Petrapole : A step towards integrated South Asia

New Delhi, July 21: In a major push towards improving economic interlinking of South Asia, India and Bangladesh on Thursday inaugurated the Petrapole Integrated checkpost – the biggest land port in South Asia.

The Petrapole-Benapole border crossing is an important trade point for both the countries with 50 percent of the total trade passing through it. Trade worth over Rs 15,000 crore is conducted through Petrapole ICP and is more that all the Indian Land Ports and Land Customs Stations combined together.

“Eight such integrated check posts along Indo-Bangladesh border to be set up in times to come,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after jointly inaugurating the check post through video-conferencing with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the ICP was important not only for the bilateral trade but also in giving an impetus to the economic growth of the two countries. The check post will also trigger economic integration and connectivity between both countries. “Petrapole ICP will aim to provide better facilities for effective and efficient discharge of functions such as security, immigration and customs. It will also provide support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of people, goods and transport,” Modi added.

According to The World Bank, South Asia is the least integrated region region in the world. The intra-regional trade in South Asia is less than 5 percent as against 35 percent in East Asia and 60 percent in Europe. Due to lack of connecting facilities the cost of trading across borders in South Asia is one of the highest in the world. It is 20 percent cheaper for India to trade with Brazil than with Pakistan. And the estimates see a potential of 300 percent increase in Bangladesh’s exports to India.

Modi also reiterated India’s support to Bangladesh to fight terrorism. “India stands with Bangladesh in its fight against terrorism and will extend all possible help in this regard,” said the Prime Minister.

China remains intransigent, issues White Paper on South China Sea

New Delhi, July 13: A day after the International Court’s judgment favoured Philippines’ claim in the South China Sea, an intransigent China issued a White Paper contending that its sovereignty over the region has been established in the course of 2000 years of history. Beijing also pointed fingers at the United States for stoking tension in the region.

China also threatened that if pushed to a corner it will set up an air defence zone over the South China Sea. "On whether China will set up an air defense zone over the South China Sea, what we have to make clear first is that China has the right to... But whether we need one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threats we face," Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing, adding that China hoped to return to bilateral talks with Manila.

On Tuesday the International Tribunal at Hague dealt a blow to China’s maritime aspirations as it held Beijing guilty for breaching the archipelago country’s sovereignty; and also of damaging the marine environment by building artificial islands. The International Court’s are legally binding, but China has made it clear that it does not have any intentions of complying with the decision even at the risk of becoming an international outlaw.

"China will take all necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said in a front page commentary on Wednesday.

South China Sea has overlapping territorial claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The smaller countries have been afraid that China would turn South China Sea – comprising one of the busiest sea lines of communications (SLOCs) - into “Chinese Lake”. The economic and strategic importance of the region can be gauged from the US’ decision to deploy 60 percent of its forces in the region. It will also remains to be seen what course of action will be taken by the US- itself a non-signatory to the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The present judgement of the international court is only about the nature of the biological features in the region, it does not resolve the issue of the ownership of the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which face multiple claims from different parties. The island groups remain the main bone of contention in the South China Sea.

Contrary to the Hague-based court’s ruling invalidating Chinese “historic” claims on the region, the White Paper said: “China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao (the islands of South China Sea) and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them, thus establishing sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and the relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea.” The White Paper issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was titled, “China adheres to the Position of Settling through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea”.

The Chinese established also accused Philippines of acting in the bad faith and its armed personnel of often using “excessive force against Chinese fishermen in utter disregard of the safety of their lives”.

German Diary: My Tryst with German Institutions

I have utmost respect for German systems and institutions. In my stay for over two years in Germany, I have come to admire many aspects of the German society – including its efficiency and functional systems. But there have been times when I have hit a stonewall in my efforts to manouever myself in the society, despite my fairly good command over German language.

