India France Relations

France was India’s first strategic partner. It began to supply aircrafts (Dassault Ouragon fighters/ Toofani) to India as early as in 1953. It was also the first country to restart talks with India post 1998 nuclear test by India. 

The relations between the two countries have spanned across nuclear, space and defence sectors. CNES and ISRO have a history of close collaborations in the past, which bore fruits in the form of projects like Megha Trophique and SARAL to name a few. In case of defence, France is a better partner than USA as  the latter may back out from providing India spare parts in case of Indo-Pak tensions. Besides, agreement on defence cooperation has been expanded till 2026 recently. Also, France is expected to build nuclear plant in Jaitapur.

Presently, the areas of cooperation between the two countries have expanded. Counter terrorism is one of the area.  Another is intelligence sharing. The cyber security related issues have also surfaced in recent times on which the two countries can collaborate. The two countries are also jointly studying the impact of climate change on Agriculture in India. International Solar Alliance is also a mutual initiative.

In 2016, the chief guest at the Republic Day parade was the French President, which takes the number of such instances to 5.

Despite all the positives, bilateral trade remains a concern which presently stands at around USD 8 Billion. Also, weak P2P relations are a cause of worry. In addition to that, there are also concerns over Rafale deal.

The trade relations are expected to improve with the signing of India-EU FTA, the negotiations of which are stuck at present and may be further delayed due to Brexit.

  

Other potential areas include recently envisaged the joint ventures and partnerships, infrastructure such as railways, smart cities and renewable energy projects. France is also a permanent member of UNSC and can thus support India in its quest for a UNSC permanent seat.

India-Iran ties

Our PM’s visit in May this year was the first bilateral visit exchanged between the two nations since 2003. Despite having good relations earlier, India-Iran relations suffered from lack of trust which developed during the times of sanctions on Iran. One prominent reason was India voting against Iran at the IAEA. Though the vote was not entirely due to pressure from US, it was also partly due to India’s self interests. The lifting of sanctions from Iran after its agreement with P5+1 offers new opportunities to India to take the bilateral ties forward.

One of the main interests of India in Iran is Chabahar port. It will provide access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. This will also boost India’s Connect Central Asia Policy. It is also seen as counter to China’s development of Gwader (Pakistan). Though, questions have been raised over India’s seriousness regarding to this port, the fact is that the enthusiasm has been lacking from the Iran side due to vested interests. India’s dedication can be gauged from the completion of Zaranj Delaram road.

Besides, India is also looking for stake in Farzad B gas fields. An under sea gas pipeline from Iran to India is also in the offing.  The lifting of sanctions also brings Iran’s oil in the world market thus taking the price of crude even lower levels, which is desirable for India. This can help India ensure energy security and boost its manufacturing.

On the geopolitical front, India ,while engaging Iran, should not alienate Israel and Saudi Arabia. What India lacks in Iran is some significant stake. For instance , in Saudi Arabia, we have a considerable diaspora (our stake there). The investment in Chabahar port and Farzad B gas fields will give us that stake. This will considerably improve our bilateral relations.

Also, the involvement of Iran in the peace process is crucial for stability of West Asian region. This is important for India due to its sizable diaspora in the region and the remittances coming from them.

Iran is a well educated, industrialized and stable country. With the lifting of sanctions, India should look to take care of the misunderstandings that have emerged over time. Iran, at the same time, is also fully aware of the potential, both economic and geopolitical, of its relations with India.

The problem of Racialism in India-Africa Relations

With the 2015 India Africa summit, all seemed to be on an upward trajectory in the India-Africa relations. And, so it is the case when we talk about trade, investments and other economic measures. However, when it comes to the societal level, we have a problem. The problem is of racialism.

The Africans have continuously been victims of the racial attitude of Indians towards them. The problems range from a landlord denying to rent them accommodation to the recent murder of a person from Congo or the not so long ago incident of stripping of a Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru. The incidents like former mostly go unnoticed whereas the latter are passed off as problems of law and order problem rather than something more serious i.e. the problem of mindset. Due to certain stray incidents, the Africans are often stereotyped as drug peddlers or running prostitution rackets. Clearly, this shows lack of understanding of Africa and its people at the level of masses.

There are repercussions to this. The more tangible will be the backlash on people of Indian Origin in Africa. This has already begun in Congo. In addition to that is the potential threat to future of India Africa relations. Some of the African students in India in present will make the future leaders of Africa. The image of India they develop in their formative years will matter. The African diplomats’ refusal to participate in the Africa Day celebrations (May 2016) will draw International attention. India’s quest for a UNSC seat might also get hampered.

The government has resorted to action by introducing sensitization campaigns but more needs to be done. Given that the communicator he is, the PM should make a strong statement on the issue. Value Education should be there and eradicating racialism should be one of its targets. This couple with fast tracked justice and stringent punishments has the potential to take down the issue at hand.

Africa is a continent where there are tremendous possibilities. For instance, mineral reserves, a growing market, and potential collaborations on international issues such as climate change, Doha development agenda, etc. The relations cannot be jeopardized. But, more than that it is the spirit of humanism that should guide the extinction of racialism from Indian mindset, be it against Africans or fellow countrymen from different regions.