AQ-November-2005

africaVolume 45, No. 1

Special Edition

November 2005

I N D I A N C O U N C I L F O R C U L T U R A L R E L A T I O N S

Q U A R T E R L Y

Doing Business With Africa

Imparting Energy toIndia-Africa Ties

Delhi-Khartoum: TheNew Silk Route

The East AfricanDiaspora

In Conversation: KheirEl Din Abdel Latif

Swahili: Language forAfrica’s Renaissance?

Creating a Brave NewKnowledge Society

Indian Council for Cultural RelationsAzad Bhavan

Indraprastha EstateNew Delhi-110 002

E-mail: [email protected] with the Registrar of Newspapers of India

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Indian Journal of African AffairsVolume 45 No. 1, November 2005

SPECIAL EDITION

INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONSNEW DELHI

africaQ U A R T E R L Y

A F R I C A Q U A R T E R L Y

COVER STORY: DOING BUSINESS WITH AFRICA

The new architecture of India-Africarelations is bound by three Ts ––

Technology, Trade and Training ––and an expanding business horizon.

con

ten

ts

DIPLOMATESE: KHARTOUM-DELHI: NEW SILK ROUTE?Sudanese Ambassador to IndiaAbdalmahmood A. Mohammadtraces the civilisational ties betweenIndia and Sudan, and maps out arobust future for bilateral relations in diverse fields.

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POWER TALK: IMPARTINGENERGY TO RELATIONS

Talmiz Ahmad provides anoverview of Africa’s vast

hydrocarbon reserves which havethe potential of providing a

radically new dimension to theburgeoning India-Africa ties.

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16


EMERGING PARTNERS:A BRAVE NEW

KNOWLEDGE SOCIETYGirijesh Pant outlines an

emerging partnership betweenIndia and Africa in creating a

brave new knowledge societyand maps out a growing

symmetry of interests betweenthe two in a globalising world.

CULTURE & HERITAGE: LANGUAGEFOR AN AFRICAN RENAISSANCERashmi Kapoor argues for the need for a pan-African language that will not only serve as thelingua franca of diverse peoples, but canbecome an effective vehicle of an Africanrenaissance.

58

SOUTHERN FOCUS: PARTNERINGTHE SADCAs it marks its 25th anniversary year, theSouthern Africa Development Community(SADC) is preparing to expand and consolidateits ties with India. Dr. Suresh Kumarwrites about the potential that India-SADCrelations hold.

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IN CONVERSATION:With former External Affairs Minister K. NatwarSingh on India-Africa relations.

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DIASPORA: THE EAST AFRICAN INDIANAparajita Biswas traces the growth of aninfluential Indian diaspora in East Africaand argues for a more proactive Indian policy to involve overseas Indians in therejuvenation of India-Africa relations.

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TRAVEL & TOURISM: TOURISMAS COLONIAL NOSTALGIAClaudia Bell conjures up the exotic delightsof Namibia –– its picturesque desolation,opulent lodges, enchanting wild life –– andasks whether all this romantic mythmakingis neo-colonialism in disguise.

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IN CONVERSATION:With Egyptian Ambassador to India Kheir El DinAbdel Latif on India-Egypt relations.

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BOOKS & IDEAS68

DOCUMENTS76

INCREDIBLE INDIA76

CONTRIBUTORS71

6 November 2005


The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), founded in 1950 to strength-en cultural ties and promote understanding between India and other countries, func-tions under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. As part of itseffort, the Council publishes, apart from books, six periodicals in five languages ––English quarterlies (Indian Horizons and Africa Quarterly), Hindi Quarterly(Gagananchal), Arabic Quarterly (Thaqafat-ul-Hind), Spanish bi-annual (Papeles de laIndia) and French bi-annual (Recontre Avec l'Inde).

Africa Quarterly (Indian Journal of African Affairs) is published in May, August,November and February.

The views expressed in the articles included in this journal are those of the con-tributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ICCR.

All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any from or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho-tocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the ICCR.

Editorial correspondence and manuscripts, including book reviews, should be addressed to:

The EditorAfrica Quarterly



E-mail: [email protected]

Printed and Published byPavan K. Varma, Director-GeneralIndian Council for Cultural Relations

Azad Bhavan, Indraprastha EstateNew Delhi - 110002

Editor:Manish Chand

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India’s relations with Africa have been builton the strong political foundation of thepast. Today, we are looking at more con-temporary challenges in the form of fastereconomic growth and the welfare of the

peoples of our countries. Last year saw the visit ofmore than twelve Heads of State from Africa toIndia. This demonstrates the huge amount of good-will that is present between India and Africa and theclose relations shared between our leaders.

Africa today is the largest recipient of India’s tech-nical cooperation programmes and we have so farextended more than $1 billion worth of such assis-tance, including training, deputation of experts andimplementation of projects in African countries.Over a thousand officials from sub-Saharan Africareceive training annually in India under the IndianTechnical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) pro-gramme.

We have also provided direct assistance to a num-ber of countries in response to humanitarian emer-gencies or in the context of longer-term develop-ment projects. The External Affairs Ministry’s ‘Aidto Africa’ programme provides the resources forthese projects.

In the area of human resource development,India continues to contribute to Africa. Annually,over 15,000 African students study in India, andIndian engineers, doctors, accountants and teachersare widespread in several African countries.

India has been one of the largest contributors topeacekeeping in Africa. We currently have 3,500troops in DRC and a sizeable contingent in Ethiopiaand Eritrea.

India supports the New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD). As part of our support toAfrica, we have announced a line of credit of $200million to assist the NEPAD’s objectives. Severalprojects in Senegal, Mali, Niger and DRC worthover $80 million have already been approved with-in the ambit of this programme.

We have also allotted a $500 million line of cred-it for TEAM-9, a new initiative between India andWest Africa launched in March 2004. Projects to thetune of $280 million covering eight West African

countries have been approved against concessionallines of credit.

Africa’s interest in developing a closer partnershipwith India is reflected in the tremendous responsegenerated by the CII-EXIM Bank Conclave onIndia-Africa Project Partnerships, which was held inDelhi from March 2-4, 2005. The event drew theparticipation of over 300 African delegates, includ-ing 25 ministers. It also threw up as many as 170 spe-cific project proposals in which countries from Africasought partnership with Indian companies. A fol-low-up event focusing on West and Central Africawas held in New Delhi from November 6 to 8 togive a further impetus to this process. Over 140 del-egates from 32 African countries participated in thisevent, which focused on building partnershipsbetween the private sector in India and its counter-parts in Africa, especially in the field of small andmedium enterprises.

The Pan-African Network is a remarkable newproject that attempts to add a fresh dimension toIndia’s partnership with Africa. The initiative for set-ting up a Pan-African Network was announced bythe Hon’ble President during an address to the pan-African Parliament in South Africa in September2004. ISRO and TCIL thereafter worked closelywith Rashtarapati Bhavan to prepare a detailed reporton the proposed project that would aim to provideproto-types for tele-education and tele-medicine inall 53 members of the African Union. It would alsoset up a VVIP network providing video conferenc-ing and VOIP facilities to all 53 Heads ofState/Governments.

India and Africa are partners in the challengesbeing thrown up by the 21st century. On the strongfoundations of friendship and understanding, theyare seeking to build an edifice of cooperation whichcould prove to be a role model for the world. Thefirst issue of a revamped African Quarterly hopes tofocus on this cooperation. As three editions of thisyear’s Africa Quarterly could not be published due tounforeseen circumstances, we are bringing out thisSpecial Edition.

Pavan K. Varma

India-Africa Ties a Role Model

7


November 2005

■■ Foreword

8 November 2005

IIndia’s dream project in Africa –– a satellite and fibre-optic network that will bridge the digital divide andprovide tele-medicine and tele-education to 53 coun-tries of the African Union (AU) –– is set to impart anew resonance to South-South cooperation.

The brainchild of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a well-known space scientist and technocrat, the Pan-AfricanNetwork (PAN) will revolutionise communication and accel-erate development throughout Africa and replenish a hugereservoir of goodwill that already exists in Africa for India.

The project, expected to become operational by 2007,includes setting up a VVIP network that will link the presidentsof all the 53 African countries who will have ready access totheir counterparts through video conferencing and Voice OverInternet Protocol (VOIP) facilities.

Shashi Tripathi, Secretary (West) in the Ministry ofExternal Affairs (MEA), and Bernard Zoba, AU’sCommissioner for Infrastructure, signed the treaty atHyderabad House in New Delhi on October 27. The historicpact was signed in the presence of Minister of State for ExternalAffairs Rao Inderjit Singh and African heads of mission.

“The motivation behind this project is to help Africa bridgethe digital divide and to share the expertise that India has devel-oped in this field,” Tripathi said after the signing ceremony.

