By Namrata Hasija
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 12th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership on March 9, 2017. His address on the occasion sets the tone of India-Africa ties during the past and present times.
He said: "Mindful of our common history and shared future, we have decided to elevate our relationship. For the first time ever, we welcomed representatives of all 54 countries of Africa at the third India-Africa Forum Summit in October 2015. We have since then broadened our diplomatic footprint. Our leadership has visited almost every African country in the last 18 months."
He further stated that he personally went to Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Namibia last year.
His special emphasis on the recent spurt of interest in Africa by India's leadership showcases a new Indian approach towards the African continent. This interest has generated another debate as to whether India is competing with China in Africa and trying to counter the Chinese footprint in Africa.
The Chinese presence in Africa is huge and its trade with Africa was at $300 billion in 2015 while India-Africa trade stood at only $75 billion. To counter this kind of clout demands huge investments and other measures.
The question, however, remains: Why should India counter China in Africa? Do their interests clash in Africa or both have their divergent interests in Africa?
Both countries look at securing their energy interests in the continent along with the huge African markets for their products. India has already ignored this continent for a long time while China consolidated its position by giving huge credit lines and loans for infrastructure development to African leaders.
China, however, has received some backlash for its policy towards African countries and has been called the new 'coloniser' of Africa. In 2013 Lamido Sanusi, Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank, wrote that Africa has willingly opened itself up to a new form of imperialism.
There have been many public protests against Chinese companies in African countries for violating environmental laws and human rights.
Does India really need to counter Chinese moves in Africa? The answer remains an emphatic 'No' -- India should not counter China in Africa but carve its own niche in Africa.
India and Africa have long-standing historical ties and the continent is important for India in multiple ways for its own development and strategic advancement in the Indian Ocean.
India has been trying to secure a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and it has realised that 54 African delegate-votes will make a huge difference. Other than securing energy resources, markets and so on in Africa, India is keen to win African countries' votes in its bid for the UN Security Council seat.
The other important aspect for India is to win the support of East African states to strengthen its position in the Indian Ocean. India has signed accords with Kenya, Tanzania, Nairobi and Mozambique for maritime security but has still not emerged as a formidable maritime partner.
For securing its interests in the African continent, rather than countering China, India should learn from China's mistakes and pledge for a mutual beneficial agenda with the African countries. India should take advantage of its political approach towards Africa, which has been development, and training of human resource.
President Pranab Mukherjee put forth this approach while addressing the 12th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave and stated that 50,000 scholarships have been extended by India to the students of various African countries and 6,000 have already come out with the appropriate training.
India should also consolidate the Indian diaspora across Africa to leverage this group politically and economically. Indian engagement with Africa has mostly been for African development -- in pharmaceuticals, telecommunication, transportation and agriculture. Agriculture, agri-business and agro-industries will dominate the knowledge events of the 2017 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group scheduled to take place from May 22-26 in Ahmedabad, in India's Gujarat State.
India should build on this base rather than showcasing itself as China’s competitor in the region. If India consolidates its position in Africa based on these parameters, it will automatically be seen by African countries as a more viable and reliable partner.
(The author is President, Taiwan Alumni Association in India. Comments and suggestions on this article can be sent to editor@spsindia.in)
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