India looks at commissioning the ambitious Kaladan Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Corridor project connecting a port in Rakhine (Arakan) State of western Myanmar with the land-locked far eastern part of Bharat through the water and land routes for regular trading. But the project involving Kaladan river continues facing hurdles from time to time. Initially it was a security challenge due to the changing political situation, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and finally a civil war like situation in Myanmar (also known as Burma and Brahmadesh) are posing a serious problem it its completion, which was initially planned to launch by 2014. But the project with an initial budget of Rs 536 crore in 2008 (work started in 2010) has now crossed Rs 3,200 crore because of perennial delays and lately missed another deadline (2023).
India and Myanmar agreed in 2008 to initiate the Kaladan project under New Delhi’s then Look East Policy and later revamped as Act East Policy, where Sittwe port in the Bay of Bengal is planned to connect north-eastern States. The shipment is supposed to arrive in Sittwe from Kolkata, Chennai or any other international ports and then it will travel through Kaladan river up to Paletwa in Chin State of Myanmar. Then the goods will be shifted to land routes and reach Zorinpui in Mizoram border to connect other important localities in eastern India with National Highway 54. Even though modernization of Sittwe port and Paletwa jetty were already completed, the Paletwa- Zorinpui highway remains under construction.
The India bordering Myanmar localities were recently grabbed by powerful ethnic armed group Arakan Army defeating the ruling military junta. Not only Rakhine and Chin States, the entire southeast Asian nation has been currently facing a chaotic situation, where the military dictators are losing their grounds in the last few months to a number of organized outfits supported by the common Burmese nationals with arms on their hands. The complicated situation has resulted in the killing of thousands and injuries to another few thousands. Millions of Burmese people including women and children were compelled to leave their places since the last conflict that erupted after the military coup four years back. The junta forces led by Min Aung Hlaing now control less than half of the country.
Mentionable is that the revolutionary forces under the banner of ‘Three Brotherhood Alliance’, comprising the Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) had launched a massive offensive (titled Operation 1027) in late 2023. Till date, the ethnic groups and resistance forces (also comprising Kachin Independence Army, Karen National Union, Chin National Front, People’s Defence Forces, National Unity Government, etc) have gained full control over 144 townships, leaving only 107 townships under the junta’s authority, where 79 townships are still facing offensives from the anti-junta forces.
Currently New Delhi is engaging with both the junta and opposition rebel groups to pursue the India-supported missions including the Kaladan project. Some Burmese ethnic groups were even invited to India for preliminary interactions so that the relation gets ground. The meeting with Arakan Army representatives in New Delhi was productive, if the foreign ministry officials are believed. Another round of discussions was organized in Bangkok too. The Yangon-based Indian Ambassador Abhay Thakur recently visited Sittwe and the conveyed to the Rakhine State government about New Delhi’s hope for an early return to peace and stability in the region.
One can only hope for the best in the days to come.