Kalam, who first unveiled the idea of PAN during his visitto the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa in September2004, called it “a historic day in India-Africa relations” andprophesied that the project would become “a model for tech-

no-economic cooperation between the two sides.” It would bethe first step towards the development of a knowledge soci-ety,” added Kalam in a visionary tone.

Earlier, the network was estimated to cost $50 million, butwith a request by the AU to maintain the project for five years,the cost has gone up to $63.7 million. “If any developed coun-try had done this, the cost would perhaps have been 10 timesmore,” Tripathi said of the project that is funded by the MEAunder its Aid-to-Africa Budget Programme.

The network would also help set up Internet and videoconferencing services and support e-governance, e-commerce,infotainment, resource mapping and meteorological servicesconnectivity. Describing the Pan African Network as the mod-ern face of India-Africa ties, Tripathi said: “This is being donein the spirit of South-South cooperation and in the spirit of thelong-standing friendship and the relationship that we havewith Africa.”

Zoba fittingly captured the African enthusiasm for the pro-ject: “For us, it is a historic document because it actually goesto prove and to bring to fruition our main objective of the inte-gration of the African continent. By this document which wehave signed on telecommunication, the whole of Africa willbe now available for communication.”

Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood AbdalhaleemMohammad, who is also Dean of the African DiplomaticCorps, eloquently described the revolutionary potential of theproject. “It is giving Africa-India relations a new substance andcontent. It is not only bridging the digital divide, it is bridging

N E W S & E V E N T S

Pan African Network: India’s dream project in Africa

Shashi Tripathi, centre, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, with heads of African missions in India, at Hyderabad House in NewDelhi on October 27, after signing an agreement on setting up the Pan-African Network.

9November 2005

the hope divide between the havesand the have-nots.”

“It is in no uncertain terms a hugecontribution to the development ofSouth-South cooperation, a hugecontribution to India-Africa rela-tions, and a huge contribution by thepeople of India to the people ofAfrica,” he added.

The network will connect fiveuniversities, 53 learning centers, 10super-speciality hospitals and 53remote hospitals in the 53 Africancountries. There will be two univer-sities from India and three universi-ties from Africa; three super-special-ty hospitals from India; the remaining seven of them will befrom Africa, official sources revealed.

The Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL)would implement the project in collaboration with the IndianSpace Research Organisation (ISRO). The Indira GandhiNational Open University (IGNOU), the All India Instituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS), both based in New Delhi, andother organisations will support the network. TCIL will man-age the network, which will have 169 terminals, for the initialperiod of three years.

PAN will be a VSAT-based star network with 116 VSATterminals equally distributed across all the countries and a hublocated in one of the countries. India has already set up tele-medicine and tele-education hubs in Bangalore andAhmedabad, respectively. It is proposed to link the hub ofPAN with the hubs of tele-medicine and tele-education in

India through under-sea cables. The tele-medicine connectivity

enables the 10 super-speciality hos-pitals to provide speciality services to53 remote hospitals that are fullyequipped with medical equipmentsuch as EGC, ultra scan and echomachine in each location.

Besides establishing the commu-nication infrastructure, the tele-edu-cation plan also includes setting upfive tele-education studios with post-production set-up, non-linear edit-ing facilities at each of the universitiesand data centres. This facility willhelp teachers interact with select stu-

dents in a sequence and also simultaneously collaborate withthem in research. The network, therefore, has the potential totransform the lives of ordinary Africans and will give a big pushto eliminate hunger, disease and illiteracy from the continent.

This network will make it possible for people living inremote African villages to avail themselves of the best consul-tations and diagnosis available in big cities. Besides, the pro-ject enables speciality hospitals like AIIMS to be on call withthree or four of the premier hospitals in Africa.

“India and Africa have always been traditional allies andpartners. So, we are now mobilizing our ammunition to tar-get, to defeat hunger and illiteracy through this very great pro-ject,” the Sudanese envoy said, as he waxed lyrical on what hecalled this “new phase” in India-African relations. “India is alsonow scoring a lot in achieving the Millennium Targets as spec-ified by the United Nations,” he added. ■■


II ndia has sought technologies for conversion of gas to liq-uid fuels and coal gasification from South Africa to tap

energy sources in marginal fields and coalfields even asPretoria has expressed keenness for know-how on bio-fuels.

South Africa’s PetroSA has the world’s largest refineryutilising gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology and also uses coal-to-gas technology to capitalise on its vast coal reserves to pro-duce petroleum products.

During a meeting with Mputumi Damane, CEO of SouthAfrica’s Central Energy Fund (CEF), the umbrella organisa-tion for all energy-related matters in the country, India’sPetroleum Secretary S.C. Tripathi said GTL technologywould help India tap gas resources in Tripura.

“We are particularly interested in getting GTL technolo-gy as it would be desirable to tap the marginal fields and alsoTripura gas fields which have the capacity to produce five-sixmillion standard cubic metres of gas per day,” said Tripathi.

He conveyed the keenness of Indian companies to exploreother opportunities ranging from pipeline projects to distri-bution of petroleum products in South Africa.

“If we set ourselves specific projects we can move faster,”said Damane, who is also a board member of PetroSA.

Offering to convey India’s interest to the PetroSA board,Damane also informed the Indian side that the companyholds 100 percent stake in Block 14 in Sudan, besides a stakein a gas field in Namibia.

Instead of waiting for the revival and next meeting of theJoint Working Group for government-to-government dia-logue, both sides have decided to let the state-owned compa-nies hold initial talks on transfer of technology and possiblecollaborations in third countries.

“If we go from project to project, we will be able to cementour relationship faster,” said Damane.

He revealed that a South African team had already been toin India to study possible collaborations, particularly in thearea of bio-fuels, to tap the potential for development of ruralareas. Among areas where South Africa has sought Indianexpertise is bottling of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or cook-ing gas) while India has sought collaboration in explorationactivities apart from GTL and coal gasification technologies.

Representatives of Indian companies participating at theWorld Petroleum Congress in September reportedly heldinitial talks on collaboration and transfer of technology withSouth African companies. ■■

India seeks South Africa’s gas-to-liquid technology

The network will connect fiveuniversities, 53 learning centers,

10 super-speciality hospitalsand 53 remote hospitals in the53 African countries. There willbe two universities from India

and three universities fromAfrica; three super-specialty

hospitals from India; the remaining seven of them will

be from Africa.

AA South African team visited Indiafrom November 12 to 15 to look

for engineers, teachers and IT expertsfor its skills-strapped public service.

At a parliamentary news briefing inCape Town, Public Service andAdministration Minister GeraldineFraser-Moleketi said: “The initiative ispart of a larger one looking at humanresource development needs in SouthAfrica.”

The visit focussed on training andshort-term exchange programmes, and“secondment of experienced Indiancivil servants to build managementcapacity and transfer skills.”

A second phase would see “a morecomprehensive recruitment of techni-

cal skills from India,” the minister said.Fraser-Moleketi said she would

head the team to seek financial man-agers, engineers, teachers, IT experts,and health professionals in India.

Shortage of skills, particularly engi-neering and technical skills, has beenidentified as a would-be constraint tothe growth of South Africa.

South African President ThaboMbeki has assigned a task team, led byhis deputy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, to seek ways to achieve a 6 percent economic growth by 2014.

“In fact, the current skills shortage,especially of engineers and technicians,will impede growth, and at the rate atwhich we are producing these current-

ly, we will not meet all our growth anddevelopment targets,” Home AffairsDeputy Minister Malusi Gigaba saidrecently.

A report by the South AfricanInstitution of Civil Engineering haswarned of a dire shortage of civil engi-neers, technologists and technicians.

It said Transnet, South Africa’sstate-owned transport utility, now hadfewer civil engineers than those used tobuild a coal railway from Ermelo toRichards Bay.

Most civil engineers in South Africahad moved into the private sector, andmost of them were near retirement, itsaid.

Brain drain in social service deliverysectors, such as health and police, is alsobecoming serious in South Africa. ■■

10 November 2005

South Africa comes head-hunting to India


MMittal Steel South Africa, a former state-owned company taken over byLondon-based steel magnate LakshmiMittal’s LNM Group last year, hasemerged as the top performing blue

chip company over five years in South Africa. It has movedfrom fourth to second position in the annual list of the coun-try’s Top 100 Companies.

Business Times, the supplement to the weekly Sunday Timeshere, showed that Mittal Steel SA had shown compoundgrowth of 93 percent over the past five years, well aheadof its closest rival Edgars Consolidated Stores, a nation-al clothing group, which had compound growth of 61percent.

