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27 July 2016, Gateway House

Listening to the Rivers

India's North Eastern States are part of one of the largest fluvial regions, they share this region with five other nations. At a recent conference, held on the sidelines of the the Nadi Festival in Shillong, the message of 'Listen to the dignity of the river' struck a chord with all present, and is a message which should be carried across the region.

Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme

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India’s North Eastern Region (NER) is surrounded by five countries – Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. The transboundary Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basin that covers 1.7 million square kilometres and impacts the lives of over 620 million people in these six countries represents one of the largest fluvial (riverine processes, deposits and landforms) systems of the world.

The challenges and opportunities faced by the riverine systems in eastern South Asia was the subject of an intensive dialogue at a recent major international conference, the Nadi (river) Festival, among political leaders, experts and ‘third space’ activists at Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. It was co-hosted by Asian Confluence, a public policy think-tank for the north-eastern Indian states based in Shillong, and the Government of Meghalaya, on July 15 and 16, 2016. In-depth deliberations generated both heat and light, but they also produced pointers for the way forward.

NER’s seven ‘sisters’ and one ‘brother’ are eight states of the Indian Union that depend on rivers for sustenance, economic growth and cultural identity. This applies to the four surrounding countries too, if China is excluded due to geopolitical reasons. Rivers are undoubtedly a boon, but under certain conditions they can turn into a bane too. Assam and Bangladesh, for example, are among the most flood-prone areas where floods and erosions cause havoc every year. Bangladesh suffers an average annual loss of 6,000 human lives as a result. Climate change has exacerbated the negative aspects of rivers in an urbanising world. Human neglect and rampant development also contribute to the slow death of rivers. It is ironical that rivers, worshipped as ‘mothers’ in South Asian cultures, are either dying or have the power to kill and destroy.

What should be done to counter the negative aspects of rivers? This was the key question addressed at the conference. Speaking at the inaugural session, Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya’s chief minister, suggested that shared river basins of India and Bangladesh should be treated as a source of mutual prosperity rather than a cause for conflict. He hoped that the conference would pave the way for “effective convergence and an actionable plan for using rivers for mutual benefit and prosperity in the region.” The state’s governor, V. Shanmuganathan, issued a fervent appeal at the valedictory session “to purify, protect and preserve rivers and water systems.”

Following marathon debates, the broad contours of a consensus emerged regarding the way out: to “re-imagine” river development through multi-faceted regional cooperation and stepped-up connectivity. Rivers are a metaphor for connecting lands, peoples, cultures and traditions, spurring trade and growth. They are a medium for both transportation and interaction. Shahriar Alam, Bangladesh’s minister of state for foreign affairs, pointed out that rivers provide a better and cheaper mode of transportation than roads and railways. Experts laid emphasis on ensuring that rivers remain navigable by routinely clearing them of silt and filth. There was much to learn, they noted, from best practices in Europe where the Seine, the Rhine and the Thames were “re-gained” through conscious and planned endeavours.

As Dr Partha J Das, a respected expert with the Guwahati-based environmental research organisation Aaranyak, wrote, “The only answer to the problems” of water conflicts and other issues constraining the development of the region was “cooperation among the GBM basin-sharing countries in the realm of water resources development and management.” Clearly, this approach goes well beyond the narrow confines of river water sharing that disproportionately dominates the discourse on India-Bangladesh relations. The scope of bilateral dialogues needs to be expanded judiciously.

Connectivity in a common river basin would also involve the active facilitation of cross-border trade through border haats (rural markets held on a regular basis, usually once weekly) as a means to empower local communities. The promotion of tourism throughout the region through ample consultation and coordination among relevant stakeholders – government and industry – demands sustained attention and workable plans. Rashed Khan Menon, Bangladesh’s minister for tourism and civil aviation, stressed the need to introduce flights to link Shillong, Guwahati and Agartala with Dhaka and to arrange an easier process for the grant of visas to Bangladeshi nationals. Improving the mutual perceptions of neighbouring countries through augmented exchanges between media organisations would be essential. Building better communication networks and encouraging practical cooperation among civil society and strategic community institutions of the concerned countries would go a long way to be mutually beneficial.

Above all, culture, cuisine, crafts and people-to-people exchanges figure among the best connectors between nations. A rich repertoire of dances and music, an integral part of the Nadi Festival, showcased the deep cultural affinity linking the NER with its neighbours, especially Nepal and Bangladesh. Delegates from Bhutan and Myanmar, I observed, appeared to feel far more at home in Shillong than they might have in distant Delhi or another part of India outside the NER.

The Nadi Declaration at the conclusion of the conference, reflecting the consensus between the participants arising from the conference deliberations, called for a “collective dialogue” between India and her four neighbours in order to craft the guidelines and set out the elements of a blueprint for regional cooperation.

The political and diplomatic aspects of regional cooperation, sensitive as they are, were touched upon at least in the corridors, if not in the main hall, of the plenary sessions. The concept of BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) was appreciated, but it was suggested that the remit of this emerging sub-regional mechanism should transcend the issues of road connectivity and power-related cooperation to include river development and water resources management. The time may now be opportune to raise BBIN to the political level.

Several participants felt that BBIN should be expanded to include Myanmar, assuming the latter is interested in the proposition. What about China? The broad view was that, to begin with, regional cooperation should focus on the NER and its four neighbours: Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.  Later, at an appropriate stage, dialogue with the Chinese too could be considered based on the same model as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation, set up in 1992 by the six riparian nations of the Mekong River: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand. Vietnam and the Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China.

The conference proposal for a collective dialogue deserves serious consideration by policymakers and the authorities, scholars and the media, both national and regional. The evocative plea of poet-diplomat Suryakanthi Tripathi – “Listen to the dignity of the river” – struck a chord with all conference participants. This vital message should reverberate through the length and breadth of India and beyond.

Rajiv Bhatia is Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme, Gateway House, and a former high commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho and Kenya.

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