India-Africa relationship: Ancient bond that has withstood test of time

The Indian film called Newton won the Best Film Award at the BRICS Film Festival that took place alongside the Durban International Film Festival last month. Photo: Twitter

The Indian film called Newton won the Best Film Award at the BRICS Film Festival that took place alongside the Durban International Film Festival last month. Photo: Twitter

Published Aug 4, 2018

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India’s relationship with Africa goes back several centuries. Maritime links through a shared ocean and weather patterns like monsoon have helped traders since ancient times maintain a continuous thread of relationship which has now grown manifold.

The fact that Africa is also home to more than three million people of Indian origin truly cements that relationship. The Indian diaspora has been an important glue that binds the relationship, and has helped to take it from strength to strength over the decades. And who could deny Bollywood its rightful due in connecting people by melting barriers of geography, language or culture.

Last week, an Indian film called Newton won the Best Film Award at the BRICS Film Festival that took place alongside the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) from July 22 to 27. Newton, an eminently watchable flick, is a “serious” comedy about the efforts by a government clerk in India in ensuring a free and fair election against all odds and obstacles in a conflict prone area, a story which could be related to in varied complexions, by all the democracies in different stages of their development.

Last week also saw leaders of BRICS countries and several other countries in Africa and chairs of several multilateral bodies descend upon Johannesburg to attend the BRICS-2018 Summit. This was the 10th BRICS Summit and reinforced the need for co-operation in meeting common challenges in our countries in different growth curves and realizing our full potential.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi also attended the BRICS-2018 Summit. South Africa was the final stop of the prime minister’s three-nation tour of Africa which also took him to Rwanda and Uganda.

The state visit to Rwanda was the first ever visit by an Indian prime minister. This was also the fifth high-level interaction between India and Rwanda in one-and-a-half years including two visits by president of Rwanda to India, visit by the vice president of India to Rwanda and recent visit by the president of Senate of Rwanda to India.

During his visit, the prime minister also announced opening up of an Indian mission in Rwanda, the first of the 18 new resident Indian missions to be opened in Africa in 2018. The Indian government had earlier this year announced opening of 18 new Indian missions in Africa over a four-year period from 2018 to 2021, thereby increasing the number of Resident Indian missions in Africa from 29 to 47, underlining the importance attached by India to its relations with Africa.

The visit also sealed agreements in the area of trade, defence, dairy-co-operation, agriculture, culture, leather and allied sector and a line of credit for $200 million (R2.6 billion) for expansion of special economic zone and irrigation scheme in Rwanda.

The amazing story of turnaround and resurgence of Rwanda, which was ravaged by severe conflict and civil war less than 25 years ago, is well appreciated in India. The prime minister paid his respects to the victims of the 1994 genocide at the Gisozi Genocide Memorial. Underlining the unique role played by cattle in rural communities in both the countries, the prime minister visited Rweru Model village in order to support the personal initiative of President Kagame under “Girinka programme”, a social protection scheme of “one cow, one family” to uplift the people from poverty and to bring about brotherhood and solidarity. The prime minister gifted 200 cows, as a contribution from India to the scheme.

The second stop of the tour was in Uganda. This was the first bilateral state visit by an Indian prime minister in 21 years. The address at the Ugandan parliament was the first by an Indian prime minister.

During the visit, two lines of credit for Uganda - $141mn for electricity lines and $64m for agriculture and dairy production - were finalised. Also announced was India’s contribution for establishment of Mahatma Gandhi Convention/Heritage Center at Jinja where ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in the Nile.

Keeping in mind Uganda’s role in East Africa, the prime minister also announced a financial support of around $1m for East African Community (EAC) which is currently chaired by Uganda and a donation of Bhabhatron Cancer Therapy machine to Uganda Cancer Institute.

India’s commitment to strengthening and intensifying relations with Africa is unwavering. This is exemplified by the commitment shown by the leadership in India; in the past four years, our president, vice president and prime minister have collectively visited 25 countries in Africa.

This is in addition to other ministers who have visited virtually all nations in Africa.

India hosted the Third India-Africa Forum Summit from October 26 to 29, 2015, in New Delhi where a “dynamic and transformative agenda” of mutual empowerment and resurgence that was aimed to bring India and Africa closer in times to come was unveiled.

The summit brought the leaders and representatives of all 54 countries of Africa, with 41 countries represented at the level of heads of state/government to New Delhi for the first time in a landmark summit.

The International Solar Alliance has become another vehicle of engagement; its inaugural summit in Delhi in March this year saw several leaders from Africa.

India-Africa development partnership currently includes implementation of 180 lines of credit worth about $11bn in over 40 African countries.

At the last India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015, India had committed a concessional line of credit of $10bn and $600m in grant assistance.

Every year, over 8 000 African youth are trained in a diverse set of programmes. Indian companies have invested over $54bn in Africa; bilateral trade with Africa stands at over $62bn.

India-Africa ties, nourished by shared struggle and blessed by tall leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, are rooted in principles like freedom, equality and mutual prosperity. The bond has withstood the test of time and is set to leapfrog to another level altogether, come rain or wind (monsoon).

Shukla is Consul-General of India in Cape Town

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