India and the World Online Test 12th Political Science Lesson 9 Questions in English

In the pre-independence era India’s foreign policy was the responsibility of the British Raj. India contributed to the British victory in the second world war by providing necessary man power and materials. With the end of the Second World War in 1945 and the subsequent independence of India in August 1947 from the British Raj, India had to deal with the outside world by herself and have to build her own foreign policy. The post-war global political events and India’s own political climate shaped India’s foreign policy.

The world was polarised into two military blocs and each bloc tried to overcome the other which was known as the Cold War. Though a major war was averted, each bloc was spending enormous money in military build ups due to which tense condition prevailed. The newly liberated countries were not in a position to squander their resources in conflicts between two military blocs. They had to divert all their resources for nation building.

An ideological battle known as the Cold War happened between the two superpowers of that time – the United States of America and the Soviet Union. These were also extraordinary global circumstances with the emergence of newer nations from the clutches of colonisation with new boundaries

There was large scale human migration taking place across continents while the war-tired Western powers were working on framing a new world order. The world also witnessed the formation of the United Nations Organisation on October 24 1945, through the Atlantic Charter.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the architect of India’s foreign policy. India’s ideological alignment, its role in the U.N and its commitment to a peaceful world were at stake. Nehru’s foreign policy took in to consideration, independent India’s priorities such as nation’s socio-economic development, modernization, global peace, avoidance of war, peaceful and constructive relationship with other nations, decolonization of Afro-Asian countries, strengthening the UN and economic cooperation with other countries.

Pakistan was formed after the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947. This event witnessed the largest transportation of refugees across the boundary in human history. The Kashmir issue continues to be one of the fundamental aspects that drives India’s foreign policy causing three wars since 1947.

Nehru also firmly believed that India must develop and maintain a close friendship with its neighbours, especially with China as both countries have a long history of civilizational and cultural ties. This led to the signing of the Panchsheel Treaty between India and China in 1954 between Nehru and the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.

The Panchsheel consists of five principles with which the two nations would conduct relations between them. This included
™ Respecting each other’s territory and sovereignty ™ Non-aggression ™ Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs ™ Diplomatic equality and cooperation ™ Peaceful Co-existence

Despite the agreement, India and China eventually fought a war in 1962 on border disputes. The border dispute between the two nations stands till now and it is one of the top issues that determine India’s foreign policy. Attempts are onto resolve this issue through negotiations.

Pandit Nehru, who held the position of Minister for External Affairs for 17 years (1947-64) was assertive about India having its own foreign policy without getting caught in the Cold War. This led to the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961.

Bandung Conference (Indonesia) held on April 18-24, 1955 attended by 29 Heads of States are the immediate antecedent for the creation of Non-Aligned Movement.

Nehru was one of the founding fathers of the NAM along with Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Ahmed Sukarno of Indonesia and Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia. Nehru repeatedly explained the concept of ‘Non-Alliance’ that it did not mean neutrality, Non-Alliance meant not committing militarily to any super powers or military bloc, but retaining independence to decide issues on the basis of merit and concentrating on peaceful cooperation among nations.

The freedom of choice that enabled India to procure arms from western countries during its war with China, and enter into a diplomatic treaty with Soviet Union just before the Bangladesh war in 1971. The thought of not aligning with the two power blocs existed even before the formation of NAM. The Bandung Asian African Conference held in 1955 had the principles of such a movement which later became the foundation of NAM in 1961

As a powerful advocate of decolonisation of Asia and Africa, Nehru’s India envisioned the NAM as an alternative to the USA and the Soviet Union blocs for newly emerging independent countries. This was the central idea of NAM which several new nations decided to be part of as they did not want their country to become a theatre for the cold war. The economic compulsion, caused by the fall of Soviet Union and the rise of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation – LPG forced India to move away from its largely socialistic economy to a market economy. India hence had to open its doors to Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and it was the beginning of improving relations with the USA.

