[Assam] India going slow on reopening of Stilwell Road

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Guwahati, Thursday, August 31, 2006  
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India going slow on reopening of Stilwell Road
 By R Dutta Choudhury
  GUWAHATI, Aug 30 – Though the Government of Asom and different organizations of the State have been demanding reopening of the historic Stilwell Road connecting Ledo in Asom to Kunming in the Yunnan province of China for improvement of trade ties, the Government of India is ‘going slow’ on the issue mainly because of security concerns. Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Chinese Government is very keen on reopening of the historic road for improvement of trade ties and to get the market for Chinese products. In fact, Chinese products have flooded the market in Myanmar and now China is eyeing the market in India through the north eastern region. The Government of India is also not averse to the idea of reopening the road, but security concerns are holding up the process of reopening of the road constructed during the Second World War.

 Giving an account of India’s security concerns, official sources revealed that as per information available with the security agencies, Ruili, a small township of China located at the point where the Stilwell Road enters China, was known to be a hub of arms smuggling and the insurgent groups of the North East, particularly the NSCN and the ULFA were known to be procuring weapons from the place. Sources revealed that weapons were smuggled to that point from Cambodia and other parts of the South East Asia, while, there have been instances when the surplus production of the Chinese ordnance depots were also sold in Ruili and that is why a large number of Chinese weapons including grenades are available with the insurgent outfits of the North East. However, of late, the Government of China has initiated steps to check clandestine trade in smuggled weapons in Ruili, apparently with the bid to creating a favourable atmosphere for the reopening of the Stilwell Road.

 The second major security concern is the fact that the Stilwell road passes through the areas in Myanmar, which are dominated by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has good relations with the Indian insurgent groups. Sources said that at one point of time, the KIA had good relations with the NSCN and after the split in the NSCN, the KIA is maintaining good relations with the Khaplang faction of the militant group, which is also maintaining bases in Myanmar. The KIA also maintains good relations with the ULFA and at one point of time, the ULFA cadres were given training by the KIA. Sources revealed that the KIA still allows the ULFA to use the areas of its dominance and the ULFA is maintaining its camps in Myanmar territory with help from the KIA. The Government of India is of the view that immediate reopening of the Stilwell Road might lead to serious security threat, sources said.

 The other factor for the Government going slow on reopening of the Stilwell Road is economic as there is apprehension that if the road is opened, India would be flooded with Chinese products and in return, India would have nothing to sell to China, which, in turn, would seriously affect the country’s economy. Sources pointed out that before the reopening of the road, steps would have to be initiated for rapid industrialization of the North East so that goods required in China and Myanmar are produced in the region to capture the Chinese market for good trade ties with these countries to prevent one sided trade with Chinese goods completely dominating Indian markets. Sources pointed out that there is ample scope for development of tourism once the road is opened, but for that also, necessary infrastructure would have to be created in the North East.

 It may be mentioned here that the construction of the 1726 kilometres of the road connecting Ledo with Kunming was constructed by the allied forces during the Second World War under the supervision of American General Joseph W Stillwell. Initially it was known as the Ledo road, but later it was renamed as the Stilwell road. The construction of the road started in December, 1942 with construction of warehouses, hospitals, barracks and base roads at Ledo and the American forces brought in heavy construction machinery to negotiate the tough terrain for the construction of the road under adverse condition. On January 12, 1945, the first convoy of 113 vehicles started off from Ledo and reached Kunming on February 4 and on May 20 in the same year, formal announcement of the completion of the road was made. The estimated cost of the construction of the road was 137,000,000 Dollars.

 The road passes through three countries- 61 kilometres of it lies in India, 1033 kilometres in Myanmar and 632 kilometres in China and for the reopening of the road, all these three countries will have to play their parts.
 		
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