Mahesh Ranjan Debata

(Assistant Professor, Centre for South, Central, Southeast Asian & Southwest Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)

Author

Dr. Mahesh Ranjan Debata is Assistant Professor, Centre for South, Central, Southeast Asian & Southwest Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal

Nehru University, New Delhi since 31st December 2007. He teaches two courses:

1) Society, Culture and Politics in Xinjiang, 2) Research Methodology. He got his PhD degree from School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He speaks Oriya, English, Hindi, Russian, Chinese and Turkish.

Abstract

Silk Road Economic Belt aims at all round development of the entire belt that would boost trade, transit and traffic connectivity, besides augmenting people-to-people contacts. The famous Silk Route, which wound extended from Xi'an to the east bank of the Mediterranean, was the place where ancient Western and Oriental cultures met and flourished with the regular exchange of ideas and intellect, and most importantly, trade and commerce. For India, the importance of the Silk Road Economic Belt stems from a number of factors in regard of histories, cultures and economics. And this could be a stepping stone to the revival of age-old ties between India and the regions along the Route, such as Xinjiang and Central Asia. India now perceives Xinjiang as a potential land bridge to Central Asia from where it aims at getting the much required energy resources in the near future. By doing this, a strong economic and energy cooperation between China and India will usher in. Since June 2004, the Chinese government in Xinjiang have been promoting a nationwide campaign for Kashgar, a town, known for its historic role as the hub of China's trade on the Silk Route, with eight other countries in Central and South Asia, including India. In this connection, two delegations visited India, first in October 2004 led by Xinjiang's governor, Ismail Tiliwaldi, and second in November 2011 led by Xinjiang's governor, Nur Bekri. Both visits have underlined the need for India-Xinjiang land link and air route (Delhi-Kashgar via Urumqi), laying a natural gas pipeline from Xinjiang to India through Ladakh and enhancing bilateral cooperation in agricultural and food processing, traditional medicine and herbs, energy and oil production and tourism. A reliable land link connecting India's Ladakh, which is in eastern Jammu and Kashmir and borders China's Tibet, and Xinjiang and then reaching to Central Asia, will not only tap the resources of the region, but also result in greater cooperation in diverse fields. For India, the pipeline proposal with Xinjiang will open new connectivity between India and Central Asia. After the TAPI and IPI, which are to bring energy resources from Central Asia and Iran respectively, have become "pipedreams", because of the turbulent situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the extension of two pipelines from Central Asia to Xinjiang and further to India will be in India's greater interests. Against this background, this paper will discuss the importance of Silk Road Economic Belt for India, with a focus on Kashgar's economic integration with the bordering countries of Central and South Asia, and examining the opportunities for India in this process.