Myanmar - a land at puberty

The disparity and diversity in Asia, if not the world is so profound that it is fascinating, disturbing and promising. I have just finished a week's trip of Myanmar (as a delegate at the World Economic Forum - East Asia in Nay Pyi Taw)

The WEF East Asia was held at Nay Pyi Taw, I guess as part of a good tradition of WEF to showcase emerging cities to the world. Nay Pyi Taw has an interesting history. Nay Pyi Taw was founded on a greenfield site in a shrub land approximately 320 kilometres from Yangon by the military government along with construction companies. Once partially completed, the military government began moving government ministries from Yangon to here at the astrologically auspicious time of 6:37 AM on 6th Nov 2005!! The move was so hasty and unplanned and unscrupulous that none of the fundamental thinking that has to go behind a community movement was done. The place lacks schools or other amenities as the military had earlier banned the families of government officials and civilians from residing here. A monumental flaw I must say which lacks both community consciousness as well as individual empathy.

I landed at Nay Pyi Taw (the new commercial capital of Myanmar) at the newly built airport (a virgin airport - I guess ours was probably the first major international flight, a chartered one from Bangkok). Most of the delegates were surprised at their mobile phones not working or catching a signal - something unheard of/unprecedented. Interestingly there is only one telco provider owned by the state which will work in this land. All were instructed to ensure enough 'unsoiled' US dollars were exchanged and kept with them as those 'visa' and 'mastercard' networks which are assumed to be 'hygiene' and granted are non-existent in the country. The chartered buses took us to the designated hotels, which were the best in the capital city. Best in any case is a relative word!

In my traverses around the world I have never come across such a land which in a moment takes you three decades back. What stands out among the local populace is not poverty, but 'a kind of puberty'. They were so alienated from the world progress for the last three decades with a life filled with toils and atrocities with exceptionally few visitors who could carry news of the outside world. But the hope and refresh of the recent changes is vibrant, confusing and promising for them. It is vibrant more on a relative scale as any positivity here is unprecedented, confusing as they are surrounded by 'aliens' and promising as an economy is getting built from the scratch. The newspapers were rampant with the names of telcos around the world flocking here as the licences are getting auctioned. The latest news is about Vodafone and China Mobile pulling out of the race possibly due to the heavy infrastructure needs that has to be laid from scratch to access this market of 60 million.

The plight of many in this beautiful nation is abysmally dismal. There are villages neighboring to the capital city where it is said that people pawn their lungies for food. While on one hand this is happening, the business houses across the world are making plans to access this 60 million fresh green field minds. There are already quite a few men of Western origin who have made consulting for foreign businesses to lay foundation in Myanmar their core business. The consulting companies in the world are flocking the land to understand more and advice businesses on their strategies for the land. But hardly did I hear of an inclusive growth nor a consideration of education and poverty alienation as a objective of this economic vibrancy. For a moment the post-independence Indian economic model (dubbed as licence raj) which is despised by many in my generation stood tall in respect. A gradual opening of economy making it extremely difficult for businesses at times finds a place considering 'the greater common good'.

A land right at the center of juggernauts India and China, which the military here over the years have strategically capitalized as an advantage, it is most exciting to see how this vantage point becomes economical and social. As puberty grows to adulthood, I can only wish that the common man here grows up to a healthy, thinking and educated adult who finds a rightful place in the world stage.