Explanation
In present days, India faces a new set of challenges and its foreign policy is transformed, without changing its core principles, to cope with the ever-changing nature of geopolitics. China has become one of the world powers which has a bearing in South Asia and our neighbourhood policy. With a growing economy, India has also become a regional power and hence it needs to be more responsible than ever before. These changes require India to finetune its foreign policy to protect its interests and improve ties with its neighbours.

The factors that have contributed in building India’s relations with the outside world over the years include its civilian and defence Nuclear capability and its increasing presence in key international institutions such as the BRICS, G20, SCO, MTCR, etc. Having steadily grown in stature, several global powers have voiced their opinion for the inclusion of India as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. To summarise the essence of India’s foreign policy, it is worthy to mention that it holds a rare distinction of being the only nation to have friendly ties with Israel, Iran, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

Formal political relations with the USA began during World War II. The first exchange of envoys, Thomas Wilson and Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, took place in 1940 which resulted in the establishment of a diplomatic office in Delhi. It was not until 1946, under the presidency of Harry S Truman, that the full-fledged diplomatic relations emerged between India and the US. This was consolidated further after India became independent in 1947.

During the partition, Kashmir, acceded to India, which Pakistan contested. Pakistan claimed that this accession was done forcibly by India. This issue was taken up by the United Nations for discussion in 1948, as a result of which, a U.N. Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) was set up. India was stated that this was a “completely wrong” move and strongly criticised USA and U.K for their role. Nehru’s first visit to the United States followed soon after the formation of the commission.

Devoid of personal rapport between the heads of the two states and mutual criticisms, the gap between India and USA further widened. Things did not improve with the formation of an American sponsored alliance system – SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organization) and CENTO (Central Treaty Organization). Pakistan’s inclusion in the organisation and the resulting US-Pakistan military pact left little hope for any improvement in the bilateral relations.

The USA tried to interfere and influence India’s domestic (economic) programmes when India sought economic and technical assistance from her for industrialization. Under PL480, five agreements were signed between India and USA for supply of agricultural commodities to India in 1954.

Fifty years after India’s independence, emerging from the devastation of long colonisation, India became the largest democratic nation whose commitment to peace was undeterred by internal diversity or external factors. India’s demographic asset with IT (Information Technology) capabilities and English- speaking abilities was a thriving ground for feeding the global talent force for the age of the internet. At the turn of the millennium, it was clear that the Asian giants – China and India were out of the deep slumber, marking the shift of power from west to east. With the change of attitude between Indian and American leadership during the Rao-Clinton period, there was the birth of a new strategic partnership.

The position taken by the US, not to back Pakistan during the Kargil war, for violating the LoC (Line of Control) was welcomed in India. In 2000, Clinton’s visit to India was seen as the emergence of a new era in India-USA relations. Vajpayee befittingly referred to India as a neighbour and partner of the United States on the digital map. Further, science and technology, environmental sustainability, climate change, education, HIV, tsunami relief etc., became areas of collaboration. Subsequently, despite minor issues, US-India ties during the Bush administration continued on the same path of progress, lending the term ‘natural allies’ more meaning. The relations further matured into co-operation on defence, civil nuclear energy and enhanced people to people ties during the Obama administration.

The 123 Agreement signed between the United States of America and the Republic of India is known as the USA–India Civil Nuclear Agreement or India-USA nuclear deal. The framework for this agreement was a July 18 2005, joint statement by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the US President George W. Bush, under which India agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and to place all its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and in exchange the United States agreed to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India.

The deal places under permanent safeguards those nuclear facilities that India has identified as “civil” and permits broad civil nuclear cooperation, while excluding the transfer of “sensitive” equipment and technologies, including civil enrichment and reprocessing items even under IAEA safeguards. On October 1, 2008 the USA Senate also approved the civilian nuclear agreement allowing India to purchase nuclear fuel and technology from and sell them to the United States.