This was in a list of the 40 top performing compa-nies on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, a newgrouping introduced for the first time this year after crit-icism about the annual Top 100 methodology, whichallowed small companies to show high growth becauseit is easier for their share prices to rise dramatically. TheTop 40 companies are meant to provide shareholderswith steady earnings and growth in share price and dividends.The Top 100 list, however, is based on the return on 10,000rands invested for five years, where Mittal Steel SA was beateninto second place by construction company Grindrod, withcompounded growth of almost 97 percent.

Mittal Steel SA is the result of a plan over the past four yearswhich initially saw LNM entering into a Business AssistanceAgreement with the then state-owned Iscor, founded in 1928.A huge cash injection and technology transfer to turn aroundthe ailing company grew to a stage where LNM acquired a

majority shareholding of just over 50 per-cent and renamed the company Ispat Iscortwo years ago before it finally became MittalSteel SA.

Revenue of 23 billion rand was acknowledged by DavinderChugh, chief executive of Mittal Steel SA, as due not only tocost-cutting and efficiencies introduced by the managementbut also to the jump in world steel prices.

Described as the jewel in Mittal Steel SA’s crown, its steelmill at Saldanha has seen a dramatic change in recent years.“Saldanha is an excellent case study of a turnaround of man-agement,” Chugh told Business Times. “It used to make a lossof a billion rand. This has been transformed to a profit of onebillion rand.” ■■

Mittal Steel emerges as South Africa’s No. 2 companyWorkers at Mittal Steel SAand, inset, L.N. Mittal

11November 2005

IIndia and Mauritius, the IndianOcean island which is home tonearly an 800,000-strong Indiandiaspora, strengthened theirrelations by signing pacts on a

preferential trade agreement (PTA), thetransfer of sentenced prisoners, mutuallegal assistance and to facilitate the explo-ration of their coastal waters.

The seven pacts that were signed bythe two sides also included memoran-dums of understanding (MoUs) in thefields of consumer protection and legalmetrology, exchange of scientific andtechnical information, and cooperationin public administration.

These agreements were signed in thepresence of Prime Minister ManmohanSingh and his Mauritian counterpartNavinchandra Ramgoolam after the twoleaders held talks on a wide array of bilat-eral issues at Hyderabad House in NewDelhi. Ramgoolam was in the countryon a week-long visit in October.

Ramgoolam also met with PresidentA.P.J. Abdul Kalam, External AffairsMinister K. Natwar Singh, CommerceMinister Kamal Nath and the chairper-son of the ruling United ProgressiveAlliance coalition Sonia Gandhi.

The agreement on the transfer ofsentenced prisoners and the mutual legalassistance treaty were signed by HomeMinister Shivraj Patil and MauritianForeign Minister Madan MurlidharDulloo.

There are around 32 Indian prison-ers in Mauritius. They will be broughtback to India under the new agreementwhere they will serve their remainingsentence. The legal assistance treaty aimsat fostering and promoting better coop-eration among police and investigativeagencies in both the countries and envis-ages sharing of information and datarelating to crimes and criminals.

The MoU on PTA expresses theintention of the two sides to enter into aPTA in near future. The PTA is expect-ed to boost Mauritian exports and pro-vide India a platform to tap into the bur-geoning African market.

Under the MoU on hydrography,the Indian Navy will undertake a surveyof the coastal areas of Mauritius.

The MoU between the Bureau ofIndian Standards (BIS), India and

Mauritius Standards Bureau (MSB)provides for the exchange of informationand documents in the field of standard-isation. The pact envisages the exchangeof scientific and technical informationpertaining to this field.

The agreement between the IndianInstitute of Public Administration(IIPA) and Government of Mauritiuscovers cooperation in various areas con-nected to public policy and publicadministration. The focus would be onstructuring of government and organi-sational adjustments, institutional sup-port to government and management ofpublic enterprises.

Earlier, Ramgoolam, while address-ing business leaders, made a strong pitchfor a framework ComprehensiveEconomic Cooperation and PartnershipAgreement (CECPA) between Indiaand Mauritius as a “bold step forward”which will lead to freer movement ofcapital, goods, services and peoplebetween the two countries.

Ramgoolam, son of Mauritius’s firstprime minister, Sir SeewoosagurRamgoolam, revered as the father of thenation, was also conferred an honorarydegree by the Jawaharlal University(JNU). He was elected to head a coali-tion government in Mauritius July thisyear. The 58-year-old leader first becameprime minister in 1995. Ramgoolam alsotravelled to Hyderabad, Mumbai andKochi in Kerala during his visit. ■■

India, Mauritius sign pacts on PTA, legal assistance


II ndia seems to be catching up with China on the Africantrade trail. Though China remains the world’s leading

exporter to Africa, India’s exports to Africa grew 63 percentin the first quarter of 2005-06 while China’s tally was just 48percent. During the April-June quarter this year, India export-ed goods worth Rs. 70 billion to 49 African countries.

India’s imports, excluding petroleum products, duringthe same period grew 35.5 percent. Both the growth figuresare higher than those registered by India’s total exports andimports during the period, which are growing at 20 percentand 33 percent, respectively. This has made Africa one of thefastest-growing trade destinations for Indian goods, com-prising 6.8 percent of India’s total export basket in Q1.

According to industry experts, India could have been ona level-playing field with China had industry grabbed the

first-mover advantage. A senior CII official said trade betweenthe two economies accelerated after the first conclave onIndo-Africa trade partnership held earlier this year.

India’s policymakers feel the second conclave, that washeld in November, will give further impetus to two-waytrade. Navdeep Suri, Joint Secretary, Ministry of ExternalAffairs, was quoted as saying: “The conclave is expected toremove apprehensions that Indian businessmen may haveabout Africa.”

“For instance, not many in the Indian community knowthat many African economies like Botswana, Ghana, Senegaland the whole of North Africa enjoy a higher sovereign cred-it rating which puts them in the same league as Brazil andhigher that that of other leading emerging economies suchas Turkey and Indonesia.” ■■

NavinchandraRamgoolam

India’s exports to Africa climb 63%, China’s rise by 48%

12 November 2005

AAsking the international community to movefrom “rhetoric to action” on the issue of help-ing Africa, India has said that the rich coun-tries should provide assistance to the conti-nent on a sustained basis to put it on the path

of development rather than responding to crises. While welcoming the decision of the industrialised nations

to reduce or write off debt of heavily indebted Africannations, Indian delegate Suresh Kurup, said theemphasis should be on investment in Africa’shuman resources and development of theprivate sector, apart from increase in aidlevels and debt relief.

Intervening in the debate on ‘NewPartnership for Africa Development’(NEPAD) in the U.N. GeneralAssembly, Kurup, a Member ofParliament, said Africa essentially neededadditional financial assistance over anextended period of time to meet its humanneeds and development goals, and the internationalcommunity needs to remain engaged during the transitionperiod from relief to development.

Stressing that Africa holds the key to its own development,Kurup said the objective of development would be best servedby an African-led and African-developed agenda. “The issuesand challenges facing Africa, and their solutions, are bestknown to African countries themselves.”

Asking the international community to move from“rhetoric to action”, the lawmaker cautioned against the newinitiative meeting the fate of earlier ones, most of which

failed to live up to the promises they made. Observing that India has consistently endeavoured to be a

friend and partner of Africa in its development efforts, Kurupsaid New Delhi’s objective has been to impart a substantiveeconomic content to the relationship. “Despite limitedresources, India has, over the years, made contributions toseveral Africa-specific funds and programmes. The Indian

Technical and Economic Cooperation Programmehas over many decades provided a framework for

enhancing cooperation between India andthe African countries,” he noted.

Over the past six months, he told thedelegates, projects worth $84.30 millionhave been approved within the frame-work of NEPAD line of credit and sev-eral projects, supported by India, have

been approved. Besides, India has “fair-ly extensive” investments in a number of

African countries. Referring to the assistance India is provid-

ing, Kurup said it has started work on a connec-tivity mission in Africa which will support tele-education,

tele-medicine, e-commerce, e-governance, resource-mappingand meteorological services.

“The seamless and integrated satellite, fiber optics and wire-less network, to be provided by India, will connect five uni-versities, 51 learning centers, 10 super-specialty hospitals and53 patient-end locations in rural areas spread all over Africa andwould put in place a network providing video conferencingfacilities connecting all 53 heads of state/government in Africa,”he told the 191-member Assembly. ■■

Debt relief not enough, help Africa to develop: India

II ndia and Sudan strengthened their political and economic ties duringMinister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed’s visit to Sudan in early

November. This was the first official visit from India to Sudan after the formation

of the Government of National Unity in Sudan in September as envis-aged under the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed betweenthe Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM).

“The visit was aimed at establishing high-level political contact with theSudanese Government of National Unity,” the Ministry of External Affairssaid in a statement.

Ahamed represented India at the signing of the historic peace treaty inNairobi in January this year between the government of Sudan and SPLMleader John Garang. He also represented India at the donors’ conferenceon Sudan in Oslo in April where India pledged a grant of $10 million, anda concessional line-of-credit of $100 million for the reconstruction of thatcountry.

