SAARC meet: New Delhi for Pak-Bangla train via India, Nepal

[EjazR]

SAARC meet: New Delhi for Pak-Bangla train via India, Nepal

PTI 26 July 2009, 01:39pm IST
COLOMBO: In a bid to strengthen intra- regional connectivity and unite hearts of people of South Asia, India has proposed a demonstration train between Pakistan and Bangladesh via its territory and that of Nepal.

The Indian proposal for running a trial train from Pakistan to Bangladesh via India and Nepal was welcomed by the SAARC member states at the meeting of their Transport Ministers here yesterday.

The ministers agreed that the objective of providing connectivity is not just about upgrading transport links, but to unite the hearts and minds of the people of South Asia, officials said.

India and Bangladesh had resumed their rail service last year after a gap of 43 years, with the run of Moitree Express from Dhaka to Kolkata.

A war in 1965 between India and Pakistan, of which Bangladesh was a part until 1971, stopped the cross-border passenger train service which covers a distance of 538 kms, with 418 kms in Bangladesh and 120 kms in India.

Train links between India and Pakistan have also been operational.

The Indian delegation at the meeting was headed by R P N Singh, Minister of State for Road, Transport and Railways.

The second meeting of the SAARC Ministers of Transport yesterday was preceded by the third meeting of SAARC Inter- Governmental Group on Transport on Friday.

Sri Lanka, being the present Chair of SAARC, presided over the meeting, which reviewed progress in implementation of decisions of the first meeting of SAARC Transport Ministers held in August last year.

Minister Singh said India was conscious of its "asymmetrical" responsibility in the SAARC and had played a lead role in negotiations through offers of training programmes, among other things.

New Delhi also furnished status on upgradation of corridors identified within India and proposed new programmes for strengthening intra-regional connectivity.

 

[graphican]

Noup! I don’t support this program when it is going to pass through India. If cooperation between two countries is required, use the water or air passage. By letting Pakistan cross India and reach Bangladesh and vice versa, I see what road India is trying to construct. It’s not the generosity and noble intentions that are making India establish that link but it’s the desire to have connection between Afghanistan and India through Pakistan in the end. India is desperate to increase its political and social influence in Afghanistan more than Pakistan has and its reasons are obvious. We have 20+ Indian consulates operating in Afghanistan and because of that Pakistan is suffering. It would be mistake of all times if Pakistan let India make an inroad to Afghanistan through its own territory just because India let it cross its territory to reach Bangladesh which is not going to be a gain for Pakistan. Now I can see the reason why Bilateral Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan took place in United States where it was declared that trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan and “Beyond”. I wish Pakistan was ruled by somebody patriotic who could use both sides of his brain while making such agreements and decide in the favor of this country, not his government!

I don't feel excited about news of increasing ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Leave the incident of 1971 apart, We don't have much of business or strategic partnership with them.

 

[Musalman]

That will be a bad idea we don;t want our trains to be burn by Hindu fundamentalist like Col Prohit (what ever his name)

 

[IceCold]

Well such ideas can only be expected from Indians. I wonder what are they trying to achieve here? To maintain cultural ties with BD, we do not need a train specifically running from India, there are other ways to do it.

 

[Al-zakir]

I agree. It's not a good idea to have train connect through India. If anything Pak-Bd should improve on water ways from Karachi to Chitagong. It will more bilateral, safer and economical than going through India. This will result more harm than good.

 

[muse]

India is reality and we do not have to be locked into a relationship whose entirety is suspicion and hostility. The more stakes we have in each other the closer we are to the days when we are normalized, people come and go, trade flows and we begin to think of each as people and the countries involved as places where we can choose to be or not.

I think we really must begin to think more about prosperity and lives of dignity instead of suspicion and hostility - yes, it's difficult to do so, we will have to give so many of our ideas and baggage - but it has to be done - we all know that it has to be done - so why not sooner rather than later.

 

[Jako]

In the bd section,i tumbled on many posts who cursed india as it was not willing to provide a route through it to pak till date!!!....now we have opened that door,and you are still cursing india!!!.....weird,i must say

 

[Spitfighter]

In the bd section,i tumbled on many posts who cursed india as it was not willing to provide a route through it to pak till date!!!....now we have opened that door,and you are still cursing india!!!.....weird,i must say

it isn't weird, they don't need a reason to hate India, they will hate India no matter what we do, I read those same exact posts demanding a transit route through India. Now they have it and they still complain. They probably have some sort of an inferiority complex or they are simply envious. It doesn't change the ground reality though, so it doesn't matter what they think. This move makes sense for South Asia so they'll just have to learn to live with it.

