There has always been this old lore about a hidden road to China through the north-east . One of the earliest Muslim conquerors who wanted to find out more about it was Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji, the general of Qutubuddin Aibek, the first Sultan of Delhi. In 1206, he entered Assam seeking passage to Tibet; but the expedition ended in disaster as the local king, Prithu, defeated him and destroyed his army. Several centuries later, Aurangzeb sent an expedition to Assam under his premier noble, Mir Jumla. Although the primary brief to him was to subjugate the "unruly Assamese", Aurangzeb wanted his armies to conquer territories of the Qing empire in China.
The Mughals may have had information about a shorter and less difficult route to China. But it were the British who first mapped this road in the 19th century. Now, almost 150 years later, a filmmaker claims to have found the road that could give India the fastest land access to China.
'Road To China', a 26-minute documentary by Mrinal Talukdar, highlights the road that starts from Tinsukia in upper Assam and traverses a distance of some 300 km through hilly terrain before reaching Kaho, the last village near the Line of Actual Control . Talukdar believes this road needs to be opened up to facilitate bilateral trade between India and China, which stands at $74 billion. With India planning to expand it to $100 bn by 2015, this road could become a vital link between both countries.
"I had first undertaken a journey to trace the Tsangpo river from the point it entered India till it became the mighty Brahmaputra. It was then that I learnt about this road," Talukdar says. He believes it's a better alternative to the 1,740 km Stilwell Road which connects Ledo in Assam to Kunming in Yunnan province of China. India had thought of opening it up in 2004 but abandoned it due to the physical difficulties.
"It would have required us to clear 400 km of forests and collaborate with the military junta in Myanmar, as over 1,000 km of the road passes through that country . But this road is only 300 km and takes you right up to China's doorstep. It doesn't need any major infrastructure development as it leads to the border beyond which China has all-weather four-lane highways connected to the interiors of the country."
According to Cambridge University scholar Berenice Guyot-Rechard , when the British explored Lohit Valley, they found that although isolated from the rest of India, it served as a corridor between Assam and China. Traders, pilgrims, smugglers and even prostitutes used it. The two biggest cities on this route were Sadiya (Assam) and Rima (China). Today, Tinsukia has replaced Sadiya, while Rima has disappeared from the map.
In the film, Talukdar undertakes the fascinating journey himself. He takes the Rajdhani Express from Guwahati to Tinsukia and then takes a 30-minute ride to reach Dirak Gate on the Assam-Arunachal border. Permits are needed for any onward journey. The NH52 then takes him to Namsai, Chowkham, Parashuram Kund, Hailyung , Walong and Kibithu, the brigade HQ of the Indian Army. Civilian movement beyond Kibithu is restricted as the Chinese border is close by. The town is strongly defended. But during the 1962 war, Red Army soldiers conquered the loosely defended town of Walong. After the war, the road was closed.
When C S Jenow, the deputy commissioner of Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh, was asked if the road could be opened up someday for trade, he said, "Trade is all right but the government needs to factor in potentially dangerous aspects. The British empire's opium trade had its ripples in the region. Tirap and Lohit districts in Arunachal became part of it. That threat is still there as the area is close to the Golden Triangle. Once you throw open the border, it might become difficult to control it." Talukdar's dream could take a while to come true.
Courtsey:-
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Found-hidden-road-to-China/articleshow/13016402.cms
