India’s growing importance as fastest growing economy in the world, especially under popular democracy, is a minor miracle, as India with all its diversity is more like mini continent rather than an independent nation of more than a billion people. No one gave independent India a second glance to survive as free and fair democracy, especially with 500 semi-independent states within a State, some with their own private army. War-time hero Winston Churchill predicted India’s demise within short period, nation disintegrating into small independent nations of no importance!
Our gratitude goes to Sardar Patel for India’s unity, whose contribution was ignored, brushed under carpet during Nehru Gandhi era, but now duly recognized by BJP government under PM Modi who has put India on world map as the most desirable nation to do business with.
PM Modi was accorded great respect and was in demand for side-summits where real business is conducted. Modi succeeded in arranging trilateral side-summit with in-demand US President Donald Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, indeed a close and loyal friend of India. With Japanese help, India could become leading economic power of Asia, replacing China whose labour cost is outstripping that of India and political uncertainty created by China’s high-handed policy to colonize South China Sea, breaking all international treaties, ignoring Hague’s judgement and threatening free passage in international waters, upsetting many nations, some close friends of China, like Vietnam and Philippines. The second side-summit Modi succeeded to arrange was with Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping where bilateral trade, security and such issues of common interest were discussed. Besides these two meetings, Modi also met British PM Teresa May, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres and few more.
PM Modi put forward 9 point agenda to make the world a better, democratic place, free of terrorism and to deny fugitive economic offenders a safe heaven, perhaps with Britain in mind, where Indian, Russian and billionaires from many countries find safe heaven. This is indeed disgrace for Britain, as it professes to be law-abiding nation, yet gives refuge to terrorists, looters and even to spies, double-agents who have betrayed their motherlands for “A fist Full of Dollars!”
Let us hope that Labour and Conservative Friends of India use their influence to stop Britain being used as dumping ground, too pusillanimous to undesirable criminals before it loses dedicated friends like India who stood-by Britain in our hour of need during two world wars. Britain who is already a pariah nation in EU, could ill afford losing India as a loyal friend, especially now when Brexit is on the horizon!
Bhupendra M. Gandhi
By email
