Ahead of India’s Republic Day, Lord Tariq Ahmad told Asian Voice how he saw the ‘importance and the role of India’ which is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ‘one of the key leaders invited’ to join the G7 Summit in Summer 2021.
Sharing his thoughts, when asked if India should be a permanent member of the G7 nations, Lord Ahmad said, “It’s a matter for existing members. I think in the indication you’ll see clearly about the importance and the role of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been one of the key leaders who have been invited by our Prime Minister to go and join the G7 discussions. India’s place in the world is understood by all and we as a friend and partner to India recognise that.”
India will begin its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 1 January. India will sit in the 15-nation UNSC for the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member — the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the powerful horseshoe table.
Speaking in this context, Lord Ahmad said, “We’ve been nonstop advocates for the reforms of the UN Security Council where India will be joining us as a key partner and India bearing in mind its position in the world, its size and its strength and we regard them as a major partner bilaterally within the regional context, but also within the multilateral sphere and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with India in this regard and the extension of the invitation by the Prime Minister to Prime Minister Modi to the G7 meeting, underlines the importance we attach to India’s role in global affairs.”
Minister of State Foreign Commonwealth & Development Affairs (South Asia, Commonwealth, UN), PM's Envoy for Preventing Sexual Violence, & Minister Human Rights, Lord Ahmad made multiple tweets on 26 January to affirm the impetus of the UK-India partnership. In his first tweet he said, “India is a strategic partner for the UK, and we look forward to hosting @narendramodi at the G7 leaders’ meeting later this year. I send my best wishes to Indians everywhere celebrating.”
Later in the day, he shared a picture of him at the Parliament Square with the Gandhi statue and HE Gaitri Kumar. The tweet read: “Today, on India’s Republic Day, from the world’s oldest democracy to the largest, we send warm wishes of friendship. I was delighted to be joined by HE Gaitri Kumar @HCI_London at the iconic statue of Mahatma Gandhi Ji, looking over Parliament square, to mark the occasion.”
Farmers’ Protest
Earlier when the farmers began protesting in India, reportedly, more than a hundred members of the British Parliament signed a letter written to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking him to raise the concerns of protesting farmers outside Delhi, and the “brute force” employed against them, in his discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I think what’s important to recognise is that we will always have interest in each other’s matters as partners and as friends and as I have already indicated that there will be issues that are raised in our parliament, there’ll be issues that are raised in the Indian parliament and it’s right when your constructive friends in a candid way, which we do and are able to address the challenges and issues which are raised in a very factual manner. And that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do.
“There has been a lot of interest around the farmers' protest. We regard that in terms of whatever reforms that need to be enacted - very much a matter for the Indian authority, at the same time our responses in parliament will be informed by what we see in terms of the Indian government’s response, somewhere encouraged by recent discussions, but equally recognising that if there are any human rights concerns related to people internally in India and they resonate here in the UK, that we’re able to answer them in a very open and candid manner and I think that the strength of our relationship allows us to do so.
“Equally there will be concerns as the Indian side often do which are raised as issues pertaining to diaspora matters, pertaining to security issues which may be related to us and equally we will be very open with the Indian side in addressing those exchanges head on. Because that’s the strength of the relationship we have,” he added.
Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon held a virtual session with journalists on Monday afternoon to discuss the UK-India partnership. According to Lord Ahmad, the key area of collaboration between the UK and India has been on the challenge of Covid-19 and how we’ve come together, and that he’s pleased by the united and strong collaboration. He appreciated the relationship and collaboration at a government level, as well as in the private sector, particularly the relationship between AstraZeneca and Serum Institute of India.
He also shared that he believes in India’s strength of technology and also prepares both the countries to face the challenges together. He hopes to work on cyber security and mobility issues, along with immigration and other key areas.
