Governing dynamics of cross-border trade: a case study from the Indo-Bhutan border region

Mohan, Deepanshu, Raghunath, Tanuja and Medipally, Sanjana (2017) Governing dynamics of cross-border trade: a case study from the Indo-Bhutan border region. Project Report. South Asia Democratic Forum, Brussels.

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Abstract

The northeast part of India shares around 98% of its border with neighboring countries in the eastern parts of South Asia. The spatial positioning of
North Eastern states of India and their engagement with some of the neighbouring countries shape the governing dynamics of cross-border transnational developments; be it social, economic, cultural and political. The nature of such developments are usually isolated from the scope of regional studies, especially those focusing on the study of economic relationships between two countries (via trade, capital flows etc.). Our study aims to move beyond the traditionally used methodological process of studying cross-border trade patterns; using a more economic anthropological
approach to identify selected cross-border market spaces as niche, geo-spatial areas for understanding the unique nature of trade composition, operations of supply chain management, dual currency usage and the role of political geography. The NorthEastern ‘chicken-neck’ corridor remains characterized by a tough terrain, unfriendly neighbors, infrastructural blockages that obstruct the development of the region. Our field-based research study conducted with a team of six researchers seeks to understand cross-border trading practices on the India-Bhutan border through the use of market case studies, providing a diverse set of observations from vendor/merchant based interviews collected from markets positioned in the border villages of Dadgiri in Chirang district of Assam, India and the border town Gelephu of Sarpang district, Bhutan. This case study documents more of the narratives collected from the weeklyorganized Dadgiri market in Assam. We observe that the operational governing dynamics of market provides an enriching perspective on gauging the social, economic and political landscape of the Indo-Bhutan border area beyond the Chirang
district of Assam, India.

Item Type: Monograph (Project Report)
Keywords: Cross-border trade | Indo-Bhutan border | political geography | borderlands | development
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Business, Management and Accounting > Business and International Management
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > International Relations
JGU School/Centre: Jindal School of International Affairs
Depositing User: Arjun Dinesh
Date Deposited: 09 May 2022 12:30
Last Modified: 09 May 2022 12:30
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.11588/xarep.00004526
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/2939

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