The apparent choice for isolationist tendencies visible in the Trump administration has caused anxiety and reactions in the world. Although there is continuity in the India-USA ties under the new administration calling the partnership “two bookends of stability”. However, the trade and technology conflicts and America. First policy are potential roadblocks in an otherwise deepening friendship. The USA attempts to undermine the traditional India-Iran ties pose serious challenges for Indian foreign policy. India is in pursuit of autonomy in foreign policy and is balancing the India-USA ties with that of other major partners.

The Soviet Union was India’s closest friend and a strategic partner since 1947. The relationship between the two countries has withstood several challenging geopolitical circumstances. Unlike the USA, Russia has historically understood and respected India’s strategic autonomy. It views India as an ancient civilisation rich in culture, knowledge systems and wisdom. This basic quality of the relation has enabled the bilateral ties to flourish over the years.

Initially, when India became free, the Soviet Union (USSR) under the leadership of Joseph Stalin was suspicious of the genuineness of India’s independent policy of non-alignment. However, India-Soviet bonhomie started with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to the USSR in June 1955 which was followed by the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to India in December 1955. This was also the time when India adapted Soviet-style state planning and a ‘socialistic pattern of society’.

In this era, the USSR used instruments of aid, trade and diplomacy in developing countries to limit Western influence. Subsequently, India- Soviet relations flourished over the decades in the fields of metallurgy, defence, energy and trade sectors. The India-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation was signed by the two sides in 1971. This was a landmark in the relationship between the two countries.

During the India–Pakistan war in 1971, the USSR took a firm position in favour of India and sent ships to the Indian Ocean to counter any move by the USA, which had already sent its 7th Fleet into the Bay of Bengal. The results of the 1971 India– Pakistan war and emergence of Bangladesh established a trusted partnership between India and the USSR.

With the fall of the USSR in 1991, bilateral relations between Russia and India went through a period of uncertainty. The Treaty of 1971 became ineffective as the Soviet regime no longer existed. Russia was also pressed to shift its focus towards domestic affairs and its relations with the USA and Europe. India now had to deal with a Russia which did not have an interest nor the resources for developing its ties with other nations

During his visit to New Delhi in 1993, the Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a new Treaty of Friendship which was an effort to rekindle the spirit in which the 1971 Treaty was signed. However, the fundamental character of the Treaty was transformed as the new Treaty just called for regular consultation and coordination in case of any threat to peace. Unlike in the Soviet era, Yeltsin described India as a ‘natural partner’ but he did not give the impression of a ‘special relationship’. Though the relationship continued between the two countries in the early 1990s, the ‘benign neglect’ of India by Russia in this period was evident.

India and Russia have formally inked the $ 5.2 billion deal for S-400 system in the year 2018.The air defence system is expected to be delivered by the year 2020. 400 Triumf is an advanced surface to-air missile system, developed by Russia’s state-owned company Almaz-Antey, and can shoot down hostile aircraft and ballistic missiles. It has an estimated range of 250 kilometres and a possible upgrade is speculated to extend it to 400 kilometres.

The new Russian leadership under Vladimir Putin (President, 2000–present) reversed the Yeltsin-era drift in India- Russia bilateral relations. Russia signed the Declaration on Strategic Partnership with India in 2000 and established the institution of annual summit meetings. Its declaration was further elevated to the level of “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” in 2010. Moscow realized that as a Eurasian power, an active Russian role in an emerging Asia would be limited without a solid partnership with old friends like India.

Currently, India is the largest importer of Russian defence equipment. The defence facet of the relationship is one of the strongest pillars of the India-Russia relationship and has gone through the test of time. Russia is also the only country that lays emphasis on sharing high-end defence technology with India which highlights the mutual trust between the two countries. India, Russia and other neighbouring countries are engaged in efforts to operationalise the International North- South Transport Corridor (INSTC) which promises to propel connectivity and trade relations between the two countries.