Ahamed discussed with Sudanese leaders the possibility of expandingcooperation in other areas such as infrastructure development, power gen-eration, water supply and management, agriculture, education, informa-tion technology and health. ■■

Ahamed’s visit to Sudan establishes ‘high-level political contact’


Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed at theDonors’ Conference on Sudan held in Oslo, Norway, onApril 12, 2005.

13November 2005

TThe “Made in India” exhibition held inJohannesburg in November attracted some60 Indian participants, some of whom wereoptimistic about contacts established duringthe event.

The third exhibition of its kind over the past few years, theevent featured a diversity of Indian industry, from small-scaleentrepreneurs to automotive component manufacturers andeven large companies that are well-established in South Africa,such as the Tata Group and Mahindra & Mahindra.

The expo was organised jointly by the Confederation ofIndian Industry (CII) and the office of the Indian consul-gen-eral in Johannesburg. For the first time, the Indian HealthMinistry’s Department of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani,Siddha and Homoeopathy) and the Department of Scienceand Technology participated in the exhibition to highlightalternative forms of medicine and health pioneered by India.

“We are highlighting the courses run in India and theresearch work done there in the areas of traditional and natu-ral health and medicines,” said Dr. Ishwar Basavaraddi of theMorarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi.

Sanjay Grover, director, CII, said the exhibition was not aconsumer show but a trade exhibition that was intended to cre-ate awareness more than actual sales, and the real success wouldonly be gauged after contacts made hadbeen followed up in coming months.Commenting on the participation of theCouncil for Scientific and IndustrialResearch (CSIR), Grover said: “Theyhave 39 laboratories in India and are verystrong in patenting intellectual propertywork, and they may not be doing anybusiness here but the idea is that they cre-ate awareness about the capability ofIndia.”

Consul-General of India Suresh Goelsaid: “The aim of the exhibition has beento project India as a complete countrywhich is modern; which offers lifestyles,goods and technologies that could bedeveloped in partnership with SouthAfrica.”

Monika Handa, assistant director ofthe Automotive ComponentManufacturers Association of India, who led a delegation of sixmembers, had mixed reactions about the event: “Some of thecompanies are very happy and some of them are a little disap-pointed because the flow did not result in the kind of businessthey were expecting. But otherwise all the companies are verykeen to do business with South Africa and, after this first visit,they have seen a lot of potential in this country and will comeback again.”

Iqbal Meer-Sharma, who represented the South AfricanMinistry of Trade and Industries, said there were three advan-

tages for South Africans with the “Madein India” exhibition.

“It brings India to those South Africancompanies that are not able to travel toIndia. Secondly, it is wonderful that wehave such a diversity of products, whichshows the diversification of the trade bas-ket between India and South Africa.

“Finally, it’s a fantastic opportunity forjoint ventures between India and SouthAfrica in the context of black economicempowerment.”

Among the exhibitors were compa-nies that were into the manufacture ofagricultural machinery and farm equip-ment, automobiles, chemicals, cosmeticsand toiletries, construction industry,drugs and pharmaceuticals, electricalappliances, garments, gems and jewellery,handicrafts, herbal products, information

technology and communication, leather products, petro-chemicals, plastic and linoleum products, research and devel-opment, services, hospital management, hospitality, buildingmaterial, textile machinery and accessories, as well as thoseinvolved in the tourism sector.

According to the organisers, professionals related to thefields of agri products, engineering products, garments,medicines, petrochemicals, hospitality, electrical appliances,healthcare products, tourism, water management visited theexhibition. ■■

‘Made in India’ exhibition held in Johannesburg


The inauguration of the ‘Made in India Show’ held in Johannesburg,South Africa, from November 16 to 20. Seen in the photo are, fromleft, Iqbal Meer-Sharma, deputy director general, Department of Trade& Industry, Government of South Africa, Carl Neiehaus, chief execu-tive, Gauteng Economic Development Agency, Johannesburg, andSatyabrata Pal, High Commissioner for India, South Africa.

“The ‘Made in India’ exhibition is a fantastic

opportunity for joint ventures between Indiaand South Africa in the

context of black economicempowerment. It alsobrings India to those

South African countriesthat are not able to travel

to India” said Iqbal Meer-Sharma of SouthAfrica’s Department of

Trade and Industry.

14 November 2005


TThe state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.(BHEL) has been selected for a $500 millionturnkey power project in Sudan, the second-largest Indian investment in the Africannation.

The 500-1,000 MW power generation project in WhiteNile State in central Sudan would make BHEL the largestIndian investor in the country after the Oil and Natural GasCorporation (ONGC), said Sudan’s Ambassador to India,Abdalmahmood A. Mohammad.

Other than equity participation inthree exploration blocks in Sudan,ONGC has completed a 741-km oilproducts pipeline project in thecountry.

“The agreement to start the pro-ject will be signed by the end inDecember,” Mohammad told AfricaQuarterly on the sidelines of theThird Indo-Arab Conference organ-ised by the Associated Chambers ofCommerce and Industry of India(Assocham).

“Technical and financial discus-sions are on to finalise the turnkey project agreement for powergeneration and transmission which will help Sudan meet halfits power needs,” he said.

Sudan’s Finance Minister is expected to arrive in NewDelhi for the signing of the agreement. Its cost is to be shared,with India contributing $350 million and the remaining $150million being borne by Sudan.

Cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs, the projectwould utilise part of the first half of a $100 million line of cred-it extended by India for economic development in the coun-try during President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s visit to Sudan inOctober 2003.

“The first tranche of $50 million line of credit has been usedup for projects by RITES Ltd., a feasibility study by TCIL toset up a cyber city, solar electrification of 1,000 villages,strengthening a power grid transmission line and setting up asolar power equipment plant,” the Ambassador said.

“For the remaining $50 millionline of credit, various candidates haveapproached us to undertake projectslike setting up a railway line, bridgesand seaport, and rehabilitation ofindustries. Being an agriculture econ-omy, we are also keen to benefit fromIndia’s experience in green revolu-tion,” he added.

Mohammad, who is the Dean ofthe African diplomatic corps in India,called for greater linkages betweenIndia and the Arab world in hisaddress. He highlighted the fact that

nearly 15 percent of India’s trade is with the Arab world andnearly two-thirds of its energy requirements are met from theregion. “Interaction between India and the Arab world cangreatly benefit from Third World option as well as multilater-al funding, taking into consideration the membership of bothregions in the different international grouping, financial andeconomic institutions,” he said. While “the Arab world has thecapital, India has the opportunities”, he noted. ■■

BHEL chosen to set up mega power plant in Sudan

Sudan’s Finance Minister isexpected to arrive in New Delhi

for the signing of the agreement,said Ambassador

Abdalmahmood A. Mohammad.Its cost is to be shared, with

India contributing $350 millionand the remaining $150 million

being borne by Sudan.

LL eading African oil and gas produc-ers like Nigeria and Angola have

told India that participation in their eco-nomic development on the lines ofChina and South Korea is key to win-ning exploration blocks.

“While expressing keenness onIndian participation in their explorationand other petroleum activities, bothNigeria and Angola have conveyed thatpreference will be given to those offer-ing attractive economic packages,” saidPetroleum Secretary S.C. Tripathi, wholed the Indian delegation to the WorldPetroleum Congress in South Africa.

“How much share you get in a block,they say, depends on the economicdevelopment package you give,”Tripathi explained.

In August, India’s state-ownedONGC Videsh Ltd. got only a smaller25 percent stake in two prime Nigerianoffshore blocks despite the highest bid,while South Korea’s national oil compa-ny was awarded a 65 percent stake withadditional weightage being given for itsplans to build a gas pipeline, a shipyard,a rail link and a power plant.

Similarly in Angola, ONGC Videshlost out to the Chinese in the race for a50 percent stake in an exploration blockbeing offloaded by global energy majorRoyal Dutch Shell on the same yard-stick.

During presentations at thepetroleum congress, African countriesemphasised that participation in infras-tructure and other development projects

would be key to their favouring a partic-ular bid for oil blocks.

With large areas of Africa still under-developed, the oil-rich nations in theregion are using the promise of theirexploration blocks to lure investments ininfrastructure and development projects.

“The two African countries haveasked us to work out economic packagesto include projects like roads, ports, andrefineries as well as other infrastructureprojects,” a senior Indian official said.

About 180 blocks in Nigeria, includ-ing several awarded during earlierrounds and likely to be relinquished byholding companies, will soon be up forgrabs.

Angola, too, is expected to invite bidsfor offshore blocks in January 2006. ■■

Angola, Nigeria seek development as India eyes more oil blocks

SSouth Africa enjoyed thebiggest public Diwali cele-brations in its history thisyear as local and expatriateIndians, black and white

communities got together to mark theHindu festival of lights across the coun-try.

