus. Are they still there?

 

[praveen]

O.K, you are an officer there to catch illegals. But, all those other illegal Indians have been expelled from NE long before you have been posted. Now, tell us something about the present status of these Calcutta Babus. Are they still there?

Bongs are absolutely fine nowadays.Infact most of the young ones the NE's got that infectious disease of bong bickering and football.Officer not to catch illegals but something regarding Law and order

 

[Spring Onion]

Iam an officer on probation in NE till recently, so I know what they think

and how many illegals you caught ???