India's Act East Policy gains momentum, no talks with Pakistan in near future

New Delhi, Sept 12: With India increasing engagement with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, the Act East policy is likely to get a major boost in the days to come, but the country is unlikely to hold talks with Pakistan in the near future.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, sources said that in recent times, India’s engagement with the ASEAN and South Asian countries has increased considerably and such engagements are vital for proper implementation of the Act East policy.

On September 4, the Prime Minister of Singapore visited India and held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which included possible Singapore investment in India. Singapore is now a hub of technology and airplane maintenance and India can benefit from that.

Sources said that peace and stability in Myanmar is crucial for the success of the Act East policy and with the general elections in that country due in December, the situation there is likely to improve. That will ensure completion of the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand.

Moreover, improvement in connectivity will lead to the Kaladan project providing a new sea route to India’s Northeast region. As connectivity is the key to development, opening of those projects would give a big boost to the Northeast, sources pointed out.

Meanwhile, Japan is facing a shortage of skilled manpower and because of its improved relations with India, the country has decided to take skilled workers from India. The sources said that the Japan government has decided to teach Japanese language to 50,000 youths from October this year, and in the days to come, it is expected that Japan would take around five lakh youths from India to work in their companies.

On relations with China, the sources said that the relation has improved considerably after the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to that country. Economic activities between the two countries have increased and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed. India has resumed offering tourist visas to Chinese nationals, and efforts are also on to settle the border disputes amicably.

Replying to a question whether there is a possibility of talks with Pakistan in the near future, the sources said that “terrorism and talks cannot flow together”. For so many years, Pakistan has been harbouring terrorists and several terrorists wanted by India are still taking shelter in that country. Under these circumstances, it is not possible to start talks with Pakistan, the sources asserted.

The sources also revealed that Guwahati may see more international flights in the days to come. “The people of the Northeast are hospitable by nature and if more international flights can operate, it will give a big boost to the tourism industry,” they said.