Embassy of India, Yangon, Myanmar
Ambassador’s Speeches Ambassador’s Speeches

Seminar on Constitutionalism & Federalism

NSPNC/CPR Seminar on Constitutionalism & Federalism

(18 March 2025, India Centre Yangon )

Speech by Ambassador Abhay Thakur

Lt. Gen. Min Naing, Secretary of the National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee (NSPNC), Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,

U Hla Maung Shwe, Chairman of the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, and the lead organizer of today’s Seminar,

Hon’ble Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India,

Generals of the Myanmar Armed Forces,

Heads and Representatives of Myanmar’s political parties and EAOs,

Prof. R. Sudarshan, Dean, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy,

Dr. Rami Desai, Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation,

My colleagues from the Embassy of India,

Distinguished guests,

Namaskar, Mingalabar, Good Morning.

  1. At the outset, I welcome each and every one of you to the Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India, as we begin another important round of discussion on Constitutionalism and Federalism in India, and its learnings and experiences. So far we have held two rounds of a dedicated lecture series, in June 2023 in Naypyitaw and November 2024 in New Delhi, and today’s interim round is a further step forward in this direction.
  1. Today’s Seminar comes at the right time. Currently we are in an very significant, almost historic, transitional phase of state and nation building in Myanmar. The SAC is poised to hold elections in December-2025 or January-2026. Our deliberations will feed into the ongoing discourse in Myanmar on important issues pertaining to future governance structures in its States and ethnic areas, power sharing arrangements and extent or degree of federalism. Today’s Seminar will also help us prepare better for the third round of the Lecture series in Naypyitaw, to be scheduled a few months before the elections.
  1. I am glad that a wide cross-section of Myanmar’s political spectrum is participating in the Seminar today, including 5 national political parties, 6 regional parties from Rakhine, Kachin and Mon states, 5 Ethnic Armed Organisations from Kayin, Rakhine, Shan and Mon states, as well as CSOs and senior figures from Myanmar intelligentsia. With such wide and significant representation, I have no doubt that the takeaways of the Seminar will also be equally significant.
  1. Excellencies, friends, as a country located at the confluence of South Asia and South East Asia, our two key foreign policy initiatives of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ converge in Myanmar. India and Myanmar also share a long land boundary of over 1640 kms, and India’s longest maritime boundary of 1060 km is also with Myanmar. Due to our interlinked geographies and histories, our two countries share an unbreakable bond of spiritual, historical, linguistic and ethnic ties. Both India and Myanmar are ethnically and linguistically diverse countries. However, given our size and population, India is far more complex and diverse, and also has decades of successful democratic experience as the world’s largest democracy. Therefore, as Myanmar’s close and trusted neighbour, India is well positioned to meaningfully contribute towards discussions on the political transition in Myanmar and its return to a path of democracy.
  1. In this context, befitting the requirements of Myanmar, special attention has been paid in this Seminar to the subjects of distribution of power, resources and responsibilities between the Centre and States. The topics selected by our highly distinguished speakers include lessons from India’s experience in managing a multi-ethnic and multilingual federal system, inclusive governance and power sharing, and a case study of our Northeast region on federalism and tribal diversities. I believe these subjects are of relevance and significant value to stakeholders in Myanmar.
  1. Friends, the ability to carry everyone along has been key to peace and development in India. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, had said that the “Constitution will not be worth the paper it is written on unless we provide safeguards against the exploitation of the weak by the powerful, of the backward by the advanced." Secondly, our Constituent Assembly chose a federal structure, but with strong central provisions to ensure unity in diversity, providing special provisions for the protection of rights of diverse groups as well as fostering greater national assimilation. Thirdly, India’s Northeastern states are a vivid example of federalism. Special provisions safeguard the interests of the people in these states, ensuring that local customs, traditions, and governance systems are not only respected, but also often take primacy.
  1. Today, going forward, I would, in particular, also like to emphasize the importance of involving and engaging constructively with all relevant entities, groups and forces operating/present along the India-Myanmar border. We are ready to provide our help in this effort. It would not only make the process more inclusive in Myanmar, but also accelerate the return to peace and stability in your border regions.
  1. Finally, I thank the NSPNC, participating political parties and EAOs, for their faith in India as a companion in your national journey. I also thank our three distinguished speakers for making it convenient to travel from India and help us put this seminar together and infuse greater meaning into it. I look forward to productive discussions over the course of the day.

Thank you, Dhanyawaad, Chezu-tainparey.

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