India and Russia deeply cooperate in a diverse set of areas which includes nuclear energy, trade, oil and gas, space program, science and technology, at the UN, BRICS, SCO and other international fora. The two countries share common ground on critical global challenges such as terrorism, cybersecurity, climate change, preventing the weaponisation of outer space and prevention of weapons of mass destruction. Russia also supports India’s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. It also has remained a strong supporter of India in the Kashmir issue which is of India’s core interest.

The period of colonialism ushered in a time of intense contact between India and Europe. Even people belonging to noncolonial European nations came to India to “work among the masses” or to study Indian culture, and their contributions to social development, education and healthcare in India are significant. There was not only an exchange of ideas and technology, but the culture and ethos of both these entities were mutually influenced, notwithstanding the fact that this was a period of economic exploitation of the colonised by the colonisers. One of the things that permeated the Indian ethos was a sense of nationhood, which soon, by the early 20th century, led to an overwhelming desire and movement for independence.

In 1498, Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama succeeded in finding a sea route to India from Europe which opened the doors for direct trade between Europe and India.

After months of negotiation, the UK and EU agreed a Brexit deal at Brussels summit. Brexit is a term used to denote Britain’s Exit.

™ Brexit is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU), following a referendum held on 23 June 2016 in which 51.9 per cent of those voting supported leaving the EU. ™ The invocation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty set a two-year process which was due to conclude with the UK’s exit on 29 March 2019. ™ On 21 March 2019 the European Council agreed to the UK’s request to extend the deadline and extended it to 12 April 2019.

After Independence in 1947, India continued to be closely involved with Europe, primarily with the UK, as part of the Commonwealth of Nations. India’s relations. with the rest of Europe were hued by the Cold War. India espoused a Non-Aligned stance which was viewed with distrust and her closeness to the Soviet Union after the war with China in 1962 led to a further schism. Engagement in trade, technology, education did exist but were in low key till India instituted liberalization in 1991. In 1994, the India -EU Cooperation Agreement was signed which made India one of the first countries in the world to engage with the EU as an entity.

In 2004 the EU-India Strategic Partnership was concluded. However, the attempts since 2007 to arrive at a free trade agreement have been deadlocked since 2013. The EU was India’s largest trading partner in 2018-19 with USD 104.3 billion in bilateral trade, but BREXIT might impact that going forward. Another issue in the EU-India relationship which the Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility seeks to address is preventing illegal migration and streamlining mobility for citizens.

The EU and India have some common interests other than trade – preventing climate change, maintenance of the Iran nuclear deal, increased cooperation in education and technology including nuclear energy. The EU model of federal democratic government with devolved state power should be of interest to India who has to deal with a federal structure and a multicultural society too.

The relations between India and Japan can be traced back to the 6th century when Buddhism reached Japan. The earliest political exchange was established between Japan and the Portuguese colonies in India, particularly Goa.

Historical records indicate that scholars from Japan visited Nalanda University in India and one of the most famous travellers was Tenjiku Tokubei. Tenjiku, is the Japanese name for India, meaning “the heavenly abode”.

The Japan- India Association was set up in 1903, post which the direct political exchanges began in the Meiji era (1868-1912). Since then, the two countries have exchanged cultural, social, economic and political ties

The diplomatic relations between the two countries began with the signing of Japan’s Peace Treaty with India in 1952, after the end of World War II. India was one of the first countries to extend diplomatic ties, with the invitation to the Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1951. The relations were further strengthened by the mutual visits of Japanese Prime Minister Nobuke Kishi and Jawaharlal Nehru. India became the first receipt of Japan’s yen loan and gradually emerged as India’s largest aid donor. Many Indian political and economic thinkers praised Japanese economic rebuilding as success after the war.

The relations between the Japan and India suffered a setback during the cold war years, as Japan aligned with the United States while India chose to adhere to Non-alignment policy. Further, the relations were hampered when Japan took a neutral stand during the Sino-Indian border war of 1962. While Japan’s economic engagements with East and South-East Asian nations deepened during the 1970s and 1980s, India was left outside the gamut of the definitions of Asia. Japan also regarded nuclear tests by India as a threat to its Non-Proliferation objective.

