The warm reception that drivers of the Asean-India motor rally received in the Northeast carries a hint of the great possibilities of cultivating people-to-people relations. The rally, with 117 participants from 11 countries in 31 vehicles, should boost India’s Look East policy, which has so far been limited to foreign office manuals and diplomatic briefings, besides references at flashy annual conferences.
Positive gains are likely if such exercises can trickle down to the citizenry, as we see in such a rally traversing countries across the region before reaching India.
The impressive presence of diplomats from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore at a meet in Assam ahead of the rally was the first pointer to how much good may come from opening up the region to such exchanges. As a member of the Indian Parliament participating in the rally noted, the event could be the precursor of better connectivity, which in turn would certainly lead to greater prosperity.
The rally would have given the teams a good idea of road conditions and the feedback might help improve plans to connect the region with adjoining countries in terms of trade and easing the movement of people and goods. A modern Asian highway that links Nagaland with Thailand and Burma will go a long way in easing problems that people of the region face. Such events, even if they are non-competitive, help put the region in the spotlight, which just shows how sport can help bring nations and peoples together.