Round The
World
New Delhi, 31 January 2020
Brazilian President Visit
OPENING GATES TO LATIN AMERICA
By Dr D.K. Giri
(Prof. International Politics, JMI)
Brazilian President Jair
Messias Bolsonaro’s four-day visit to India, to bolster relations between the two
big democracies and “growing economies,” in the world, holds significance for
at least two reasons. One, the controversial reputation of Bolsonaro, as a hard
conservative misogynist, and a homophobic politician, and second, New Delhi’s
attempt to deepen contact with a close partner in world politics through
BIRICS, IBSA, G4 and so forth. The point to ponder, however, is whether his
visit had contributed to consolidating bilateralism or it was a routine visit
accompanied with usual diplomatic rituals.
Brazil is the biggest
country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. Bolsonaro was the
Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations, an occasion where his
predecessors have too attended the same function twice before. For the sake of
optimism, and that is one of the basic principles in building relationship,
every visit adds to boosting contacts. Thus, this visit should have done so.
For a start, Brazil, the
biggest economy in South America, was fast emerging as a significant world
player. President Bolsonaro was accompanied by four Members of Parliament and a
fairly large business delegation. As many as 15 Agreements were signed covering
almost all sectors from animal husbandry to cyber security. The strategic
partnership signed in 2006 was sought to be enhanced by adding institutional
mechanisms for greater interaction etc.
Second, the bilateral
trade which stood at $8.2 billion in 2018-19, is planned to be increased to $15
billion by 2022. Third, the usual international concern of Climate Change is to
be addressed in cooperation between New Delhi and Sao Paulo. Along with that,
cooperation is to deepen on fighting terrorism, a primary pre-occupation of
India’s foreign policy.
Historically,
India-Brazil formal contact goes back to 1948. But the informal contact is over
five centuries old when Portuguese Pedro Alvares made a stopover in Brazil in
1500 on his way to India. That is when Brazil was discovered too. Both
countries took a common position against Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) in 1967,
had been in the same tent on South-South Cooperation, and in other multilateral
forums. Both are a claimant to a permanent seat in the Security Council. Their
foreign policy approaches somewhat converge; Brazil advocates reciprocal
multilateralism, where as New Delhi emphasises on strategic autonomy.
Notably, optimism in
growth of bilateralism stems from the personality and political predilection of
both the leaders -- Bolsonaro and Narendra Modi. Admittedly, Modi’s skill in
befriending world leader has been a plus in India’s foreign policy. He will
easily beat Del Carnegie, the legendary guru on ‘how to win over people’. But
the hard realities of trade and economy cannot be substituted by charm
offensives. This has been a big minus in India’s aspirations to be a world
leader.
Before evaluating the
impact of the visit and continuing with the spirit of optimism, President
Bolsonaro is ironically, approximates to Modi’s kind of politics. He is a
nationalist, averse to secularism, believes in polarising the electorate, on
the far-night of ideological spectrum, and a populist. Modi would discard such
political stances in public, but observers suspect that Modi government’s
policies are aimed at building Hindu hegemony in Indian politics, in violation
of secularism however it was understood and practiced. At the least, secularism
meant no official discrimination on the basis of religion. Both Bolsonaro and
Modi seek close relations with United States and Israel. Both fumble on China
and wish to engage with it.
The big difference is
Bolsonaro is a confirmed misogynist. He is notoriously referred to as such, as
he once told a lady opponent that, “I will not rape you as you are not worthy
of it, you are ugly’. On another occasion, Bolsonaro said, “refugees are the scum
of the earth”. Modi is certainly far more sophisticated than that.
However, the
similarities in foreign policy approaches should complement Brazil and India.
But looking at the trade relations, the picture is dismal. Both economies add
up to $4.5 trillion, and have 1.5 billion people between them, Brazil having
210 million, India’s investment in Brazil is about $6 billion, whereas Brazil’s
investment in India is $1 billion. From New Delhi’s point of view, Brazil still
considers China to be the main trading partner with a whopping trade of $110
billion. Obviously, New Delhi cannot compete with the deep pockets of China.
But is New Deli even attempting to do so?
Arguably, New Delhi
is quite good at signing agreements, making policies, whether they are equally
good in pursuing and implementing the agreements! Both countries signed
agreements on health, medicine, bio-energy, oil and natural gas, animal
husbandry and cyber security and so on. All these sound good. But New Delhi
should tap into Brazilian unique strengths and smoothen any rough edges in the
relationship.
In particular, Brazil
is the world leader in ethanol production. India has considerable potential for
ethanol, which can supplement or even substitute the use of fossil fuel. New
Delhi should go right ahead in transferring Brazilian expertise, and experience
in augmenting ethanol production. This sector alone should be a front-runner in
India and Brazil relations. Likewise, Brazilians are fond of India’s
alternative health culture like yoga and meditation etc. New Delhi should do
more to popularise this practice and deepen its cultural impact.
It is more strategic
and beneficial to taps the USPs in respective countries, than signing plethora
of agreements in all and sundry sectors, and using excessive diplomatic
platitudes. The rough edge I was referring to is the unhealthy and unresolved
competition in sugarcane cultivation. Brazil has petitioned WTO against India
for subsidising the sugarcane producers. Reportedly, Modi and Bolsonaro in
their one-to-one meeting agreed to resolve it bilaterally. Until it is done, it
will continue to worry our sugarcane producers.
Finally, both the
countries seem to be lost in BRICS, as it is mainly driven by China without a
common vision. Can Modi and Bolsonaro join hands in taming China in BRICS? Will
Brazil even want to do so? Is India ready or even preparing to take on China? Climate
Change has become a compulsory topic in any international forum, or even
bilateral meetings. It requires a deeper conceptual and structural rejig of
world politics to tackle. Interestingly, Brazil does not subscribe to the
scientific research on Climate Change.
One would consider
Bolsonaro’s visit a diplomatic ‘Passe’ unless New Delhi has a robust strategy
to enhance its international trade and go for its target of a $5 trillion
economy by 2024.---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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