The relations started to improve with Japan with the visit of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to India in 2000. There are dialogue mechanisms in diverse fields such as economy, commerce, financial services, health, road transport, shipping, education etc. to name a few sectors.

Sony, Yamaha, Honda and Toyota have become household names in India, with the setting up of their manufacturing facilities in the country. Suzuki’s partnership with the Indian automobile company – Maruti Suzuki is one of the largest car manufacturers. Japan’s support for India’s efforts in economic development, in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs have been significant.

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India in August 2000 provided the momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship. Mr. Mori and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided the establishment of “Global Partnership between Japan and India”.

Since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to India in April 2005, Japan-India annual summit meetings have been held in respective capitals. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan in December 2006, Japan-India relationship was elevated to the “Global and Strategic Partnership”.

During Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Japan in October 2008, two leaders issued “the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India”. Japan signed the Declaration on Security Cooperation with India in October 2008.

Only Japan the third country with which to have such a security relationship after the USA and Australia. This event sent a positive message to the world community that Japan and India were keen on strengthening their bilateral ties beyond cheque book diplomacy. The rise of China also serves as a significant reason for the realignment of partnerships in the region. Besides increasing the number of bilateral visits by the top defence and military officials as a part of their ‘strategic and global partnership’, both are engaged in initiatives on maritime security, counter terrorism, counter-proliferation, disaster management and energy security.

In September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In December 2015, Prime Minister Abe paid an official visit to India and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They announced “Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World” a joint statement that would serve as a guide for the “new era in Japan-India relations.”

In November 2016, Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe. Prime Minister Abe stated that this summit would lead the prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific region as a result of coordinating the “Free and Open India and Pacific Strategy” and the “Act East” policy. Japan expects India for improving the business environment, including the easing of regulations and the stabilization of the system. India established the “Japan Plus” office in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in October 2014 as a “one-stop” location for resolving problems faced by Japanese companies. Japan and India agreed to set up 11 candidates of Japanese industrial townships around DMIC and CBIC areas in April 2015. Prime Minister Abe requested India’s early decision on introducing special incentive packages in Japanese industrial townships in December 2015 and November 2016.

India decided to introduce the Shinkansen system in December 2015, when Prime Minister Abe visited India. The Japan’s Shinkansen system is the highest class of High-Speed Railway systems around the world in terms of its safety and accuracy. Japan and India confirmed that the general consultant would start its work in December 2016 with the construction work to begin in 2018, and the railway operation would commence in 2023.

India has been the largest recipient of Japanese ODA loan in the past decades. Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation through the utilization of ODA.

India’s primary exports to Japan have been petroleum products, chemicals, elements, compounds, non-metallic mineral ware, fish and fish preparations, metalliferous ores and scrap, clothing and accessories, iron and steel products, textile yarn, fabrics and machinery etc. India’s primary imports from Japan are machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel, electronic goods, organic chemicals, machine tools, etc. Japanese FDI into India has mainly been in automobile, electrical equipment, telecommunications, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

In terms of human resource development in the manufacturing sector in India, Japan announced its cooperation of training 30,000 Indian people over next 10 years in the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM), providing Japanese style manufacturing skills and practices, in an effort to enhance India’s manufacturing industry base and contribute to “Make in India” and “Skill India” Initiatives. JIM and the Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in engineering colleges will be designated by Japanese companies in India, and this is a good example of cooperation between the public and private sectors.

In summer 2017, the first four JIMs started in the States of Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and the first JEC was established in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Since then, four more JIMs and one JEC have started. Those institutes are also expected to give more Indian students the ambition to study the Japanese language.

The year 2012 marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Various cultural events took place both in Japan and in India to promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”

During the visit of our Prime Minister to Japan in November 2016, the two Prime Ministers agreed to mark the year 2017 as the Year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges to further enhance people-to-people exchanges between Japan and India.

