A World War II Road Can Reshape North Myanmar and Northeast India’s Economy

Photo – www.cbi-theater.com

A Second World War era relic – Ledo Road, linking India’s Assam and China’s Kunming via Myanmar, is in the news as companies from China and Myanmar have signed an agreement to restore that historic route¹. They aim to boost trilateral trade between China, Myanmar, and India. This 1736-kilometre road was built as an alternative supply line to keep the Chinese soldiers active on the Japanese front when the Burma Road was cut off in 1942. The aerial route that passed through the treacherous mountainous region of the eastern Himalayas was a death trap for the Allied forces’ pilots. Many perished while trying to navigate the perilous flight path called “The Hump”² in order to dodge Japanese fighters. By the end of the war, an estimated 147,000 tons of supplies were carried over the muddy Ledo Road to pin down the Japanese. Post-war, the road was left abandoned till 1955 when members of the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition³ tried to traverse the stretch from Ledo to Myitkyina during their London to Singapore expedition. Tim Slessor documented this travel experience in his 1957 book “First Overland: London-Singapore by Land Rover,” detailing how the journey could not be completed because of a damaged bridge between Pansaung Pass and Shin Bway Yang. Eventually, in February 1958, another British explorer, Eric Edis, managed to drive his Land Rover to Yangon. The road became barely negotiable after India restricted movement in 1972.

The fact is, Ledo Road’s reopening will be a game-changer for the landlocked Northeastern India, offering unparalleled business opportunities, as it connects three economies, including the world’s second and fourth largest ones.

Beijing believes this road connecting China, India, and Myanmar bears great significance for South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Since a robust transport network is essential to connect the extended region and unlock its untapped economic potential, the three countries should join hands to achieve a landmark success. It will pave the way for enhanced cross-border cooperation and economic development in India’s Northeastern fringe as well as the whole of South Asia. The Myanmar-China memorandum of understanding proposes to restore the route, stretching 114 kilometres from Kanpiketi on the China-Myanmar border to Myitkyina, and another 367 kilometres from Myitkyina to Pansaung Pass on the India–Myanmar frontier. Incidentally, it is a millennia-old human corridor reused by the British for strategic domination. The travelling time from Shin Bway Yang in Kachin to Jagun in Assam will come down to four hours if the road stretch between Pangsaung-Shin Bway Yang is given a facelift. However, Beijing is developing the Highway project as part of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIMEC), under its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). And India has long resisted BCIMEC over sovereignty concerns. New Delhi’s concerns are two-fold. Firstly, some leaders of ethnic insurgency in India’s Northeast allegedly took shelter in Chinese territory. Secondly, Beijing can usurp the Northeast’s economy. Nevertheless, India started strengthening road Infrastructure in its Northeastern provinces with the objective of hastening connectivity with Myanmar and beyond. Thus, India’s offer of assistance to Myanmar for the re-development of Ledo Highway and Beijing’s attempt to snatch the initiative away from New Delhi when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit reflect the intensity of Sino-Indian strategic rivalry.

The fact is, Ledo Road’s reopening will be a game-changer for the landlocked Northeastern India, offering unparalleled business opportunities, as it connects three economies, including the world’s second and fourth largest ones. This will facilitate the exchange of goods and services, benefiting the local economies; create new business opportunities; stimulate economic development, and improve the living standard in India’s Northeastern periphery. Most importantly, such a Highway will strengthen people-to-people ties and foster cross-cultural bonding and cooperation. No less than a former chief of the Indian Army, General JJ Singh, encouraged the speedy restoration of the Ledo Road for expediting border trade with Myanmar and China. “China has developed its part of the road. They are helping Myanmar to develop its bit of the road as well. So, there is no point for India not developing its own part of the road,” – General Singh had asserted while addressing a conference on India’s Look East policy at the National University of Singapore⁴. Indeed, it is unjustified to hold back when only 61 kilometres of this road passes through India. Rather, enhanced linkages will usher in prosperity for a region that has longed for greater synergy with the Far East. Venturing into unexplored Southeast Asia has many benefits for the locals. As an old Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) study report indicates, trade via renovated Ledo Road would cut down the transportation cost of goods between India and China by up to 30 percent. Former ICC Secretary General Nazeeb Arif is on record as saying, This road can transform Northeast India and Northern Myanmar into major production hubs for feeding the Chinese market⁵. Furthermore, economic opportunities can create sustainable livelihoods and may discourage young people from joining the resistance. However, the escalating conflict between the resistance forces and the Myanmar military in the Kachin State, through which the Ledo Road passes, will likely delay implementation and pose significant challenges.

Seema Sengupta is a Kolkata-based journalist and columnist.

[The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of ISP-Myanmar. Readers wishing to share reflections or offer counterarguments are welcome to write and submit a rebuttal article.]

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