The most historic event took place atthe Constitution Hill in Johannesburg,where Mahatma Gandhi and NelsonMandela were imprisoned. Many otherprominent South African freedom fight-ers were also confined in this formerprison, earlier known as The Fort.

The celebrations were hosted jointlyby the Indian mission here and the Cityof Johannesburg. Taking part in the cel-ebrations, city mayor Amos Masondosaid: “The Constitution Hill is a symbolof the struggles of the people of India andthe people of South Africa. We areindeed proud that Gandhi lived and ledthe Passive Resistance Campaign in thiscity.”

Masondo said plans were under wayto mark the centenary next year ofGandhi’s famous speech on the steps ofthe old Imperial Theatre in downtownJohannesburg, which set in motion apowerful campaign of resistance againstoppression and injustice.

“Mandela and Gandhi continued the

tradition of Lord Rama, who manythousands of years ago fought a valiantand sterling battle against the formidabledemon Ravana, said Masondo.

“The message of Diwali is simple, yetprofound, and retains its importance tothis day. The message of Diwali remindsus that we need to look deep within our-selves to assist in fighting the evils ofracism, poverty, xenophobia and dis-criminations that afflict our societies.”

Indian High CommissionerSatyabrata Pal regaled the audience withhis eloquent address. He narrated a taleof how a foreign diplomat visiting Indiato assist in peace talks with Pakistan atDiwali time had feared that India hadexercised its nuclear option when heheard massive fireworks explosions.

The evening was rounded off with aperformance by a visiting Maharashtrian

Lavani Music and Dance group and localZulu dancers. As the performance raisedthe spirits, a number of dignitariesincluding the city mayor joined thedancers on the stage.

A fireworks display was organised inJohannesburg and in the Indian domi-nated township of Lenasia, where thou-sands gathered at the Rameshwar tem-ple. At the temple, South African Safetyand Security Minister Charles Nqakulasaid he had brought his young childrenalong so that they could remember laterin their lives the proud heritage thatIndians have.

While the events in Johannesburgwere the first of their kind, the annualbeachfront Diwali Festival attractedthousands of people of all races inDurban, where the majority of SouthAfrica’s 1.2 million Indians live.

Deputy President PhumzileMlambo-Ngcuka was present at the cel-ebrations as the guest speaker. In hisspeech, Ngcuka compared the heroicsof Lord Rama with Mandela andGandhi.

“The story of Lord Rama needs to betold from generation to generation,enhancing goodwill among our peopleand bringing them all together,” he tolda crowd undeterred by bad weather withrains. ■■

South Africa witnesses biggest ever Diwali celebrations

15November 2005


AAmusical troupe led by Bollywood playback singer Mohammed Salaamat delighted an audience in South Africa’s com-mercial capital with a lively rendering of film songs. Salaamat, on a month-long tour of South Africa with his troupe, sang

immortal favourites of his idol, the legendary playback singer Mohammad Rafi, and had the audience pleading for more at theEmperor’s Palace entertainment centre in Johannesburg.

Accompanied by the energetic and lively Roshan Rahi, Sulbha Nandkishore, SheetalAmbekar and Mohammed Asim, Salaamat again showed that he knows exactly what SouthAfrican audiences want. He last visited South Africa three years ago. Salaamat drew from hisrepertoire of 700 songs that he has recorded of Rafi.

Although Salaamat also performed a few more recent playback songs, including the titlesong of the film ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, with which he got his first break in the indus-try, it was left largely to other artists to provide the balance for the younger set in the audi-ence. The remix versions of oldies by Roshan and Sheetal proved quite popular.

Of the female singers, the younger Sheetal appeared to be more confident on stage as shebelted peppy numbers. Sulbha was more reserved, with more serious songs in both solo andduet items.

Mimic artist Vicky provided the excellent band of six musicians with a break halfwaythrough. The tour also took the group to Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and otherareas over the month. ■■

Playback singer Mohammed Salaamat thrills South Africa

A F R I C A C O N C L A V E

Technology transfer, trade and training–– this is the new trinity that binds amodern India and a resurgent Africa onthe cusp of a defining transformation intheir age-old relationship. As these twogiants get ready to take their placeunder the global sun, the spotlight isnow on the burgeoning business rela-tions between them. Indeed, Africa has

emerged as the new land of opportunity for Indian businessand industry. And what is more important, India is beingincreasingly perceived as an equal partner that, unlike the West,has an emotional stake in empowering and enriching Africa.

The resounding success of the ‘India-Africa ProjectPartnership 2005: Expanding Horizons’ held in New Delhifrom November 6 to 8 underscored the huge potential for fur-

ther expansion of business and trade relations between thetwo sides. The conclave, organised by the Confederation ofIndian Industry (CII) and the Export-Import Bank of India(EXIM India), organised in collaboration with the Departmentof Commerce and the Ministry of External Affairs, was attend-ed by 160 delegates from 32 African countries and led to over600 one-on-one meetings between them and Indianentrepreneurs. Over 70 projects, valued at above $5 billion,were discussed at the conclave.

The first conclave of this nature and scale was organised ear-lier this year (March 2-4) to develop a model for promotingpartnership between the government and the private sector forenhancing India’s participation in the development prioritiesof African countries. The March conclave was a big successresulting in advance information on 178 projects valued at $6billion and the signing of 12 MoUs.

More than these impressive statistics attesting toa new confidence in the blossoming India-Africaties, what made the conclave a memorable one wasthe sheer energy and enthusiasm among delegatescoming from diverse backgrounds but charged bythe thrill of a new voyage and new horizons. Forthree days, the venue of the conclave sported a car-nival-like atmosphere radiating the new exuber-ance and vitality that has come to characterise an oldrelationship.

Ideology, reminiscent of an earlier era of ashared struggle against colonialism and imperial-ism, was clearly outdated, with the spotlight shift-ing to technology and development. “India looksforward to participating in the African renaissance–– much as we did in its struggle against colonialdomination and apartheid. And we believe we canmake a genuine contribution because our owndevelopment experience bears a special relevance toAfrica’s requirements,” K. Natwar Singh, formerExternal Affairs Minister, said in his inauguraladdress.

Shashi Tripathi, Secretary (West), captured the

16 November 2005

Doing Businesswith AFRICA

The new architecture of India-Africa relations is bound by three Ts ––Technology, Trade and Training –– and the expanding horizons of

business partnership between the two giants was outlined at a landmarkconclave held in the Indian capital recently, writes Manish Chand

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who delivered the valedictory addressat the Africa conclave, with Abdalmahmood AbdalhaleemMohammad, Sudanese Ambassador and Dean of the AfricanDiplomatic Corps.


new note in bilateral ties: “This is a new era. We are in a tech-nological age. We have to forge a new relationship based onthe architecture of new technologies.”

“Earlier, relations between India and Africa were based ondifferent factors like the struggle against colonialism, cold warand ideological battles of that time. Today’s issues are those ofbread and butter,” said Sierra Leone’s Minister of ForeignAffairs and International Cooperation Momodu Karoma.“What we in Africa are looking for noware technologies better equipped to tack-le Africa’s needs like food, agro-process-ing, health and rural development...Technologies in India are more robustand are better suited to the African envi-ronment.”

Stressing on the spirit of self-reliancethat animates African nations, ZaddockM. Syongoh, Assistant Minister in theKenyan Ministry of Trade and Industry,said: “What we are looking from India istechnology transfer and value addition.We don’t want sweets; we want machinesto produce sweets.”

Navdeep Suri, Joint Secretary (WestAfrica) –– he has since been namedConsul General of the IndianConsulate in Karachi –– was quiteimpressed with the “high quality ofparticipation” in this conclave.“There was a great deal of enthusiasmamong delegates. The conclave alsohelped to cement relations withcountries like Sierra Leone andGuinea Bissau with whom we didn’thave substantial relationship in thepast. We hope that the initial contacts made during this con-clave will produce a number of project ideas which will fur-ther strengthen our relations with African countries and helpin their development.”

This is no rhetoric, but a bare statement of the new buoy-ancy in the India-Africa business relations. The African econ-omy has been steadily growing, registering an all-time high incombined real GDP last year. Africa’s real GDP registered arise of 5.3 percent during 2004, up from 4.6 per cent duringthe previous year. High oil and commodity prices, macro-economic stability and progress in structural reforms are citedas the main reasons for the economic performance of theAfrican region. Real GDP growth of the African region is pro-jected to touch 5.9 percent in 2006.

India-Africa bilateral trade has risen from $967 million in1990-91 to $9.14 billion in 2004-05. India’s exports to Africahave risen from $394 million in 1990-91 to $5.4 billion in2004-05, accounting for 6.8 percent of its total exports.