My latest experience has come in the form of the Rundfunk Beitrag (roughly translates to Radio Tax). It seems I have been receiving this letter for nearly two years now. So basically I started receiving those letters in 'official German' when my German proficiency must have been worse than a two year old German kid. (Pardon my use of word German so many times, but this is hardly I can escape.) So as a normal foreigner student, who was never briefed about the tax and fees I needed to pay, I just threw the letter away thinking I do not own a TV or Radio and do not need to pay it. And over a period of time the tax kept adding up with fines and it reached nearly 300 Euros. But ignorance cannot be excuse and I also do not intend to use it as such. So when an official from the Vollstreckung Kasse (something like recovery agent) from Erfurt Rathaus knocked at my door, I along with my flatmates agreed to pay (the tax is for an apartment and not per person. That is another anomaly, so if my flatmates refuse to pay I will have to pay it alone And who receives the letter from the ARD Deutschland is like a draw of lot.)

My flatmate paid the tax and I gave my contribution to her and was happy that now I could concentrate on my thesis. But turns out this was not the way, as an angry official (Mr. Ebberman), called me up ranting in German that he has not received any confirmation from ARD Deutschland (the radio service provider I am assuming). I said that I have given you my reference number regarding the payment, have written to ARD and to Vollstreckung Kasse but have not got any response. Have been trying to call ARD up, but my lack of native fluency has not been of much help. I would reserve my comments about the stringent German regulations with regards to naturalisation requirements for people keen to become German citizens. But what about millions of foreign students and tourists who come to Germany temporarily, will it be a crime to accept a bit of courtesy at least from German institutions for them?

Really?

German Railway service provider DB Bahn had 11 strikes in the last nine months, leaving millions of commuters stranded. Last month when they had a strike I went for cancellation of my ticket and had difficulty in following the woman at reception who was speaking too fast. Despite my request, “Können Sie bitte langsam sprechen, ich kann Ihnen nicht verstehen?” (Could you speak a bit slowly, I cannot understand you), the woman retorted “Nein (No)!” and added up there were thousands of commuters like me. I was just thinking about a tourist in Germany stuck during the strike? I even wanted to be a bit pompous and tell the woman that it is because of the commuters like us that she has a job and is getting a salary; but I restrained. This was not my one off such experience with German system. In August 2014 as I came back from India, my train from Frankfurt to Erfurt got cancelled and the official at the ReiseZentrum (Travelling Centre) asked me to spend the night at the platform in biting cold even as he went on to give accommodation/ Taxi arrangements to other “white-looking people”. I don't know if all of them were German. But I had to fight with them, after a a family member checked online the terms and conditions; and informed me that DB Bahn is obliged to provide me an accommodation in case of a cancellation. The official eventually relented and gave me a hotel, but not before displaying his frustration.

Thereafter, I was traveling back from Turkey to Erfurt (supposedly an International airport with flights to Turkey and London). The Passport controller had a problem in finding visa details of my husband on his system. Mind you my husband was on a tourist visa.The controller did not speak a single word of English and refused to even try a bit to cooperate with him. I had to be the mediator between them. The official then had the audacity of asking me questions if I was carrying our marriage certificates (despite my marital status being obvious on my Passport) and as to why I do not have same surname as my husband. We were allowed to go an hour later when their system started working.

People have similar experiences in Foreigners Office, where people who are supposed to deal with foreigners refuse to speak English or do not know the language. During such time one is at mercy of one’s friends to accompany them to offices. But then why are institutions there?

I have been a fairly open-minded person and can even understand individual’s prejudices towards non-German  speakers. What is appalling is the inertia in German institutions regarding the changing times. I do not expect English to be official language of German but if I am paying for services, the least I can expect is a basic courtesy and delivery of services in a language I can comprehend fully. I admire Germans for their rationale, but officials speaking only German at Airports, Train Stations, Foreigners Office make no sense to me. The other solution German bureaucracy might have for the problem is to either stop giving visas to foreign students and tourists or give them advisory to know German with native fluency before setting foot in Germany.