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Nov. 17 – In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “A Tale of Two Train Stations,” Arun Duggal poignantly uses two recently built railway stations to explore the differences and similarities between China and India (an ongoing discussion here at 2point6billion.com). Mr. Duggal, the former chief executive of Bank of America in India, is currently the chairman of Shriram Capital and travels extensively in India and China.
In the article, Mr. Duggal compares and contrasts in illustrative fashion the Srinagar Railway Station in India and the Lhasa Railway Station in Tibet.
Srinagar is the capital of the disputed northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, located in India-administered Kashmir. Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China, a city that has been traditionally the seat of the Dalai Lama and the capital of Tibet. It is located at the foot of Mount Gephel and is one of the highest capitals in the world.
In the article, Mr. Duggal explains how the Srinagar Station, which opened last year after a several year delay, is a small station designed with “typical Kashmiri” features “in which beautifully carved walnut wood is used extensively.” Train travel is popular among the local population because it is very convenient and inexpensive although many of these passengers are using the train for the first time in their lives.
In contrast, the Lhasa Railway Station is a “very impressive…large building: much, much bigger than Srinagar’s station” that was completed ahead of schedule. The project cost “US$4 billion and involved the laying of 12,000 kilometers of new track and 30 kilometers of tunnels, built by 11,000 migrant workers.” The track was built 13,000 feet above seal level, a remarkable achievement that also demonstrates China’s desire to integrate Tibet with the rest of China.
“India and China can learn a lot from each other for their mutual benefit,” Mr. Duggal writes. India can learn about efficient administration and infrastructure development and China can learn about entrepreneurship promotion and equitable financial systems.
The complete article can be found here.
