Trump puts America First: New H-1B visa regime to hurt Indian IT firms
In a fraught move for India, the US Department of Homeland Security has announced that it would crack down on fraudulent use of H-1B visas, used by employers to bring …
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“Racist” spin to attacks on Nigerians: Will it impact India-Africa ties?
India’s burgeoning ties with Africa have come under strain with New Delhi-based African envoys calling for an international inquiry into recent brutal attacks on Nigerian students in a satellite town of the Indian capital. What is disturbing for India is that these attacks, which were the handiwork of some criminals and malcontents, have been described as “racist” and “xenophobic” by the African envoys, indicating that these were expressions of ingrained racist prejudice and hatred.
What was galling for India’s foreign office was that the Dean of African Diplomatic Corps, who issued the blistering statement on the attacks on behalf of other envoys, also alleged that “no sufficient and visible deterrent action” was taken against the perpetrators.”
In a strongly-worded statement, the Dean of African Heads of Mission said that the attacks were “xenophobic and racial” and that Indian authorities had failed to “sufficiently condemn” the attacks or take “visible deterring measures”.
Sadly, these attacks on Africans have come at a time when India is looking to scale up its engagement with Africa across the spectrum. The last three years have seen a marked upswing in India-Africa relations, with India hosting the largest summit with the continent by inviting leaders and representatives of all 54 African countries to the third summit in New Delhi in October 2015. This period has also seen a record number of high-level visits to African countries from India, with the prime minister, president and vice-president visiting over 15 African countries. India-Africa trade has surpassed $70 billion, with more Indian companies looking to invest in the African opportunity.
But, unfortunately, as these attacks on African nationals show, this visible across-the-board acceleration in India-Africa engagement has not translated into an appreciation and understanding of African culture, which has bred distorting stereotypes. Taking a long-range view, it’s necessary for both sides to invest more resources in sensitisation and building mutual popular goodwill if one wants to change the narrative of India-Africa relations on the ground.
India, Malaysia unite against terror, bat for freedom of navigation
Ushering in a new phase in their reinvigorated partnership as key players in the emerging Asian order, India and Malaysia have signed seven agreements across the spectrum, and vowed to fight terror and radicalization of youth. In a message to China, the two countries decided to work proactively to promote freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the site of territorial disputes between China and some Southeast Asian countries.
The agreements, some of which relate to recognition of each other’s educational degrees and palm oil production research, and the unmistakable focus on security cooperation, which followed talks between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in New Delhi on April 1, marked a qualitatively new high in relations between the two countries.
The most important among pacts inked in the presence of the two PMs was the proposed development of a urea and ammonia manufacturing plant in Malaysia and off-take of existing surplus urea from Malaysia to India. The project is expected to cost US$2 billion, with a capacity to produce 2.5 million tonnes per year and meant for catering to India’s market.
Above all, the Malaysian leader’s visit has imparted a new momentum to strategic partnership between the two countries. “We are leaders in the new emerging order in Asia and the world. Let us continue to work together to build a future based on stability, prosperity and understanding as the centre of the globe moves inexorably to East,” said Mr Razak in an article ahead of his visit to India.
Promoting connectivity in South Asia: ADB clears $2.4 billion projects in SASEC
Physical connectivity and energy security cooperation among India and six other countries of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme of Asian Development Bank is set to scale up when …
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Myanmar joins SASEC, boost to India’s Act East Policy
In a boost to India’s Act East policy, Myanmar has formally become a full member of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme of Asian Development Bank (ADB), becoming the …
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Malaysian PM in India: Focus on business, counter-terrorism
Business, defence and counter-terrorism cooperation are set to get a big leg-up during Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak’s ongoing visit to India.
During their talks on April 1, Mr Najib, who is accompanied by his wife Datin Sri Rosmah Mansour, and Mr Modi will witness the signing of at least six commercial agreements and possibly a Memorandum of Understanding to expanding the defence cooperation.
