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PM’s Africa Tour:INCREASING INFLUENCE ZONE, by Monish Tourangbam,31 May 2011 Print E-mail

Round The World

New Delhi, 31 May 2011

PM’s Africa Tour

INCREASING INFLUENCE ZONE

By Monish Tourangbam

Research Scholar, School of International Studies (JNU)

A first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ethiopia, one of the most important countries in the African Continent, is reason enough to assess the recent tour, which also included Tanzania.  Importantly, Ethiopia’s Capital Addis Ababa, the venue of the Second Africa-India Forum Summit not only provided a platform to further India’s ties with the Continent but also gave an impetus to bilateral ties. Given that Ethiopia is the Headquarters of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

There is an added dimension to India‘s engagement with the Continent, in terms of China’s whopping investment in Africa. The evolving circumstances also present an opportunity for the African leaders and the African Union as a regional organization to assess the Continent’s relations with emerging Asian economies like China and India. The democratic deficit and multi-pronged development-related issues that plagued many countries in the region can be better corrected with the rise of economic opportunities in the Continent.

Besides, marching globalization is leading to increasing inter-connectedness among countries and regions in the world. But, countries and regions as a whole need to prepare for the demands made by globalization and conditions that entail. Certain polities and systems have become success stories and various others have trailed behind in coping with the stream of globalization. As such, it is imperative for countries and regions to assess and learn from each others’ performances.

Definitely, India is trailing behind China in terms of the volume of investment. But at the same time, New Delhi need not exactly ape Beijing’s footsteps. India is a cultural force at work, and a benign one at that, which has never provoked fear in the hearts and minds of the African people with its growth. Although Chinese investments towards infrastructure building are being welcomed, this is also accompanied by fears and apprehensions regarding Beijing’s aggressive attitude geared mostly towards access to African resources and markets.

Officials accompanying the Prime Minister during his tour reportedly insisted that India’s economic diplomacy is not being out-smarted by the Chinese, pointing to the Indian initiatives to build local institutions and capacity in agriculture, education and training. “The Chinese are absent in many of these areas. We don't agree that China has outflanked us here. There is enough place to do what we are good at,” said a senior official.

Winning hearts and minds; that is exactly what Prime Minister Singh engaged in once he landed in Africa. He emphasized on various commonalities saying, “The tradition in southern India of using fermented flour for making dosa is similar to the injara in Ethiopia. The sight of women with heads covered and men wearing turbans is strikingly common in Ethiopian and Indian villages.”  

A rising economy like India is no stranger to disputes pertaining to issues of religion, ethnicity, inequality, etc. the story of every successful country. But in a democracy, platforms of discussions and debates over differences cannot be snatched at any cost. India’s functioning democracy, in the face of an immensely diverse population is a lesson that can be exported. 

India is still a leaner in this process, having recently crossed just 60 years of Independence; but its competence in this process cannot be denied. And Africa as a region should see opportunities to learn from India’s democratic experiences.

Inter-Institutional exchanges including training of African officials in Parliamentary and adjudicatory processes should form important areas of thrust. The 2nd Africa-India Summit intensified and diversified the momentum built during the 1st Summit held in New Delhi in April 2008. It is also noteworthy that scholars deliberating on various aspects of India-Africa relations in the first-ever India-Africa Academic Conference held in Addis Ababa on 11-12 May last.

India and Ethiopia intends to further their cooperation in the field of education and capacity building. The Pan-African e-Network project in Ethiopia implemented by India has connected Addis Ababa University with the Indira Gandhi National Open University.  India has assisted in a rural electrification programme in Southern Ethiopia, provided a line of credit of US$ 640 million for the development of Ethiopia’s sugar industry, is extending a line of credit of US$ 300 million to support the new Ethio-Djibouti Railway project.

According to sources, more than 450 Indian companies have committed upwards of US$ 4 billion in investment in Ethiopia. India-Ethiopia bilateral trade is slated to reach the target of US$ 1 billion by 2015.  Collaboration in the farming sector was one of the priorities discussed, whereby the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi deciding to set aside 3 million hectares of fertile land for foreign investors to invest in agriculture.

Training African youth in various technical fields was re-emphasized, with India also agreeing to provide specialized training to Ethiopian diplomats and trade negotiators. During his address to the joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament, PM Singh invoked the importance of tackling piracy.

The Prime Minister’s other stop in the Continent; Tanzania shares multi-faceted linkages with India. India-Tanzania trade stood over US$ 1.1 billion in 2010; India becoming the second largest investor in Tanzania with total cumulative investments of US$ 1.3 billion (till 2009) which has created employment opportunities for 32,000 people. New Delhi is also providing a new line of credit of US$ 180 million for water supply projects in Tanzanian Capital Dar es Salaam.

India is also offering US$ 5 billion for the next three years under lines of credit to help achieve the development goals of Africa; an additional US$ 700 million directed towards establishing new institutions and training programmes in consultation with the African Union and its institutions.

An India-Africa Virtual University has been proposed and a number of joint-effort institutions were projected enhancing and broadening the various levels of engagement. In a noteworthy development, the African Union would consider, as soon as possible, the establishment of an office in New Delhi

India’s assistance to African countries in the material sense should translate to gains in political consensus building and unity at international fora regarding issues of importance to both India and Africa. Structural convergence is as important as assistance and cooperation at the micro-level. In fact, the two should be complementary to each other.

In addition, high level visits between India and African countries needs to be dramatically increased. This is not all. Military exercises and other forms of cooperation in the defence sector should be exploited.

Undoubtedly, a proper framework defines the trajectory of the relationship between India and Africa. As the future of international politics lies in how developments are shaped in countries and regions traditionally deemed peripheral. This is yet another reason as to why India-Africa relationship needs to be studied intensely. This is the future. However, a better tomorrow always depends on how one makes use of the opportunities given today. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

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