Amidst looming doubts as why Prime Minister Narendra Modi
undermined Indo-African connect and embarked on a four-nation tour to Africa
only after two years into power? A quick
rejig of memory can address this beguiling ambiguity- Modi regime accorded highest
priority to traditional partners. His tryst with Africa began a year ago with a
visit to two Indian Ocean islands-Mauritius and Seychelles in March 2015 and
consistently endeavored to strengthen relations. These include- 3rd
India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) hosted by India at New Delhi in October 2015, followed
by high profile visits of President and Vice-President of India to the
continent. IAFS was attended by leaders/representatives from 51 of the 54
African countries during which India pledged a concessional Line of Credit
(LOC) worth $10 billion, a grant assistance of $600 million which included
India-Africa development fund of $100 million and a health fund of $ 10 million,
50,000 scholarships for Africans in India over the next five years, Indian
support for expansion of Pan-African-E-network Project etc. Earlier Vice
President Hamid Ansari visited North African countries-Tunisia and Morocco from
30th May to June 3rd and this was followed by President
Pranab Mukherjee’s maiden African tour to West African countries of Ghana,
Ivory Coast and Namibia from June 12th to 17th
To sustain the diplomatic momentum generated through IAFS and
to impart fresh impetus to economic & strategic relations with mainland
African countries, Modi on his five day long, four nation sojourn visited
Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania from July 7th to July
11th. In the last two years there has been unprecedented surge in
diplomatic activity between the both sides. India’s African outreach was
buttressed by high level visits. Reciprocally India hosted several African
leaders including the heads of states of all the four countries Modi is now
visiting. Besides, India made Africa a partner in two trilateral initiatives with
US and Japan by pledging to train the troops of five African nations before
their deployment in the UN peace keeping force and enhancing cooperation with
African countries respectively.
Prolonged global slowdown, stagnant growth rates of European
and Latin American economies have forced emerging nations to explore new
avenues for economic investment. Africa with its fledging infrastructure,
vibrant growth rates, stable governance, teeming natural resources, expanding
middle class and burgeoning demographic dividend has emerged as land of
opportunities. Though dramatic decline of commodity prices, economic slowdown
of China have markedly affected its economy, Africa still remains a most
favored destination for trade and investment. Modi’s African outreach focused
on strengthening strategic partnership and intensifying counter-terror
cooperation. Africa is grappling the twin scourges of terrorism and radicalism.
With terror outfits like Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda expanding its foot
hold and audacious attacks have become a commonplace. Another vital aspect of
engagement with these littoral African nations who are members of Indian Ocean
Rim Association (IORA) is enhancing maritime cooperation. Maritime cooperation
is corner stone for Modi’s ambitious concept of blue water economy. Indeed Modi
rejuvenated the idyllic IORA and infused new energy to give wings to his
SAGARMALA initiative. Lately, China is steadily increasing footprints in the
Indian Ocean region (IOR) sealing official contracts for establishing naval
bases. Setting up a naval base in Djibouti, located in the horn of Africa is an
outcome of such move.
While India’s relations with Africa has been steady and
consistent, high level visits were infrequent. Thus, Modi became the first
Prime Minister to visit Mozambique after 34 years. The last Indian Prime
Minister to visit was Indira Gandhi in 1982. Modi signed three key MoU’s
including the most crucial long term agreement for import of Pulses to India.
Prices of pulses have skyrocketed in the past 18 months because of two years of
successive droughts. India will initially import 100,000 tons of Pulses and the
amounts can be steadily increased up to 200,000 tons in the next four years.
The other two MoUs are those on reduction of demands for drugs and prevention
of illicit drug trafficking. In Maputo, Modi held diplomatic talks with
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, visited the Centre for Innovation and Technological
Development (CITD), interacted with students who studied under the Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and met an Indian delegation before
leaving for South Africa. India established firm diplomatic relations with Mozambique
in 1975. Historical and commercial relations between both countries existed for
past several centuries. In fact, Vasco da Gama met Indian traders on Mozambican
shores when he landed in 1499. India is among the top five trading partners of
Mozambique and eight largest investor. India has been extending credit,
educational and technical cooperation to Mozambique. India extended cooperation
in agriculture, skill development and health care.