South Africa replaced Nigeria as the preferred destinationfor India’s exports during the fiscal year 2004-05, accountingfor 17.8 percent of total exports to Africa. Other major exportdestinations include Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Sudan, Togo,

Mauritius, Algeria and Ghana. The conclave discussed a diverse array of subjects like rais-

ing trade and investment as well as avenues of technologytransfer and the need to address education and trainingrequirements in Africa. Delegates extensively discussed theneed for more enhanced Indian investment in vital sectors ofAfrica’s economy like infrastructure, information technology,agriculture, agro-processing, health care, pharmaceuticals,

power, transport and construction. The need for enhanced synergy in

small and medium enterprises (SMEs)attracted considerable attention, withspeaker after speaker stressing on its hugeemployment generation potential and itscapacity to make a difference to the livesof ordinary people.

Promoting and sustaining linkages toimprove business ties between the twosides was also discussed. The ‘FocusAfrica’ programme, started in 2002-03,initially focussed on the Sub-Saharanregion with emphasis on the seven majortrading partners of the region, namelyNigeria, South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya,

Ethiopia, Tanzania and Ghana whichtogether account for around 69 per-cent of India’s total bilateral tradewith the sub-Saharan region. The‘Focus Africa’ programme has beensubsequently extended to cover 17more countries –– Angola, Botswana,Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe,Namibia, Senegal, Ivory Coast,Uganda, Madagascar, Seychelles,Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Algeria, Libya

and Morocco. EXIM India manages many financing and support pro-

grammes to promote India’s trade and investment in theAfrican region. The bank has 27 operative lines of credit(LOCs) in the African region, including those extended withthe support of the government of India.

Y.C. Deveshwar, president, CII, however, believes thatthere is an urgent need “to re-engineer India’s trading pattern”with Africa as the India-Africa trade is “unfortunately skewed”both in terms of regional representation and in terms of prod-ucts. Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa account for two-fifthsof our exports and more than half our imports from Africa.

Besides, diamonds from South Africa make up a substan-tial proportion of our imports, with other imports beingrestricted to cashew nuts, metals and other primary products.Our exports are somewhat more diversified but dominated bypharmaceuticals and transport equipment.

Clearly, even as both sides continue to engage more fre-quently at such result-oriented fora, there is need for soberreflection and genuine introspection.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, while delivering his vale-dictory address, fittingly pointed out the dangers of hype and

17November 2005

“This is a new era. We are in atechnological age. We have toforge a new relationship based

on the architecture of new technologies.”

–– Shashi Tripathi, Secretary(West), Ministry of External Affairs

A F R I C A C O N C L A V E

18 November 2005

placed the burgeoning business relationship in perspective. Hespoke of the need for dovetailing business opportunities withthe larger project of nation-building.

“There is a large scope for improvement in the quality ofoutput which has resulted from these two conferences. Thatwould need active participation from both governments,focussed programme definition by industry captains and alsocreation of clearance mechanisms for a faster decision processby both countries,” said Kalam.

Kalam also held out hope for mitigating the AIDS epidemicin Africa, saying that an effective AIDS vaccine would be avail-able within five years.

In his professorial style, Kalam gave the audience a vividdemonstration of his pet idea –– integrated nation building ––and how the Indian experience could be used to empower andenrich Africa.

Although the focus of the conclave was expanding horizonsof business partnership between India and Africa, the meetbrought out the broad contours of a new architecture of India-Africa ties based on shared values and destiny.

As Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohammad, SudaneseAmbassador and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps,pointed out: “India-Africa relations are central to the conti-nent’s strategy for recovery and revival.”

Shashi Tripathi encapsulated this new optimism and thesky-is-the-limit mood. “We in India are sanguine that the 21stcentury belongs to India and Africa,” she said to loud applausefrom both Indian and African delegates.

“The spirit that guided Gandhi and Nehru is now show-ing us the way towards economic independence. We hope thatthe same spirit guides us in the future,” said the KenyanMinister Syongoh. ■■

Ideology is passé and technology is the new force bindingIndia and Africa, says Sierra Leone Foreign MinisterMomodu Karoma.

“Ideology doesn’t play a prominent role any more. Now it’smuch more important to seek welfare of the people rather thanfight abstract ideological battles,” Karoma told Africa Quarterlyin an interview here.

“Earlier, relations between India and Africa were based ondifferent factors like the struggle against colonialism, the coldwar and ideological battles of that time. Today’s issues arethose of bread and butter,” said Karoma, who was here toattend an India-Africa conclave.

The conclave, ‘India-AfricaProject Partnership 2005: ExpandingHorizons’, was organised by theConfederation of Indian Industry(CII) and the Export-Import Bank ofIndia (EXIM India), in collaborationwith the Department of Commerceand the Ministry of External Affairs.

“What we in Africa are looking fornow are technologies better equippedto tackle Africa’s needs like food,agro-processing, health and ruraldevelopment,” said Karoma, who isalso the Minister for InternationalCooperation. “In short, technologiesin India are more robust and are bet-ter suited to the African environment. On the contrary, tech-nology in the West is very fragile and sensitive to the environ-ment,” he said, while outlining the “exploitative” nature ofcostly Western technologies.

The Minister, who was taught by an Indian teacher, isupbeat about the future of the India-Africa relations. “We areengaged in a partnership for South-South cooperation thatgives meaning and substance to people’s lives. India hasachieved food security. This is one of the chief challenges con-fronting Africa. We have a lot to learn from India.

“India has addressed issues of disease and poverty betterthan Africa over a period of time. Generic drugs are far morecheaper in India than anywhere in the world,” he added.

Karoma also sounded enthusiastic about India and Africajoining hands to get their rightful place under the U.N. sun.Trying to play down feuding among African nations on theissue of U.N. reforms, he said: “Africa is falling prey to a lotof divisions and infighting. That’s why everyone can’t agree onhow to proceed. Africa should seize the opportunity to take itsrightful place in history. This is an opportunity that can’t bemissed. But the only way to do is to do it step by step.

“There is a commonality between our ambitions. India asa sub-continent is looking for aSecurity Council seat and Africa is acontinent seeking two seats in theSecurity Council.”

Karoma was all praise for India’shelp in peacekeeping operations inSierra Leone five years ago. India sentover 3,000 troops who formed thebackbone of the U.N. AssistanceMission in Sierra Leone. He alsolauded the Indian community in hiscountry for amalgamating itself withthe mainstream culture of SierraLeone. “There is a high presence ofIndians living in Sierra Leone, withchildren who were born and raised

there and are therefore Sierra Leonians,” he said.An admirer of Hindi films and things Indian, Karoma

recalled a childhood spent watching Bollywood films.“Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan werevery popular stars in Africa when I was young. Shah RukhKhan is a huge hit now.” And what is it about Bollywood thatappeals to him?

“Most Bollywood films are stories of love, deceit and stresson family values that have a powerful resonance in Africa,” saidKaroma, with a twinkle in his eyes. ■■

‘Indian technology is more suited to African conditions’

‘Technologies in India are morerobust and are better suited to

the African environment. On thecontrary, technology in the West

is very fragile and sensitive tothe environment,’ he said, while

outlining the “exploitative”nature of costly Western

technologies.

INTERVIEW


19November 2005

The Tatas, one of India’s top business groups, are the newstars in Africa whose popularity often surpasses that ofBollywood icons who are a favourite in the continent.

Go to Senegal and you will find a fleet of Tata buses blithe-ly cruising good, bad and indifferent roads in the country.

“We are extremely grateful to the Tata buses for making ourlife easier,” said a Senegalese official who was in New Delhifor the ‘India-Africa Project Partnership 2005: ExpandingHorizons’ conclave, organised by the Confederation of IndianIndustry (CII) and EXIM India.

Tata Motors is working on a World Bank project to replacelocally assembled vehicles with buses that are more in syncwith the needs of public transport.

“Africa is the focus region for the Tata Group. We got thetender in Senegal against stiff competition from Europeancompetitors,” P.G. Shankar, a senior executive with automo-bile major Tata Motors, told Africa Quarterly. “Transport is intotal disarray in most African countries. That’s why we decid-ed to offer transport solutions. We provide them with a pack-age deal that includes training, service, maintenance and mar-ket support. We have also invested in technology transfer.”

The Tatas are hoping to repeat their Senegal success storyin South Africa where they are planning to replace taxis withbuses. Trade unions connected with the taxi trade are vehe-mently opposing it, but the Tata executives are confident that

they will eventually get a share of the business in the country’srevamped transport system. “There is really no alternative,"said a Tata executive.

There are around 15,000 to 20,000 Tata vehicles engagedin transporting passengers and goods in Africa. DharmendraThoria, regional head of the Africa Division of Tata Motors,said: “Our product is easily adaptable to environment condi-tions. Besides, we have a great after-market support and train-ing system in place.”