Asia and Africa are home to some of the most ancient civilizations in the world. They have enjoyed significant trade, cultural, economic, and political exchanges for over a millennium. Trade included items such as carved beads, cotton, and terracotta for soft carved ivory and gold. The earliest known exchanges are that of food crops and domestic livestock which date back to the second millennium BCE.

The first-ever written account of such a trade relationship was that of a 10th century Byzantine logbook that came to be known as the ‘Periplus of the Erythraean Sea’ or a guidebook to trade along the Red Sea. In the following centuries, the interests of both entities have expanded and diversified.

The Indian independence was declared in the year 1947. It is notable however that most African countries were very intent on seceding from the influence of Europe. Ever since India declared independence, it had raised its voice for African liberation representing their case at multiple international forums. The end of racial struggle and decolonization became the rallying point of India–Africa relations.

The Non-Aligned Movement was conceptualized as a response to the formation of power-blocs in the USA and the USSR during the cold war. In order to prevent a third world war, the newly decolonized countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America declared neutrality. A key role was played in this process by the then Heads of African State of Egypt and Ghana along with India, Indonesia and Yugoslavia.

NAM was also started as an anticolonial alliance to prevent the regression of its countries to war resource hosts. Africa being the nest of colonies, began resistance movements against the colonial forces with resounding successes. In the years it took to dismantle the systemic racism and slavery in the continent, Dr Nkrumah along with the other founders of NAM declared that Africa shall always be the first to fight racial discrimination and maintain the principles of Non-Alignment. The post-Nehruvian India in the 1970s carried forward the anti-imperialistic and anti-racial worldview.

An estimate of 769,437 Indians migrated to Mauritius, South Africa, Reunion Island, Seychelles, and East African region during the colonial period. Currently, Durban in South Africa is home to 1.3 million Indians. It is the largest Indian city outside India, followed by Mauritius and the Reunion Islands.

Diaspora refers to people of a specific ethnic background establishing a community far away from their native lands. The Britishers shipped many Indian labourers to the Afro-Caribbean islands to produce sugar, rubber, and other cash crops.

The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) is an India-Japan economic cooperation agreement aimed at the socio-economic development of Asia and Africa.  The vision document for AAGC was released by India in the 2017 African Development Bank meeting. The aim of the AAGC is to develop infrastructure and digital connectivity in Africa through India-Japan collaboration. It is viewed as an India-Japanese response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The relationship between India and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) has long been “Out of sight; Out of Mind”. The geographical distance between them meant that there wasn’t a strategic compulsion nor economic rationale to proactively build ties. Yet, the Latin America and Caribbean nations and India maintained a history of warm friendship.

Latin America and Caribbean nations share the spirit of anti-colonialism with India though many of them had gained independence almost a century before (19th century) India became free. Societies in Latin America and Caribbean also have an ancient and rich civilizational value like India and other parts of Asia and Africa. One could hence draw similarities in some cultural practices between India and the Latin America and Caribbean region. Latin America and Caribbean countries such as Suriname and Guyana have a sizeable population of Indian origin who were shipped by the colonial powers as slaves centuries ago. This forms the basis of India’s ties with Latin America and Caribbean.

Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

After India’s independence, its engagement with Latin America and Caribbean was limited. State visits from India have also been negligible in this period with Nehru’s visit to Mexico in 1961 and Indira Gandhi’s visit to 8 Latin American and Caribbean nations in 1968.

India and Brazil are the two components of BRICS which was formed in 2006. This getting together of Brazil-Russia-India-China and South Africa (BRICS) has provided a platform for India to actively engage with Latin America and Caribbean.

The grouping of these emerging nations of the world facilitates greater economic and cultural exchange between India and Latin America and Caribbean. The 2014 BRICS summit in Brazil enabled the Indian Prime Minister to hold meetings with other Latin America and Caribbean leaders on the side lines.