In his second leg of African sojourn Modi arrived in Pretoria
on July 8th. South Africa being a member of BRICS, IBSA, BASIC and
G-20 Summit, Modi met President Jacob Zuma along sidelines of BRICS Summit at
Fortaleza, Brazil in 2014 and at Ufa, Russia in 2015, G-20 summit at Brisbane,
November 2014 and at 3rd IFSA, Delhi 2015. Recently at the NSG
(Nuclear Suppliers Group) plenary Seoul, South Africa was in news for expressing
reservations about India’s membership. Ending all these speculations, President
Zuma during Modi’s visit unequivocally supported India’s membership to NSG. Both
countries have firmly supported each other’s bid for permanent membership of
UNSC. Indo-South African relations are strongly stabilized by bilateral trade
that stood at $5.3 billion with the trade balance highly tilted in favor of
South Africa. India exports vehicles, transport equipment, drugs,
pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, dyes, footwear rice, gems and jewelry and
imports gold, steel, copper ore, phosphoric acid, coal, manganese, aluminum and
other metals from South Africa.
In South Africa, Modi invoked India’s patriotic linkages with
the land. He embarked on a train journey to Pietermaritzburg station, where
young Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of the train for refusing to leave the
first class compartment reserved for the white in 1893. This instance made a
deep impression on Gandhi who undertook first non-violent civil disobedience
movement for civil rights of all residents of South Africa. Modi visited
Constitution Hill-where Gandhi was incarcerated in 1906, Sarvodaya (Gandhi’s
residence) and Phoenix settlement in Durban, a community established by Gandhi
in 1904. Modi fondly remembered iconic leaders of both the countries- Mahatma
Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Stepping up the pace of diplomatic engagement, Modi
galvanized bilateral relations with South Africa and strengthened the levels of
cooperation between countries in defence, agriculture, science and technology,
manufacturing, education, health and human settlements. Agreements were reached
on joint development of heavy-weaponry, custom cooperation, visa free travel
for diplomatic passport holders. Modi addressed a business summit in Pretoria and
invited South African business giants to invest in India. South Africa is home to
1.5 million Indians who arrived in 1860. Modi sporting a Madiba shirt,
enthralled the 11,000 strong Indian diaspora and successfully sold the Indian
dream by envisaging his passionate vision of India- HOPE (Harmony, Optimism,
Potential and Energy). Indian diaspora constitutes 3% of South African
population. Durban with a population of 1.3million of India origin is the
largest Indian city outside India.
Modi was extended a warm welcome at Dar-es-Salaam. From 1960
to 1980 political relations were driven by shared ideologies of
anti-colonialism, anti-racism and socialism and South-South Cooperation. Former
Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere was conferred with Jawaharlal Nehru award
for International Understanding in 1974 and International Gandhi Peace Prize in
1995. India and Tanzania has thriving business relationships with bilateral
trade reaching $ 3.57 billion. Besides economic interactions, developmental
partnership was sustained with India offering LOC, capacity building training
opportunities and grants. India signed five agreements with Tanzania including
one for providing $92 million credit line. Other MoU’s signed are in line with
developmental needs of Tanzania and include- MoU on water resource management and development,
establishment of vocational training centres at Zanzibar, visa waiver for
diplomatic passport holders, and an agreement between National Small Industries
Corporation of India and the Small Industries Development Organisation,
Tanzania. Modi had bilateral talks with President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli affirming
to deepen defence and security partnership. Tanzania has been biggest
beneficiary of ITEC training slots, ICCR scholarships. Modi enthralled Tanzanians
with his drumming skills and met Solar Mamas, who are trained at the Barefoot
College in Tilonia village of Rajasthan. Around 30 women from six African
countries received training in solar electrification and other entrepreneurial
skills under harnessing solar energy project supported by government of India. India
has been major supplier of medicines and pharmaceuticals to Tanzania. Tanzania
is a major investment destination of top Indian companies.
