WI: railroad lines built in the 1890s between Burma and India

[TheLobby]

An investigation by the Public Works Department of the British Raj in the 1890s had determined that a railroad line could be built from Ledo, in Assam, and another from Manipur in order to serve the Irrawaddy basin, by crossing the Arakan mountains.

Let's suppose these two lines had been built by the end of the 19th century, how would they have influenced a Burma now linked to India at their northern and central border?

Indian immigration would have exploded, and 30-40% of Burma's population would probably be Indian by the early 1940s (instead of OTL's 15%). Would Burma suffer the same fate as the Seven Sisters (i.e. demographically submerged and completely assimilated into the Republic of India)?

 

[TheLobby]

Bump

 

[raharris1973]

Indian immigration would have exploded, and 30-40% of Burma's population would probably be Indian by the early 1940s (instead of OTL's 15%). Would Burma suffer the same fate as the Seven Sisters (i.e. demographically submerged and completely assimilated into the Republic of India)?

Maybe-

 

[TheLobby]

Maybe-

IMO it would be a very good idea for Burma to remain part of India. Burma could serve as the main place where the Indian demographic surplus is sent (with Indian emigrants preferring to go there, rather than far away from the motherland to become coolies on the British plantations in Fiji, Guyana or Mauritius). Secondly, Buddhist and Bamar extremism would never come to power, so Burma wouldn't have become a dictatorship ruled by supremacist monks, and New Delhi would ruthlessly repress any secessionist movement (which Rangoon is unable to do in OTL).

 

[raharris1973]

IMO it would be a very good idea for Burma to remain part of India. Burma could serve as the main place where the Indian demographic surplus is sent (with Indian emigrants preferring to go there, rather than far away from the motherland to become coolies on the British plantations in Fiji, Guyana or Mauritius). Secondly, Buddhist and Bamar extremism would never come to power, so Burma wouldn't have become a dictatorship ruled by supremacist monks, and New Delhi would ruthlessly repress any secessionist movement (which Rangoon is unable to do in OTL).

The Burmese are and other local peoples are going to love this and be happy with it.

There won't be any strife for invading Japanese to exploit in WWII at all, no siree!

 

[TheLobby]

The Burmese are and other local peoples are going to love this and be happy with it.

There won't be any strife for invading Japanese to exploit in WWII at all, no siree!

With a PoD before 1900, the Japanese invasion may be butterflied.

Also, I could see a partition of Burma between Thailand and India, where India keeps the Irrawaddy basin (and makes it a new sacred river for Hindu civilization!) while Thailand is allowed to annex Shan and Tenasserim.