Setting the tone for Mr Najib’s third visit to India as prime minister in five years (the previous one in 2012), the two leaders reflected their close rapport by taking to the micro-blogging site Twitter on the eve of the visit. Tagging Mr Modi in his post, the Malaysian PM tweeted: “I’ll be travelling to India for a five-day visit. A country that’s been our friend since 1957. Looking forward to meeting PM (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi again.” The Indian leader quickly responded by saying, “India is delighted to welcome you, Prime Minister. Your visit will further boost India-Malaysia ties.”
Malaysian investments in India stand at $6 billion and an additional $6 billion in projects has been executed in India. Indian investments in Malaysia are around US $ 2.5 billion, reflecting the robust economic relationship. The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh will allow Malaysia to build a 250-acre “fourth generation technology park” in its new capital Amravati which is being built by Singapore and Japan.
Oman to harness India opportunity
With Oman looking to reduce its economic dependence on oil and India ramping up its outreach to the Persian Gulf, Omani Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah will be in India on April 2-3 to scale up economic and energy ties.
During April 2-3 visit, Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs will hold wide-ranging talks with India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to enhance economic and strategic partnership between the two countries. Issues relating to peace and security in the West Asia region will also figure in discussions.
Investments from Oman and other Gulf countries are seen by New Delhi as the enabler of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to create a manufacturing hub in India. Indian investors built Muscat’s IT park, Knowledge Oasis, and a growing number of Omani and Indian academic institutions are establishing tie-ups.
Re-igniting India-US ties: Trump ‘looks forward’ to hosting Modi
It promises to be the big-ticket diplomatic meeting of the year for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dates are not out yet, but the White House has already struck an upbeat note, saying US President Donald Trump looks forward to hosting the Indian leader.
“President Trump has said he looks forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in Washington later this year,” a White House statement said on March 29, following a telephonic conversation initiated by Mr Trump the day before to congratulate Mr Modi on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victory in elections to legislatures in four Indian states, including the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. “President Trump also expressed support for the Prime Minister’s economic reform agenda and emphasized his great respect for the people of India,” said the statement.
Although Mr Modi and Mr Trump may have a brief meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit of the world’s major and emerging economies in Germany in July this year, it will be the Indian prime minister’s first bilateral visit to the US after the change of guard in Washington in January this year.
Trump Call after Modi’s Triumph in UP elections
The success in recent state elections in India has bolstered the global profile of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with many world leaders, including US President Donald Trump congratulating the 66-year-old Indian leader. Mr Trump called up Mr Modi on March 27 and congratulated him on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s success in recent state elections, including the landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, the Indian state whose population surpasses that of the combined population of Britain, France and Germany.
This was the third telephonic contact between the two leaders – the first two being soon after Trump’s US presidential poll victory in November last year and the second after his formal swearing-in in January this year.
Underlining India’s keenness to sustain the momentum in ties with the US built up during the presidency of George Bush and Barack Obama, India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval made back-to-back visits to Washington.
Mr Trump and Mr Modi had last spoken to each other in January when they discussed the security situation in South and Central Asia. India and the United States will “stand shoulder to shoulder” to fight global terrorism, the White House had said after that interaction.
Boost for India, UK parliament supports India on Gilgit-Baltistan
In a vindication of India’s long-standing stance, Britain’s Parliament has adopted a resolution denouncing Pakistan’s move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province, and asserted that the region is a legal and constitutional part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947.
Interestingly, the resolution also attacked the “forced and illegal construction” of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, saying it further aggravated and interfered with the nature of the territory. The $51.5 billion corridor project aims at connecting Kashgar in China’s western province of Xinjiang with the port of Gwadar in Pakistani province of Balochistan. India has opposed the CPEC on grounds that the project, as it is conceived now, passes through the disputed territory in Kashmir, and hence amounts to impinging on the country’s sovereignty.
The motion, tabled on March 23 and sponsored by Conservative Party leader Bob Blackman, said that Pakistan, by making such a move, is implying its attempt to annex the already area.
The British parliament’s resolution assumes significance as it came after a committee in Pakistan, headed by Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had recommended that Gilgit-Baltistan region be declared the fifth province of Pakistan. Pakistan has four provinces – Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province).