Besides the vehicles segment, the Tatas are also planningto entrench themselves in other sectors like chemicals, soft-ware and IT. In Morocco, Tata Chemicals is involved in a pro-ject to manufacture fertilisers. Tata Infotech and TataConsultancy are working on various projects all over Africa.

Tata Motors has made inroads into the South African carmarket, selling more than 500 units of its premier modelsIndica and Indigo since their introduction six months ago.Tata Motors and Tata Africa have already announced a rangeof passenger cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and busesfor the South African market. The Tatas set up their first com-pany in Africa in the 1970s. Today, they are upbeat about busi-ness prospects in the continent and predict an exponentialgrowth in the African market. Tata Motors won the CII-EXIMBank ‘Award for Business Excellence’ for its commercial vehi-cles business unit at the conclave. ■■

Tata cars, buses and trucks on an African safari

Kenya has made a strong pitch for India’s inclusion inthe U.N. Security Council and said that Africa trustsIndia more than the West and China in its pursuit of

technical and economic self-reliance. “India is like an elderbrother to Africa and showing us the way towards technolog-ical and economic independence. We want the elder brotherto be in the U.N. Security Council,”Zaddock M. Syongoh, AssistantMinister in the Kenyan Ministry ofTrade and Industry, told AfricaQuarterly in an interview.

“The spirit that guided(Mahatma) Gandhi and (Jawaharlal)Nehru is now showing us the waytowards economic independence.We hope that the same spirit guidesus in the future,” said the dapperminister, in New Delhi to attend anIndia-Africa summit.

“India inspired Africa to strugglefor its independence. India impartedleadership to the Non-AlignedMovement that cushioned Africa from the cold war betweenthe two warring blocs,” he said. “India deserves to speak for usat international fora and we shall give you the support as youseek a seat in the Security Council.

The Minister said he is optimistic about the G4 countries–– comprising India, Japan, Brazil and Germany –– and theAfrican Union presenting a common plan for the expansionof the U.N. Security Council.

Compared to the West and China, Africa’s bonds withIndia are emotional and non-exploitative, the Minister said.

“Ideologically and in terms of moralauthority, we don’t trust China. Butwith India we are emotionallyattached,” he said. “We can quarrelin the morning and eat a meal in theevening. We trust India because itunderstands us and will not allow usto be exploited.”

Upbeat about the emergence ofAfrica as the new investment desti-nation for India, he said: “Fifty yearsfrom now, we see a transformation ofAfrica into a major trading partner.”

The Minister said he was confi-dent that India would help its“younger brother” Africa to achieve

technological self-reliance in the days to come. “What we arelooking from India is technology transfer and value addition.We don’t want sweets; we want machines to produce sweets,”he stressed. ■■

‘India showing us the way to economic independence’

“What we are looking from India is technology transfer

and value addition. We don’twant sweets; we want

machines to produce sweets,”stressed Zaddock M. Syongoh,

Assistant Minister in Kenya’s Ministry of Trade

and Industry.

INTERVIEW

20 November 2005

Q: What kind of role do you envision for India in the resurgenceof a new Africa on the global stage?A: Africa, in fact, is already undergoing resurgence. This isreflected in the fact that the GDP of 20 African countries isnow growing consistently at over 5 percent per annum. Two-thirds of Africa has seen multi-party elections in recent years.The principles of democracy and good governance are beingembraced around the continent. Despite ongoing problemsin a few countries, there is no doubt in my mind that we arewitnessing a broad-based resurgence in the African conti-nent.

India has always enjoyed exceptionally warm relations withAfrica. We hope to be Africa’s trusted partners as this greatcontinent moves to take its rightful place in the internation-al arena. A number of countries in Africa see India as a rolemodel for our accomplishments in sectors as diverse as agri-culture and small industries on one hand and IT and spacetechnology on the other. There is a growing recognition thatIndia can be an ideal partner in economic development anda reliable source of affordable products, services and tech-nologies. Q: Relations between India and Africa have been traditionallywarm and mutually reinforcing, and marked by idealism anda shared struggle against colonialism. Do you see the need forreinventing India-Africa relations as “equal partners” to fightcommon problems like poverty and illiteracy? What should bethe components of India’s ‘Focus Africa’ policy?A: India’s relationship with Africa should not be seen throughthe prism of a static timeframe. It is a dynamic process that isconstantly reinventing itself with the passage of time even aswe remain committed to the core values that bind us. We cer-tainly see ourselves as Africa’s partner in its quest for bettereducation and health care. In his address to the Pan-AfricanParliament in South Africa in September 2004, our Presidentannounced an initiative to develop a Pan-African Networkthat would demonstrate the benefits of tele-education andtele-medicine to all countries in Africa. Our scientists andtechnologists have subsequently prepared a detailed projectreport which was formally endorsed by the African Union inJuly 2005. We have already signed a formal MoU with the

African Union on this project. This would kick off the imple-mentation of this landmark project in a phased mannerthroughout the African continent. Q: India is still hopeful of the African Union (AU) joininghands with the G-4 for expansion of the U.N. Security Council.How confident are you of Africa’s support for India’s bid for apermanent seat in the U.N. Security Council?A: As we observe the 60th anniversary of the United Nations,there is a unanimity among the member-states that theUnited Nations is in need of urgent and comprehensivereform. The United Nations must become more democrat-ic, transparent and efficient in order to deal with the myriadchallenges of today’s world more effectively. Its structure andinstitutions must reflect the contemporary realities and notthose of 1945. The consensus of the member-states on vari-ous proposals on U.N. reform, as reflected in the OutcomeDocument of the Millennium Review Summit held in NewYork in September this year, provides a good basis to carry for-ward our endeavours on this vital issue.

The reform and expansion of the U.N. Security Council,in both permanent and non-permanent categories, is centralto the process of U.N. reform. There is a widespread andgrowing feeling that the democracy deficit in the governanceof the U.N. must be rectified by a reform of the U.N. SecurityCouncil. The initiative of the G-4, of which India is a mem-ber, presents an excellent opportunity for the empowermentof developing countries from Africa, Asia and other regions.This initiative has been steadily gathering support and is beingcarried forward; efforts to harmonise the positions of the G-4 and the African Union are continuing.

We are grateful for expressions of support by a very largenumber of countries in Africa for India’s candidature for a per-manent seat of the U.N. Security Council. Our close engage-ment with our friends in Africa on all aspects of U.N. reform,particularly on the issue of UNSC reform, is continuing, andit is our hope that we would rapidly move forward towardsthe achievement of our shared objectives. Q: What is the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement(NAM) and South-South cooperation in the post-Cold Warunipolar world? What can India and Africa –– the twin pio-

In one of his last interviews as External Affairs Minister, K. NatwarSingh tells Manish Chand that the evolution of India-Africa ties is “adynamic process that is constantly reinventing itself” even as both

sides remain committed to the core values of an equitable world order.

‘India is an ideal PARTNER OF AFRICA’

I N C O N V E R S A T I O N

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November 2005

neers of NAM –– do for revival of the NAM?A: The basic philosophy of NAM, in my opinion, is as rele-vant today as it was when it was founded by Pandit Nehrualong with other world leaders. The end of the Cold War hasin no way reduced the relevance of the NAM. The basic prin-ciple of NAM can be enunciated as the right of each countryto mould its foreign policy as per its own national interestswithout being influenced by pressures exerted by other coun-tries, power blocs, etc. By closely cooperating together, Indiaand Africa have shown the world that they are in a positionto chart their own destiny and utilise their national resources,manpower, etc., to best serve the interests of their people. Thisis a vindication of the NAM Charter and an ideal example ofSouth-South cooperation. Q: India has been an active participant inthe New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD). How do you seethe future of India’s participation inNEPAD?A: We see the NEPAD initiative as anextremely important step taken by Africato regain charge of its own destiny. Theprinciples and objectives of NEPAD havewon the admiration and support of theinternational community. The develop-ment of the African Peer ReviewMechanism (APRM) is a particularlyremarkable creation to support the prin-ciples of good governance in the politicaland economic spheres. In recognition ofthese endeavours, India has committed aconcessional line of credit of $200 millionto the NEPAD programme. I am happyto say that we have already approved pro-jects to the tune of $84 million under thisline of credit. Q: India has had strong relations witheastern and southern Africa, but the samecan’t be said of its relations with West andCentral Africa. Likewise, we have shareda better rapport with Anglophone Africathan Francophone Africa. What can bedone to raise India’s profile in these rela-tively neglected regions?A: I think it would be wrong to say thatwe do not have close relations with coun-tries in Western and Central Africa. Afterall, our ties with giants like PresidentSenghor of Senegal, President Nkrumahof Ghana and President Lumumba of theDemocratic Republic of Congo are amatter of historical record. There are, nevertheless, othercountries in Francophone Africa where we have not enjoyeda similar relationship. We are conscious of this fact and havemade a serious effort to address this anomaly. A specific exam-ple is the TEAM-9 programme that was launched in 2004 toestablish closer ties between India and eight countries in West

Africa. Bolstered by a $500 million line of credit, the TEAM-9 programme is already beginning to transform our relation-ship in this region. We have approved projects worth $282million in the TEAM-9 countries and the success of this pro-gramme is reflected in the fact that we have received requeststo expand the group through inclusion of a number of othercountries. Q: Bilateral trade between India and Africa is far below poten-tial. What can be done to expand trade and economic relationsbetween the two sides?A: While no doubt the bilateral trade between India and Africais below its true potential, I would like to point out that therehas been a substantial growth in our exports to Africa in recentyears. This is borne out by figures.

