Trade route proposed in India-China conclave.

A track II initiative within a sub-regional forum, BCIM (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar), has proposed a 'growth corridor' between Kolkata in West Bengal and Kunming in Yunnan province of south west China.

The corridor will boost bilateral trade and tourism, while encouraging more people-to-people contact between eastern India and south-western China, the initiative's joint statement has said. However, West Bengal, where Kolkata is located, has 'refused' to send any officials to the recently concluded 10th meeting of the track II initiative, referred as 'Kolkata to Kunming' (K2K).

'West Bengal government refused to send any officials and it has surprised many in Kolkata and Kunming,' said Binoda Kumar Mishra, director of Kolkata based Centre for Studies in International Relations and Development (CSIRD), the co-convener of the initiative. Yunnan Development research Centre was the other convener at the Chinese end.

'However, I approached many Ministries in Kolkata so that any one of the officials or public representatives participate in the conclave. But they refused,” regretted Dr. Mishra, who feels the initiative provides an opportunity to showcase a State’s wealth and resources. Kolkata and Kunming have been granted 'twin city status' last year and the mayors of the cities are yet to meet.

The Deputy Consul General of China in Kolkata, the Consul General of India in Guangzhou province, retired Indian foreign secretary Krishnan Srinivasan, who resides in Kolkata, however, participated in the two day conclave. A retired IAS officer and MLA from Manipur Y Surchandra Singh, who participated in the conclave, highlighted the need to build the 'growth corridor' from Imphal to Kunming via Naypyidaw, the capital city of Myanmar.

'The road from Kunming to Naypyidaw is constructed. If from Imphal to Naypyidaw could be put in place, which India has promised to construct, then it would hugely facilitate movement of goods and people between Kunming and north eastern India, thus chaning lives of the people in the north east,' Mr Singh later told The Hindu.

THE HINDU