It is a matter of great significance that the state government and the centre have decided to improve the roads to Gelephu in Bhutan adjoining the Chirang district in lower Assam in order to improve connectivity between the Northeast and the beautiful Himalayan kingdom. As reported by this newspaper on Saturday, the Assam PWD has already prepared a detailed project report for approval of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Just about 40 km from Kajalgaon and 50 km from Bongaigaon towns, the Bhutanese border town of Gelephu, which is till now just a beautiful tourist spot, is now all set to be converted to what has been already christened as ‘Mindfulness City.’ The first of its kind in the entire world, the proposed ‘Mindfulness City’ is envisioned as Bhutan’s new economic hub—an opportunity to capitalize on the economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia. Already in use as a transit city between Bhutan and India, Gelephu is soon becoming a ‘Mindfulness City,’ which, according to the King of Bhutan, is going to encompass conscious and sustainable businesses, inspired by Buddhist spiritual heritage, and distinguished by the uniqueness of the Bhutanese identity. It has also been envisaged that Gelephu will stand apart from the concept of the average special economic zone, with Bhutan proposing to utilise the land connection from Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar through Assam and Northeastern India, onwards to Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. It has also been stated that unlike other SEZs, Gelephu will host businesses screened and invited based on their respect for the Bhutanese way of life, sustainable and equitable development, and sovereignty. Media reports from Thimphu say that companies from different parts of the world have already expressed interest in bioscience, data centres, education, and energy endeavours in the Gelephu Special Administrative Region and Mindfulness City. Adjoining Assam, Gelephu should be considered by Dispur as an eye-opener not just in terms of bilateral relationships but also in the context of converting the adjoining areas in Chirang into an extension of the new idea of mindfulness that Bhutan has already started practicing in the past few years. Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma had only recently made a four-day visit to Bhutan to attend the neighbouring country’s National Day celebration, during which he held a series of high-level discussions with the Bhutanese king and the prime minister. It is also important to note that the primary focus of the discussions was promoting broader regional economic development and strengthening the historical ties between the two neighbours. What is now required as part of the follow-up is a series of people-to-people interactions between Bhutan and Assam, so that age-old historical ties between the two neighbours are further strengthened. There is probably also the need for orienting the communities in Chirang, Bongaigaon, and the other Assam districts adjoining Bhutan about the importance of this relationship for the mutual benefit of people on both sides.