On the final leg of African odyssey Modi landed in Nairobi as
the Prime Minister of India after 35 years. India established Office of
Commissioner at Nairobi in 1948. Bilateral relations between India and Kenya
are powered by strong economic and business links. According to a trade
agreement of 1981 both countries mutually accorded MFN (Most Favored Nation)
status. Joint Trade committee was set up in 1983 and both countries signed double
taxation avoidance agreement in 1989. Volume of bilateral trade touched $4.235
billion. India is the largest trading partner of Kenya and the second largest
investor. Besides extending two concessional LOC of $44.95 (15+29.95) million
to Kenya towards development of small and medium industries and textiles during
the bilateral talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta, both sides agreed to expand
cooperation in defence and security and signed seven agreements. These include-MoU
of defence cooperation for sharing of expertise, training, exchange of
personnel, cooperation in hydrography & equipment supply, revised Double
Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA), exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic
passports, cooperation in fields of standardization. Kenya which is currently
one of the major producer of tea got its first tea seedlings from Assam in
1903. In 19th and 20th century thousands of Indian
workers helped in building railways in Kenya.
Kenya has a sizeable Indian diaspora with Gujarati roots, Modi
reiterating crucial role of Indians diaspora in their adopted nation in his
address to PIO’s assembled at the Nairobi’s Kasrani stadium accompanied by the
President. He congratulated the leadership for working towards development and
spoke in length about his vision for India and the new initiatives spearheaded
by his government. In an apparent disapproval of venomous extremist ideologies,
Modi took an indirect dig at Zakir Naik and Pakistan for propagating and
patronizing terror elements in his address to students at University of
Nairobi. Health care is very expensive in Kenya and every year hundreds of
people travel to India for specialized treatments. Modi pledged to build a
cancer hospital in Kenya offering affordable medical care and gifted 30 field
ambulances.
During his visits to Maputo, Pretoria, Dar-es-Salaam and
Nairobi Modi deliberated on various global issues like the climate change, UN
Security Council reforms and sustainable growth. Besides, Modi laid enough
thrust on rejuvenating the key energy security ties, enhancing trade and
investment relations, food security, expanding economic engagement in areas of
infrastructure development, technology, transport and agriculture. Following
liberalization of economy in 1991, Indian economy has steadily expanded
prompting global nations to accredit it as a key player in the region. With
India shunning traditional diffidence under Modi, nations began to evince
interest in strengthening ties with New Delhi.
For decades, European countries and US had an overwhelming
presence in Africa. By late 1960’s China slowly penetrated African markets,
aggressively invested in infrastructure projects, offered soft loans to ravaged
economies, ambitiously explored natural resources and pledged to revamp connectivity
network. It ambitiously explored the continent, consequently, by 2009 it
toppled US to become largest trading partner of Africa with an annual bilateral
trade of enviable $120 billion. Aptly dubbed as “neo-colonist” China’s
staggering presence in Africa driven by economic pursuits is truly intimidating.
Despite India’s historical trade linkages, shared colonial connect, huge
diaspora base, India frittered away several opportunities. Now it can't
surpass China in trade volumes. But India’s approach of multi-sectoral
cooperation aimed at rehabilitation and rejuvenation of African economies is
striking right cords. By shunning one size fits all kind of approach towards,
India learnt right lessons. Modi’s portentous and timely outreach coupled with
soft diplomacy has strengthened political, economic, strategic ties with the
friendly African nations. By pledging developmental and technical assistance
India emerged as a reliable regional power. Through unpretentious engagement
with African leaders, Modi garnered support of the nations for crucial aspects
like NSG membership, bid for permanent seat at UNSC, UN reforms and Climate
Change.
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