Shillong, Aug. 8: An Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) study centre was inaugurated on the campus of North Eastern Hill University (Nehu), Umshing, here today.
Preeti Saran, secretary (East), ministry of external affairs, inaugurated the study centre at a function held at Nehu's multi-convention hall on behalf of the minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh, who cancelled his trip to Meghalaya at the eleventh hour.
Set up by the MEA, the study centre will function from the campus of the Indian Council of Social Science and Research, northeastern regional centre, located on Nehu's sprawling campus.
The opening of the centre came within a year ofPrime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the setting up of the study centre at Nehu in November last year, when he addressed the 13th Asean summit at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
"We are proposing to open an Asean study centre at Nehu in Shillong, which is our gateway to the east," Modi had said in his address.
The opening of the study centre was historic as it coincided with the 49th year of the Asean movement on August 8, 1967.
With the central government actively pursuing to implement the Act East Policy to boost trade and commerce, the study centre would also help revive the cultural relations between Asean countries and India, especially with the northeastern region whose ethnic tribes share some similarities with the neighbouring countries.
In her address, Saran said the northeastern region has been placed at the core of Asean while highlighting various initiatives including connectivity between the region and other Asean countries.
She also underlined the need to have direct flights between India and Asean countries, Shillong being the venue of the Asean study centre.
Highlighting various projects proposed by India to enhance connectivity with Bangladesh and Asean countries in order to bring multifarious development and boost trade and commerce, Saran recalled the digital projects and a Rs 500 crore project on development of manufacturing hub with some of the Asean countries including Cambodia.
The MEA official hoped that with the setting up of the Asean study centre, there was no doubt that Shillong would become an educational capital of the Northeast and Asean countries in the years to come.
She also hoped that the Act East Policy would further strengthen the stability, peace and economy of the Northeast.
Meghalaya chief secretary Kuljit Singh Kropha pointed out the lack of connectivity infrastructure in the Northeast and the events that led to the partition of Bengal, which subsequently turned the Northeast into a chicken-neck connected region, thereby suffering in terms of economy, as people could no longer carry out trading activities with the neighbouring countries.
"We hope that through the Act East Policy, we can soon revive the old links and the setting up of Asean study centre in Shillong would not only provide proper information about Asean countries, but also help in exploring and taking advantage of various potentials," Kropha said.
Nehu vice chancellor S.K. Srivastava termed the opening of the study centre "historic." He said this would act as a nucleus of various initiatives, including the Act East Policy.
Asean joint secretary Pooja Kapur, delegates from Asean countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Lao PDR, Singapore and former diplomats and others attended the inauguration of the study centre.
