President Ramnath Kovind's final day in Myanmar was replete with symbolism of a joint culture and heritage, with the itinerary including a visit to the masoleum of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the 150-year-old Kali temple and the Dhamma Joti Vipassana Centre. Vipassana is an ancient meditation technique that originated in India, but was preserved by the monks of Myanmar and is now getting popular in India again. Kovind is the second president to have visited Zafar's mausoleum, the first being A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
The president had, earlier in his tour, also met veterans of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army who are in Myanmar now. The oldest among them, K.A. Perumal, is about 90-years-old.
India has been handling its ties with Myanmar with great care. The country has proved helpful in India's fight against insurgency in the northeast. As Myanmar is in a transition state towards becoming a democracy, India is keen to woo it away from China. Building a port in Sittwe recently was one such attempt. India has also been aiding Myanmar in the telecom sector and more importantly, in agricultural research. During his tour, Kovind has visited the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education at Yezin Agricultural University, where several research works are being carried out with the help of India's agricultural scientists. He also visited the Rice Bio Park, funded by the ministry of external affairs.
Kovind, at one of his addresses, noted that Myanmar is undergoing multiple and simultaneous transitions towards a democracy, along with peace and economic development. “As a sister democracy and a civilisational friend, India is fully conscious of the challenges Myanmar faces. Over the last 70 years, India has put systems and structures of governance that have enabled diversity to serve the cause of national progress. It is in the spirit of good neighbourly cooperation that India is ready to offer Myanmar any assistance towards addressing issues of national reconciliation, reconstruction and economic development,” he had said.
Myanmar's “reconciliation” is under the global scanner, with the exodus of the Rohingyas into Bangladesh. Many Rohingyas have entered India too, as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Government figures put their numbers at 40,000. India, however, has been careful in its response to the Rohingya crisis and often said it is a bilateral issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
India, however, is helping Myanmar to develop the Rakhine province, the home of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. It has plans to construct 250 houses for the displaced people, the first 50 of these were handed over during Kovind's visit.
