‘India’s Look East Policy: Strengthening The Look South Aspect: Exploring Win-Win Synergies Through Indo-Bangladesh Border Trade And Toursim’
Date: Mon Apr 21, 2014 - Mon Apr 21, 2014
Location: Asian Confluence Centre, Shillong , Hosts: Asian Confluence
Location: Asian Confluence Centre, Shillong , Hosts: Asian Confluence
Asian Confluence with support from the Directorate of Commerce and Industry, Meghalaya Government organised a roundtable discussion as a step to create further synergy across active organizations, and complement ongoing efforts by governmental and trade organizations. The discussion was directed at proposing an action plan out-of-the-box solutions that can jumpstart solutions that can benefit the state of Meghalaya and assert its strategic importance in the country at large. The forum was also an opportunity to promote new paradigms with special focus on tourism and tourism as a catalyst to spawn trade and commerce.
It also aims at promoting new The roundtable discussion saw a large number of participants ranging from local tour operators from north-eastern region, hoteliers and tourism-based NGOs like the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF), academics, media persons, officials of the North East Council (NEC) and State Govt. and civil society from North-east India and Bangladesh. Mr. Madan Prasad Bezbaruah , member NEC, in his keynote address brought the participants attention to the fact that collectively all the stakeholders in the north east have failed to articulate India’s ‘Look Easy Policy’ and thus he requested the civil society to take up the initiative to formulate state wise schemes to realize this policy. Former Finance and Home Minister of Meghalaya, AH Scott Lyngdoh who was moderating the discussion emphasised the need for reformation of the region’s infrastructure which will promote tourism and trade.
The caucus emphasized on convenient VISA processing System – setting up visa office in North East, setting up non-government body to make a platform for North East tourism, linking up and creating North East circuit and connecting to South East Asia, making Shillong a hub for tourism and trade, urgent need to restructure relation between India and Bangladesh, creating win-win situations through trade in tourism – need of sufficient infrastructure to facilitate trade, facilitation at the borders, transport connectivity between the two countries, developing highways – developing bus services from Dhaka to North East, issue of money exchange – rupee directly to taka (doing away with dollar), positive image building of Bangladesh amongst Indians – build a trust through different outlets of media (print, social media et al), historical tourism, medical tourism, Mukti Youdha – develop a memory trail, cultural tourism, creating Aadivasi Circuit between India and Bangladesh, developing our water-base as tourism potential and rural tourism, facilitating informal trade – emphasis on border people to people trade (benefitting people from both sides of the border), creating platform for research in tourism, trade, history of the region – exchange programmes between private universities in Meghalaya and Bangladesh.
To synergize these issues the roundtable also proposed “way forward” which includes linking academician, role of media in North East (NE) and Bangladesh, creating tour packages, pushing for consular services, linking policy makers, bring all NE actors and planning a calendar of events to enable people to people contact. The roundtable was also participated by Department of Transport (Meghalaya), Department of Tourism (Meghalaya); Department of Tourism (Assam); Border Development Organizations; Founder, Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism development; Owner, Shamoli Transport, Bangladesh; Dacca University; ICARE , Shillong; international tour operators from the region; hotel operators from the region; academic community from the region; editors and columnists. Director of Asian Confluence, Mr. Sabyasachi Dutta pointed out that the focus of the roundtable discussion would be to create a concrete measurable time line and action based agendas that stakeholders from both sides can act upon and joint programs that offer concrete recommendations to policy makers and administrative agencies for both sides.