 

[Omar1984]

I rather have Pakistan be linked to resource-rich Central Asia and oil-rich Middle East than South Asia like the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail link that we are working on.

South Asia is of little value compared to Central Asia and the Middle East. However, Bangladesh will be rich once they get total control over Bay of Bengal.

P.S. India is the last country Pakistan should ever trust with anything.

 

[EjazR]

Well atleast the people that matter (i.e. transport ministers in Pakistan, India BAngladesh and other SAARC countries) have welcomed the move and the 'awam' on both sides particularly who have relatives across the borders will be happy.

Not suprisingly extremist Hindu groups in India are opposed to this transport link as well.

 

[sajan]

I read a news about connecting Sri Lanka and India by road some year back. Does anybody know the progress of that project? Guess Indian Gov has dropped that project. I think if that project is considered it will be good for both the countries.

Ramanathapuram, Dec 27 (PTI) Sri Lankan Minister for Environment and Natural Wealth Conservation Rukman Sena Nayake Saturday said that Sri Lankan Government was eagerly awaiting the Indian Government's clearance for the road bridge connecting Rameswaram in India and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.

The Minister who visited Keezhakarai to attend a private function told scribes Saturday evening that there was already cultural link between India and Sri Lanka and the road bridge would strengthen people to people contact and lead to trade and economic development of both the countries.

He said Sri Lankan Government would also take into consideration the Tamil Nadu (southern Indian state) Chief Minister's objection to the bridge.

In the meanwhile, there should be at least sea link between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The objections of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister with regard to resuming sea link between Tuticorin and Colombo would also be taken into consideration by the Sri Lankan Government.

The Minister hoped that the Indian Government would take a decision on the road bridge shortly.

Referring to Norway-initiated peace talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, he said all the political parties and people were satisfied with the progress achieved so far.

However, the talks had been suspended due to the differences between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The peace talks had reached a successful stage as the people of Sri Lanka wanted peace to return, he said.

"The differences between the Prime Minister and the President are a temporary phenomenon and some people are already negotiating to narrow down the differences and resolve them. I am confident that the problem will be resolved in a smooth manner", he said.

He said it was wrong to say that the LTTE men were harassing Muslims in Sri Lanka.

To a question he said that the Sri Lankan Government was eager to rehabilitate 1,50,000 Sri Lankan refugees staying in Tamil Nadu. The preliminary works for rehabilitating the refugees had already commenced. The Government was now considering operating a shipping service to take back all the refugees from India, he said.

Former Sri Lankan Transport Minister Abdul Hameed Mohamed Malik was also present at the press meet.

 

[IceCold]

it isn't weird, they don't need a reason to hate India, they will hate India no matter what we do, I read those same exact posts demanding a transit route through India. Now they have it and they still complain. They probably have some sort of an inferiority complex or they are simply envious. It doesn't change the ground reality though, so it doesn't matter what they think. This move makes sense for South Asia so they'll just have to learn to live with it.

Dude this is not a transit route but just a link to enchance cultural ties between the Pakistan and BD, something which has no economic or strategic importence for the people of both countries. So thanks but no thanks we are fine without it and if we want to improve our ties, there are surely better ways of doing it without bringing the Big brother wana be into the equation.
And dont worry you are not going anywhere with this move of yours, its still a pipe dream.

 

[IceCold]

Well atleast the people that matter (i.e. transport ministers in Pakistan, India BAngladesh and other SAARC countries) have welcomed the move and the 'awam' on both sides particularly who have relatives across the borders will be happy.

Not suprisingly extremist Hindu groups in India are opposed to this transport link as well.

Where does it say that Pakistan in particular welcomed the move or are you just seeing things. The article says saarc welcomed the proposal and thats about it.

 

[arihant]

That will be a bad idea we don;t want our trains to be burn by Hindu fundamentalist like Col Prohit (what ever his name)

For you information Col. Prohit was just suspect because of his invovlment in the Malegoan blast. There has been no charges on him for particularly this case.

Also, its all bad idea. Why India should provide this route. Let them have a sea route which will be costlier in all cases if they don't want friendship.

 

[Rajkumar]

pakistan dont trust india, fine
but if this link is made what is the harm in it. pakistan dont loose anything or india dont gain so give it try at least.
dont give me samjhuta crap ,such bomb last can happen any where in the world...like pakistan is facing suicide bomber.