Recently, there is much talk that North east India can be cut off, simply by blocking the Siliguri Corridor, in North Bengal. At that point, the land is only 25 miles wide and that route connects Assam and other NorthEast States to rest of India. Many traitors voice such hopes.
Due to a strange history, the NorthEast India did not get a sea port or sea route at time of Independence in 1947, when India was partitioned with Pakistan
In 1947, Britain agreed to give India independence. But India had to be divided into India and Pakistan. In June, 1947, British lawyer Cyril Radcliffe, who never set foot in India, was asked to go to India and divide it in 45 days .
Indian leaders were more focused on the North western part of India. They did not pay much attention to Bengal, which was divided into West Bengal and East Pakistan . Right upto August 15, 1947, Chittagong, which was 90% Hindu ,was to be a part of India. In fact, it was linked to present Indian kingdom of Tripura for centuries. But after August 15, 1947, suddenly it was suddenly realized that British attached it to East Pakistan , thereby depriving India of a great sea port of Chittagong. A map will show you how near Chittagong is to Tripura and North East .
To fully understand this article, the reader needs 2 maps. One map should be of India with its borders of Bangladesh and Burma ( now Mynamar ). The second map should be of NorthEast states of India and Bangladesh and Burma borders, including the Bay of Bengal.
Distances from India to Sea through Burma. :
1. Connecting Northeast India to Bay of Bengal via Burma :
India does have alternative border corridors through Myanmar to directly access the Bay of Bengal. Several transport routes are either planned to strengthen connectivity for States of Assam, Meghalaya,Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and others.
There is a route from Mizoram through Burma to Bay of Bengal. There is a rotue called the Kaladan Transport Project ,being jointly developed by India and Burma . This route will involve road, river and sea transport, to connect Northeast India to Bay of Bengal via Burma . The distance from Mizoram to the sea maybe 250 milometers , avoiding Bangladesh
2. Tripura through Burma to the Bay of Bengal
The straight-line distance between Tripura and Myanmar to the sea is about 450 km. While no formal India–Myanmar trans-border road into the Bay of Bengal exists directly from Tripura yet, it can be developed.
3. Route through Bangladesh and Burma to sea :
The Maitri Setu bridge — connects Sabroom (Tripura) with Ramgarh (Chittagong, Bangladesh) over the Feni River. This bridge provides access to Chittagong Port, which is just about 80 km from the Indian border and is one of the closest major ports for Northeast India, including Tripura. From Agartala (Tripura’s capital) to Chittagong, distance as a straight line is only 160 KMs.
This route, through Bangladesh, is one of the alternatives , when India has friendly relations with Bangladesh .
Good Example is Chabahar Port in Iran to Afghanistan :
In fact, Afghanistan faces such a situation and is land-locked and was blackmailed by Pakistan, till India worked out an alternate route from Iranian port of Chabahar to Afghanistan, which totally avoids Pakistan and ends Pakistan control over Afghanistan .
India can change history :
India can follow China which demands that history or past must be considered . India should now demand Chittagong port back. At the same time, India must develop alternate routes to the sea from Tripura and Northeast. This does not mean that there is any danger of losing the Siliguri corridor ,which links Northeast to India. But when a country changes geography, it creates new power .It is time to shut up our enemies.
Remember we lost Chittagong when our leaders focused only on the NorthWest India=Pakistan border in 1947. Let us focus on the Northeast and the sea through Burma and also demand Chittagong back .In 1971, when India created Bangladesh, we should have demanded a land corridor to the Bay of Bengal . We forgot that totally.! Remember the road distance between Triupra and Kolkata is 1700 kilometers, while Tripura through Burma to the sea is only 450 KMs .
Dr Pentapati Pullarao