SAARC was established on 8 December 1985 with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka to promote economic cooperation and development, the welfare of the people and for the close cultural and historical links among the South Asian Countries.

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The Secretariat of the SAARAC Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987. The reason why South Asia is the least integrated region in the World is because the economic linkages are very weak among the countries of the region.

Explanation

The objectives of the Association are:

™ To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life. ™ To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals with the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials

™ To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia.

™ To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems.

™ To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries.

™ To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests.

™ To cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

™ It is an informal mechanism between India, the US, Australia and Japan, and interpreted as  a joint effort to counter China’s influence in the India-Pacific region.

On the organisational structure, The SAARC has a four-tier institutional set-up, which includes the summits comprising of the Heads of all the South Asian States and they meet once in every two years; The Council of Ministers comprises of the Ministers of Foreign / External Affairs of the Member States the Standing Committee comprises of the Foreign Secretaries of the SAARC Member States and the Technical Committees comprising representatives of Member States are responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the programmes in their respective areas of cooperation.

Until now nearly eighteen summits have been hosted by the member states. The SAARC member counties taking the growing economy scenario in South Asia have formed the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). The agreement came into force in 2006, succeeding the 1993 SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement. One of the main aims of the SAFTA is to recognize the need for special and differential treatment of developing counties in South Asia and formulate policies that would support the growth of the entire region.

ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN declaration or popularly known as the Bangkok declaration by the founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Since the establishment of ASEAN, other South-East Asian Nations who were not part of the organisation initially have also joined, which includes Brunei Darussalam joining on 7 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999. ASEAN has around ten primary member states and it has been the only official organization that pursued regional economic integration in East Asia. It is responsible for several economic integration initiatives in East Asia including.

™ the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA),

™ the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) and

™ the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA)

Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA):

™ It aims to establish a multifaceted USA strategy to increase USA security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

™ The new law mandates actions countering China’s illegal construction and militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea and coercive economic practices.

™ ARIA recognizes the vital role of the strategic partnership between the USA and India in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and it calls for strengthening diplomatic, economic, and security ties between both the countries.

™ USA recently renamed its strategically important Pacific Command (PACOM) as the USA Indo-Pacific Command, indicating that for USA government, East Asia and the Indian Ocean Region are gradually becoming a single competitive space and India is a key partner in its strategic planning.

™ USA launched Indo-Pacific Business Forum as an economic pillar for country’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Although India’s Association with South-East Asian Countries has been for centuries, its recent initiative towards engaging South-East Asia started in the early ’90s. India’s new growth story in the ’90s made India take interests on its new initiative “Look-East policy” and began reviving its economic relations with South-East Asia. Meanwhile, having been for years influenced by China and other western partners, ASEAN too realized the importance of India as the third largest economy in Asia and an emerging regional power. This understanding led to the acceptance of India as ASEAN’s sectoral partner in early 1992 and its full dialogue partner in July 1996. The Look East Policy over the years has matured into an action-oriented programme, namely ‘Act East Policy’. The Prime Minister of India at the 12th ASEAN India Summit and the 9th East Asia Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in November 2014, formally enunciated the Act East Policy. India’s relationship with ASEAN is one of the key pillars of India’s foreign policy and the foundation of Act East Policy.

Important initiatives of India – ASEAN relations include Political-Security Cooperation, Economic Cooperation, Socio- Cultural Cooperation and Connectivity. In addition, financial aid schemes have also been established for socio-economic development.

The acronym, BRICS stands for (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and was coined by Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001 as part of an economic modelling exercise to forecast global economic trends over the next half-century.

Jim O’Neill predicted that by the year 2050, Brazil, Russia, India and China would become bigger than the six most industrialized nations in dollar terms and would completely change the power dynamics of the last 300 years.

One of the major achievements of BRICS is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) which has come into existence on 7 July 2015, with the vision of mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries. The NDB helps the member countries to raise and avail resources for their infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Contingent Reserve Arrangement is another BRICS initiative that acts as a financial safety instrument for BRICS countries in the event of a financial crisis.

