A railway line is all set to operate soon between India and Bhutan. The External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jai Shankar said on August 7 that the government is in conversation with the Bhutanese regime about building a rail link between the two neighbours. The railway line will operate to and fro between Gelephu in Bhutan to Kokrajar in Assam.
One of its Kind
Jaishankar told ANI that the railway connection will boost tourism on both sides. Addressing the ongoing talks about the matter, Jaishankar said that Bhutan is very keen on opening more points to tourists. This is the first-ever initiative to create a railway line between India and Bhutan which is likely to be completed by 2026. The train will be operated by the North-Eastern Frontier Railways.
Earlier this year in April, Bhutan Live reported the completion of surveys for the railway track. The 57 km project will be funded by the Government of India. The Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji said in April that Bhutan will first work on the project at hand and will later look into possibilities of connecting other regions such as Samtse, Phuentsholing, Nganglam, and Samdrup Jongkhar.
S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Aum Pema Choden who came to India on a two-day visit from July 28-29. The primary aim of the visit was to evaluate mutual collaboration between the two neighbours. India conveyed its commitment to partner with Bhutan to serve its priorities.
The Trilateral Highway
Jaishankar also commented on the border issue with Myanmar, describing it as a “challenging” situation. He further stated that the government is aiming to conclude the coastal shipping agreement with Myanmar this year. He said that the Sittwe port is operational and assured that the Indian government is engaging with Myanmar authorities to meet the challenges.
The India-Thailand-Myanmar Project or the Myanmar Trilateral Highway is a connectivity project which strives to boost trade, health, business, and tourism while reducing transportation costs. It is an ambitious 1400 km highway in Manipur, India with Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. It was first proposed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which was approved in 2002 and its construction started in 2012.
India-Myanmar Border Issues
Recently the developments in the Myanmar Trilateral Highway have halted due to an aggravated border situation between India and Myanmar. India shares a 1,643 km long border with Myanmar which runs along four Indian states.
Due to proximity to the crucial northeastern states, there have been concerns about refugees pouring through the borders. Over 50,000 refugees are estimated to have fled to India since the coup d’état in Myanmar in 2021. There are also humanitarian concerns in Myanmar.
In January this year, a bomb fell close to the Indian border when the military junta was firing airstrikes at the rebels. The Ministry of External expressed contempt regarding the issue along with concerns about human and drug trafficking.
The Myanmar Trilateral Highway project is delayed owing to such issues. Through a tweet, Jaishankar underlined the importance of peace and stability in the border areas which have been seriously disturbed due to recent events. “It is important to expedite projects that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway”, said Jaishankar.
