THE first India-ASEAN Motor Car Rally as proposed by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in October 2003 in Bali will take off from Guwahati on 23rd November and will finish on 6th December 2004 at Bangkok, Thailand. The unique Car Rally will not only be a sports event but will also explore the road linkages between India and ASEAN countries with a view to attract commercial interest in the infrastructure along the route and  promote tourism and other development activities in the North-Eastern Region.

The Rally as envisaged by India during the ASEAN-India Summit meeting in Bali, Indonesia in October last year, is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), Ministry for External Affairs and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in close cooperation with the member states of the ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat.

The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) will be the technical managers for the Rally. This being the maiden year, the Rally is being organised more of a ‘Parade’ with advance pilots and marshals regulating the pace and stops, running in convoy formation, rather than a hardcore professional competition. There will be no prize money and overall winners in conventional term.  Momentos will be awarded to those who reach the finishing line. The schedule of the Car Rally has been drawn in such a manner that it coincides with the 3rd ASEAN-India Summit. It is expected to have a ceremonial flag off on November 30, 2004 in Vientiane, Laos by the Heads of State/Govt. of the ASEAN countries including the Indian Prime Minister, participating in the Summit. The DONER Ministry has drawn an ambitious plan to focus on development activities in the Region during the proposed India-ASEAN Car Rally, 2004. According to a tentative schedule, a North-Eastern Chief Ministers’ Conclave will be positioned as a logical follow-through of the Annual Business Summit sponsored by the Ministry of DONER with a distinct focus on ‘Co-operation with ASEAN’ at Guwahati on 23rd November’04.

Cultural and Business Exchange Programmes with ASEAN countries will also be organised in different North-Eastern State capitals, prior to the Rally. These would focus on trade, theatre, films, performing arts etc. Besides, state-level ‘Interactive-Session’ will be organised with academicians, private sector and civil-society groups on “Indo-ASEAN Cooperation – Prospects” for the North-Eastern Region.

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