Nepal's Trans-Himalayan Economy

The day Nepalese will assimilate and swallow the chunk that economics of a country is far more important than politics, this country, Nepal, will sure enough come out of its ashes as a Phoenix to revive its importance as a performing entity in the Regional Trans-Himalayan Economy.

In a way, the cross-border trades between Nepal and its neighbors of the south i.e., India and of the north i.e., Tibet now China always existed in the past through the centuries. They slacked down because of political changes and turmoil befallen the whole range of Himalayan region as China became communist and Tibet lost its independence.

As of now, we can skim off some of those possibilities by intensifying the construction of highways with an eye to fostering and enhancing cross-border trades by improving the state of ancient mule tracks or silk roads transforming them into asphalted highways. Also in order to boost touristic and business activities as the demand of Nepal is in rise in China and elsewhere for trekking, rafting, and simply for sightseeing purposes thanks to the amelioration of purchasing power of the populace everywhere, and they crave for paying a visit to an exotic country like Nepal whenever downtime arrives.

Many things have already transformed the region into a promising hub of international business transactions amongst the proponents of this area beginning with Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kirghistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang and Tibet of China, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos etc. Only Nepal is missing because of its involvement in the Maoists' shenanigans.

For starters, it is of vital importance to mention on this thread the fact that already China and India are way ahead to downplay the old enmity and to focus only on their mutual understanding and economic benefits to hype commercial aspects of the issue because politics is never a science of exactitude but of intricacies and fallout. Whereas, economics is concrete and vibrant to invigorating a region of the world like Nepal where the protagonists of different factions are trying to shore up democracy to give birth to a more egalitarian society.

The keystones to all development need to resuscitating the rise of awareness and inspire change to be both inspirational and hands-on practical near the young hopefuls who sure enough shall come onto the future making of the region any time soon. For all that what political road map do we find at our disposal?

Case in point, Chinese are extremely busy with making progress on the cross-border highway which stretches from the Chinese border to the Nepalese town of Syabrubensi, 17 km long inside Nepalese territory, costing US 20 million dollar (approx.). The same highway could be prolonged all the way to India simply by improving and asphalting the existing pilgrimage road to Gosainkunda which will sure enough help boosting trade transactions between India and China through Nepal. Only time will prove whether Nepalese are on to a good thing or not.

Above all, there is the Karakorum Highway connecting Pakistan territory to the west part of China such as Xinjiang. Then comes the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway which extends northward from Leh to the Tibetan plateau and prolongs southward way down to Manali in Himachal Pradesh by surpassing the pass of Rohtang-la where a tunnel of about 8 km is already underway of realization since the month of June 2010.

In the eastern part of India as Arunanchal Pradesh has been the bone of contention between India and China not very many roadways could be constructed but one that prolongs from Shillong to Tejpur and beyond is already quite useful for the Indian government to meet the needs of the border patrolling of the military troops.

But most significantly, India has leveled up the dearth in the ancient silk road between Nathu-la and Jalep-la passes and Kalimpong, and then heading to Siliguri in West Bengal. For now, trucks and trucks of exchanges between China and India are being made through this highway which penetrates into the eastern part of Sikkim only one day journey to the borderlines from Kalimpong. The other highway bifurcates from Teesta, 10 km away from Kalimpong on the way to Siliguri, heading to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, and from Gangtok half a day drive (56 km) to the Nathu-la pass. The lorries drive all the way to Lhasa via Yatung.

It is said that the ancient silk road between Amritsar and Lhasa via Leh will be established in time to come. As far as Nepal is concerned, right from Raxaul in the Indian borderline, a highway leading to Kathmandu is already available and as per the promises of the successive governments to renewing this Tribhuvan Highway by constructing a tunnel underneath the Shivalik Parbat linking Kathmandu via Dakchhinkali, which was inaugurated in November 2009 by the then Vice-Premier and the Foreign Minister Ms. Sujata Koirala along with the NC and CA members of Terai. This important endeavor is undertaken by the Nepalese National Army, according to the nowcast it will take hardly 90 minutes from Kathmandu to the border-town Birganj when this famous project will be ended. Meanwhile, an international hub airport is scheduled to be built at Nijgarh which shall be connected with Kathmandu by means of a shuttle. And the Arniko Highway if the potholes were well repaired could be highly useful to drive up to Lhasa via Barabise and Kodari.

Evidently, it is Nepal which is missing not our neighbors of the south and the north. Because China is equally very busy with new projects on the northern slope of the Himalaya by constructing several dams on Brahmaputra river so as to deviate water to the north basin of China where industrialization has created lots of needs in the utility of water, as well as by extracting the minerals from the rich soil of Tibet that China needs them for the most part.

Next, the American geologists have discovered that the soil of Afghanistan contains about 1 trillion dollar worth of metals, minerals and other miscellaneous riches, such as lithium (Li) most useful for new kind of battery for the accumulation of electricity and for computer. When this country will come out of the present quagmire created by Taliban there is ample things to do in that region provided the Afghans are desirous  of
  expanding businesses as well as creating riches for themselves.

And the aftermath is entirely at the hands of the folks of this region of Himalayan belt whether they dream of better life by promoting peace and harmony living side by side with each other or not. Would those dams on Brahmaputra create a conflict between China and India in the long run as the whole eastern part of India is dependent of Brahmaputra river whose sources are in Tibet, albeit Bangladesh and the lower basin of Assam are often hit by monsoon's water overflowing both Brahmaputra and Ganges?

Would the economy be improved anytime soon, none could possibly predict!?!