Experts wants better trade tie up between NE and Southeast Asia

RATNADEEP CHOUDHURY

For proper harnessing of the much hyped 'look east' policy the Centre should give stress on opening of a road link between India's northeast and other Southeast Asian countries in order to boost trade and commerce. This proposal was made by experts across the Southeast Asian region who participated in a three-day international summit titled 'North East India - A gateway to Southeast Asia: Prospects for infrastructure development' in Agartala recently. The summit was jointly organised by the Institution of Engineers-India,Tripura Chapter and the Tripura government. Nearly 60 scientists, experts, technocrats, economists, administrators and policy makers from India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries participated in the meet.

The aim of the summit was to discuss the policy related issues mostly in terms of infrastructure development of Northeast region and on the possibilities of efficient trade and commerce links with the neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. The summit also focused on the modalities of improving foreign investment in the Northeastern region. This summit acted as a common platform for experts of Northeast and rest of India to share their views with the experts of other Southeast Asian countries, thus making way to a fresh outlook on how the Centre should approach in order to improve the trade and commerce relations with the neighbouring countries. Various resolutions were taken in this regard. 'To establish faster and smooth connectivity, besides boosting trade and other economic activities, the trans-Asian highway must be used to connect northeast India with the Southeast Asian countries,' the summit said in a resolution.

The proposed 1,400 km-long trans-Asian highway is supposed to run from Moreh in Manipur and stretch up to Thailand at Mae Sot via the ancient city of Bagan in central Myanmar. This proposed trans-Asian highway actually existed long back. A major stretch of this highway was frequently used during the World War II. Now the road is not in use for decades and requires reconstruction. "We must not forget that northeast India used to be a busy hub of cultural and commercial activities some 2,000 years ago. After centuries of isolation and neglect, it is coming to life again as the principal gateway between India and two of the fastest growing regions of the world - Southeast Asia and East Asia," Lalit Mansingh, former Indian foreign secretary and former Indian ambassador to the US told reporters.

Experts felt that the need of the hour is to increase the volume of trade with Southeast Asia and keeping the geographical proximity of Northeast with Southeast Asia India should stress towards improving the communication infrastructure in NE region. "Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and East Asia share a $500 billion market while India's current trading with Asean, Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan accounts for just $50 billion, almost a quarter pf India's total trade so the volume of trade should go up. If the northeast receives even five percent share of this enormous market, the face of the region would change" Mansigh added.

The other eminent experts including senior transport specialist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) H. Iwasaki and Sri Lankan representative D.L. Taldena stressed the need for encouraging free trade arrangement with Southeast Asia and physical connectivity into south China and other parts of Southeast Asia through Myanmar and Thailand, during the course of their deliberation at the summit.

Addressing the summit , Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar felt that the 'Look East policy' will go on to boost the region's economy.

Meanwhile is another significant development, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to invest Rs50, 000 crore in the northeast region in the 11th Five Year Plan in order to improve road connectivity in the region.

"NHAI would invest Rs50,000 crore in the 11th Five Year Plan for augmenting capacity of high density corridors which would result in provision of improved four lane national highway link to all state capitals. The trans-Asian highways to connect north-east with Southeast Asian countries should be given priority" NHAI Director General S K Nirmal told reporters here. Nirmal, also attended the summit.

Experts also recommended for developing connectivity between Chittagong port in Bangladesh and Haldia port in West Bengal apart recommendations on rail links in entire NE region.

The need of the hour is more such summits in the entire region which would lead to more recommendations for proper implementation of 'Look East' policy.

The Untold Story of Goddess Songruma

Ratnadeep Choudhury

Over the years the Bru community of Northeast, especially in Tripura, has been worshipping Mother Nature incarnated in their deity - Songruma. The ethnic tribes have their own rituals for offering their deities, Songruma hold no different and mystery on history of Goddess Songruma writ large.

The origin of the Bru tribe (locally called Reang) is a disputed issue among historians. The Bru have similar lifestyle like the other tribes of Northeast mostly of Mongoloid origin such as the Garo, Boro, Dimasa. It is largely believed that the tribe had its roots either in Tibet or Myanmar. According to historical references, the Bru kingdom stretched from the Chittagong hill tracts in Bangladesh to the Aarakan ranges in Myanmar and the Bru King was conferred the title of 'Fa'. It is also believed that the worship of Goddess Songruma popularized among the Bru tribal during the reign of Bru King Dangua Fa.

The myth behind the origin of Goddess Songruma states that once the Bru kingdom was hit by a drastic drought. There was no rain for moths together, crops died and the tribal community had no food to eat. People started dying. The Bru king was worried when suddenly one night the king dreamt an unusual dream. A girl came to his dream. She told that she is Goddess Songruma, the deity of peace and prosperity. She told the king that she was a deity of the Mog tribe but since the community has adopted Buddhism, they do not revere her any more. Her white stone images are lying beside the River Sankha. She asked the Bru king to bring her stone images from the river bed and establish a temple for her then only their sufferings would disappear. The next morning the Bru king himself went to the River Sankha and found the white stone images lying beside the river. That very night rain came and the Bru tribe found relief from their sufferings. The stone images were brought and temple was built and thus the Bru started performing Songruma Puja.


Later the Bru community took up the title of 'Reang' and the reign of the Reang ruler started but Songruma Puja went on to be apart of the Reangs or Bru tribe. Years went until the Reang rulers became very brutal. A few of the Reang youths revolted and can to Tripura to seek the help of the then Maharaja of erstwhile princely state of Tripura Gobinda Manikya. With the help of the Maharaja of Tripura, the rebels waged a war against the Reang ruler and defeated him. The Maharaja of Tripura conferred upon the rebels the honorary title of 'Rai Kanchan' thus the Rai Kanchan started ruling the Reang tribe but Songruma still remained their most revered deity.

The Reangs tribe then met with another tragedy that changed the way of their life. Invaders belonging to the Kuki and Lushai tribe invaded the Reang kingdom and plundered and ransacked Reang huts, killed the Reang tribal at will. While going, the invaders took away the stone images of Songruma with them. Since then the Reang community have been left with out the images of their deity.

Later the Maharaja of Tripura Ishan Chandra Manikya came to know about the divine glory of Goddess Songruma and collected the images of the deity from the Kuki warlord. He built a temple for the deity at Agartala near the Royal Palace and since then till the reign of Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya, Goddess Songruma has worshiped under the aegis of the Maharajas.

After the death of Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya, the princely state of Tripura joined the Indian union. While becoming a part of India, the princely state of Tripura signed an agreement with the then Indian government where a condition was laid that all the religious festival that were performed with the aegis of the Royal family would have to be borne by the Indian Government. Under mysterious circumstances Songruma puja did kept out of the treaty. The reasons for its exclusions have remained buried the anal of history. The Reangs still continue to perform Songruma Puja with great pomp in various stretches of Tripura but without the image of their most revered deity. Instead they have now resorted to use Bamboo sticks to signify the image of Goddess Songruma. Reang community has time and again approached the authorities to resotre the images of their deity but nobody heed to their plea.

Like Songruma Puja there are numerous religious festivals of the indigenous tribe of Northeast that lack luster much for the indifferent attitude of authorities to revive and respect the age old rituals.