India Has Been Outwitted By China On This Front Too

A small report appeared in a leading newspaper a few days ago under the headline “MJ Akbar Lands Sought-After Departments in Foreign Ministry”. The news report then went on to describe the countries and the regions Akbar would handle. His other colleague in the same ministry, VK Singh, the report said, would continue to look after, among other things, countries in Africa and Latin America, obviously less sought after. I was not surprised at the tone and tenor of the story. If Akbar is handling countries in the European Union, barring France and Germany which will be handled directly by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and VK Singh is handling Africa and Latin America then, clearly, according to the newspaper, Akbar has the more important charge. And this is where the problem is.
 The news report reflects the prejudice which exists in the minds of many, especially in the media, even today, about the lesser importance of countries in Africa and Latin America than those in the other regions of the world. Together, these two continents account for 66 countries and their importance in terms of numbers cannot be overstated. But it is not a question of numbers alone. These countries are rich in people, natural resources, trade potential and the scope for economic and technological cooperation. Yet, 70 years after our independence, they do not get the importance they deserve in our scheme of things.

Let me recall a few experiences from my past as Minister for External Affairs. The head of government of a very important country in Africa was once visiting Delhi. As per protocol, I went to meet him and have discussions with him in Rashtrapati Bhavan where he was staying. When I returned to my South Block office, I noticed a big media contingent waiting there. I felt happy at the interest our media was showing in the visit of that dignitary from Africa and started thinking about what I would tell them. But when I got down from my car and approached the media contingent, I was surprised to notice that they were not interested in talking to me. I went past them almost without being noticed. When I inquired about the reason for their being there in such strength, I was told that they were waiting to photograph and talk to the US Assistant Secretary of State who was visiting the ministry to meet the Joint Secretary concerned. In the newspapers and TV channels, this visit received a pride of place and the more important and the more high-level visit from Africa was hardly taken notice of.

The shabby, often violent treatment meted out to African students in India is a reflection of the same deep-rooted prejudice. In my visits to various African countries, I felt delighted when I met high ranking politicians and officials who had studied in India and had fond memories of their stay here. They are precious assets for us. So are the Indian professionals who work in these countries in important positions and have made them their home.

I noticed something else also, something perhaps more disturbing. China has paid far greater attention to the countries in Africa and Latin America than India has. China’s trade with these countries is often 10 to 20 times more than India’s. They are also involved more in the developmental processes of these countries than we are. We have a lot of catching up to do when compared to China.

In my travels through various Latin American countries, I noticed that they had great interest in India and were keen to forge a closer relationship. They were impressed by India’s growth story and had great admiration for our democracy. Small Indian-origin communities can be found even in remote places in Latin America. They could be valuable assets for us.

We do not send our best and the brightest officers to these countries to man our embassies. They are often at a disadvantage because they do not know the local language, namely Spanish, or Portuguese as in the case of Brazil. Postings to these countries are generally regarded as off-line postings.

The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Alliance was formed by me in 2003. This brought together three important countries, all democracies, spread across the three continents of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The idea behind the formation of this group was to bring not only the three countries together, but also the three continents closer. My regret is that we have allowed BRICS to overtake IBSA. This has taken the shine off IBSA.
 Our Prime Minister has visited a few countries in Africa recently. I only hope that he will visit the continent more often and also find time to visit Latin America. I also hope that he will take Indian businessmen with him on these visits so that business-to-business contacts also develop faster and become deeper.

Africa and Latin America are waiting for India. We should seize the moment. At the same time we must also change our mindset about them and their citizens.

(Yashwant Sinha is a senior BJP leader and former Union Minister of External Affairs.)

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