Diaspora refers to the movement of the population from its original homeland meaning a country’s native people move out to some other homeland or country. Such movement or relocation of the population can be either voluntary or forced due to traumatic events, wars, colonialization, slavery or from natural disasters. Feeling of persecution, loss and yearning to go back home is common amongst the people of the forced diaspora. Voluntary diaspora consists of a community of people who for better economic opportunities, for example, the gigantic emigration of people from depressed regions of Europe to the United States during the late 1800s. Unlike the forced diaspora, people from voluntary diaspora take immense pride in their shared experience and are convinced of the strength in numbers both socially and politically.

A group of people with the same culture or belonging to the same country might vacate their original homeland and relocate in some other country or homeland due to several reasons such as economy, livelihood, political situations and other social conditions. Sometimes people are even chosen to leave their homelands and settle elsewhere. Such movement or relocation of the population can be either voluntary or forced due to traumatic events, wars, colonialization, slavery or from natural disasters.

Diasporas play a major role in the economic development of their homeland. They also act as senders of remittances, they promote trade and FDI, create and nurture entrepreneurship and help in exchange of new knowledge and skills. The Indian diaspora is a common term used to represent the people who have migrated from territories and states that come under the jurisdiction of the Republic of India. This diaspora is presently estimated to be over 30 million, encompassing NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) spread all over the world.

Over Thirty-one million people of Indian birth or descent are part of the Indian diaspora spread around the world. Of them 3.1. million, or 10 per cent, are Indian-Americans living in the US. The Indian-American diaspora has proven to be a vital resource contributing to the economic, political and social development of India.

In the period after India became free, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru pursued a policy of “active dissociation” from the Indian diaspora. He was concerned about the impact of connecting with and advocating for, this diaspora on the sovereignty of host countries. It was under the regime of Rajiv Gandhi that there was a boost in the diaspora policy. He offered support at Fiji Indian crisis in 1986. Besides, having realized Indian diaspora as a strategic asset, he took administrative measures to establish the Indian Overseas department in 1984.

The policy of reaching out to the Indian diaspora began during the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During his tenure as the Prime Minister, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first launched in 2003.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is to be celebrated on 9th of January which marks the day when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. The government planned to celebrate it annually by holding events including conferring awards on the prominent members of the Indian diaspora. The initiatives undertaken by the Indian government during last two decades has bolstered the role and significance of Indian diasporic community in the development of the country, in addition to attracting global investment, aids and technology. India’s diaspora has sent $79 billion back home, retaining its position as the world’s top recipient of remittances.

The Tamil Diaspora refers to the people who emigrated from their native lands in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Sri Lanka. They are spread over fifty countries across the world in South East Asia, Oceania, the Americas and the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Throughout ancient history, the Tamils have been seafarers with a strong interest in exploring beyond their lands. The Tamils hence have a long history of overseas migration. The early settlement patterns could be traced to sugarcane plantations in Mauritius, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Guyana, rubber estates and railways in Malaysia, coffee and tea plantations in Sri Lanka. In addition to being taken as labour, there were voluntary emigrants who took up clerical, administrative and military duties. It is these emigrants who gradually became dominant in trade and finance in South East Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa.

Explanation

Status of Tamil around the world

1. Countries where Tamil is an official language are Singapore, Sri Lanka.
2. Countries where Tamil is Recognized as Minority Language are Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius and Seychelles, South Africa, Reunion and France

The modern Tamil diaspora accounts for around 3.5 million people who voluntarily migrated as skilled professionals to several countries across the world which includes Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. Singapore has a dedicated Tamil newspaper, Tamil TV channel and radio for the promotion of the language. Many Tamil diasporas across the world participate in the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas festival. Despite moving out of their homeland, they remain culturally engaged and contribute to the spreading of Indian and Tamil culture across the world.