We are constantly reviewing how ourcommercial and economic relations withvarious African countries can furtherexpand. Promoting exchange of visits bybusiness delegations from India andAfrica, regular holding of trade fairs andexhibitions in various African countries,signing of PTAs/FTAs wherever possible,providing lines of credit, etc., are some ofthe measures being taken by us for fos-tering our economic and commercial tieswith Africa. Q: How do you envisage India’s role vis-à-vis various regional organisations ofAfrica like AU, SADC and ECOWAS?A: We attach great importance to ourlinks with regional organizations like theAU, SADC and ECOWAS. We are mak-ing special efforts to develop our relationswith these regional blocs. The first meet-ing of the Indo-SADC forum is sched-uled to be held in December in this year. Q: What kind of cooperation is possiblebetween India and Africa in various mul-tilateral fora and institutions?A: There is a great similarity of perspec-tive between India and Africa on variousregional and international issues. This isnatural considering that they both sharea common history of colonial rule andhave been facing similar challenges intheir attempt to overcome the legacy ofpoverty, backwardness, illiteracy, etc.India and Africa have been cooperatingclosely in various world fora and I amsure they would continue to do so. Q: Finally, what, according to you, are

promising areas of growth that can impart a new dimension andresonance to the India-Africa relations?A: Indo-African relations are poised to grow in all fields.However, among the areas which hold special promise onemay mention IT, small-scale industries, agriculture, humanresource development and capacity-building. ■■

We are grateful for supportby a very large number of

countries in Africa forIndia’s candidature for a

permanent seat of the U.N.Security Council. Our

close engagement with ourfriends in Africa on all

aspects of U.N. reform iscontinuing, and it is our

hope that we would rapidlymove forward towards theachievement of our shared

objectives.

With the onset of theglobalisation process,the mode of transac-tions among the nationsis undergoing a qualita-tive shift, redefining thetrajectory of their rela-tions. India-Africa rela-tions are no exception

to it. Africa is not a homogenous entity and the pattern ofinteraction between India and the African countries has beenvaried in nature. It will continue to be diverse in the future too.Globalisation has, however, ushered radical changes in inter-state relations and diplomacy. It would, therefore, be a usefulexercise to establish a tentative roadmap and explore a frame-work within which the future relationship between India andAfrica can grow and find new forms.

Though de-territorialisation is remapping the region, Africaremains relevant classification in terms of economic, politicaland social expanse, carrying over the legacy of an unequalexchange of the colonial past and of the neocolonial present.It is ironical that of the 50 countries classified by the UnitedNations as the least developed, 34 are found in Africa.Measured in terms of its share in global wealth, investment andtrade, Africa remains on the margin of the emerging globaltrends.1

What is more alarming is the fact that, in the age of global-isation, the continent is increasingly being pushed out of themainstream. It is more a part of exclusionary processes than ofinclusion. No wonder it is lagging behind in accessing thegains of a new technological revolution. It is still struggling toovercome the structural rigidities inhibiting it to be engagedwith the global information-communication-technology(ICT) regime. While the initiatives have to be local, their glob-al dimensions demand that Africa also needs facilitating exter-nal support. Certainly, India could be a partner in this endeav-our.

In the globalising economy, information and knowledge arethe principal source of development. The rise of the “knowl-edge economy” is reconfiguring the nature of resource endow-

ment and the comparative and competitive advantages thataccrue from it. The economic regime of the manufacturing,industrial economy of the 20th century is being redefined bythe time-space compression where resource is informationand knowledge and where intellectual capital is the asset.Knowledge has always been a factor of production, and a driv-er of economic and social development. Earlier economiesdepended, for example, on knowledge about how to farm,how to build and how to manufacture. However, the capaci-ty to manipulate, store and transmit large quantities of infor-mation cheaply has increased at a staggering rate over recentyears.

The digitisation of information and the associated perva-siveness of the Internet are facilitating a new intensity in theapplication of knowledge to economic activity to the extent thatit has become the predominant factor in the creation of wealth.As much as 70 to 80 percent of economic growth is now saidto be due to new and better knowledge.2 This has enhancedthe importance of human capital in the development process-es of the globalising world economy. Companies are out-sourcing their activities to cut down the cost by employinghuman capital all over the globe. Estimates are that over 70 per-cent of workers in developed economies are informationworkers; many factory workers use their heads more than theirhands.

The knowledge economy differs from the traditional econ-omy in several key respects:3

■■■■ The economics is not of scarcity, but rather of abundance.Unlike most resources that deplete when used, informationand knowledge can be shared, and actually grow through appli-cation.■■■■ The effect of location is diminished. Using appropriatetechnology and methods, virtual marketplaces and virtualorganisations can be created that offer benefits of speed andagility, of round-the-clock-operation and of global reach.■■■■ Laws, barriers and taxes are difficult to apply on a solelynational basis. Knowledge and information “leak” to wheredemand is the highest and the barriers are the lowest.■■■■ Knowledge enhanced products or services can commandprice premiums over comparable products with low embed-

22 November 2005

Girijesh Pant outlines an emerging partnership between India andAfrica in creating a brave new knowledge society and maps out a

growing symmetry of interests between the two in a globalising world.

BRAVE NEWKnowledge Society

E M E R G I N G P A R T N E R S

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November 2005

ded knowledge or knowledge inten-sity. Pricing and value depends heav-ily on context. Thus, the same infor-mation or knowledge can have vast-ly different value to different peopleat different times.■■■■ Knowledge, when locked into sys-tems or processes, has higher inher-ent value than when it can “walk outof the door” in people’s heads.■■■■ Human capital is a key componentof value in a knowledge-based com-pany, yet few companies report com-petency levels in annual reports. Incontrast, downsizing is often seen asa positive “cost cutting” measure.

From Knowledge Economy to Knowledge Society for Sustainable Development

Though knowledge is the currency of the new economy,it may fail to generate the processes correcting structuraldeficits faced by the developing countries if it does not

addresses the issue of sustainability. Sustainable developmentis increasingly emerging as the main challenge facing the worldas prosperity continues to remain unevenly distributed, trig-gering discontent that often assumes violent forms.4

It needs to be underlined here even at the risk of digressionthat the present crisis of terrorism has further reinforced theurgency of sustainability of development. The concept of sus-tainable development, however, is no more confined to envi-

ronmental issues alone. Its socialdimensions are becoming equallyalarming. Thus, the knowledge econ-omy, too, will have to address thetwin dimensions. The point is under-lined here because the new economyis further reinforcing the economicdisparities in the form of a pro-nounced digital divide. However, apublic policy that is sensitised to theseconsequences could address theissues by employing the knowledgeresources for equity.

“Knowledge has become the keyresource. Knowledge has value, but

so too does knowledge about knowledge. Creating value isabout creating new knowledge and capturing its value. Themost important property is now intellectual property, notphysical property. And it is the hearts and minds of people,rather than traditional labour, that are essential to growth andprosperity. Workers at all levels in the 21st century knowledgesociety will need to be life-long learners, adapting continuouslyto changed opportunities, work practices, business models andforms of economic and social organisation.”5

In the context of knowledge economy and sustainabledevelopment it is necessary to spell out that the present dis-course on the subject is predominantly carried on in the mar-ket perspective where knowledge is seen as a commodity.Secondly, it is also assumed that the developing world is suf-fering from knowledge deficit. The validity of these formula-tions depends on the very definition of knowledge. What the

Local students outside an Indian software coaching centre in Nigeria. (Photo: Courtesy, Ministry of External Affairs)

Africa is still struggling to overcome the structural rigiditiesinhibiting it to be engaged with

the global ICT regime. While theinitiatives have to be local, theirglobal dimensions demand that

Africa also needs facilitatingexternal support. Certainly, India

could be a partner in thisendeavour.

24 November 2005

developing world lacks is the ICT-based processes of information pro-cessing and data-mining technolo-gies. But they have enough under-standing of their habitat to negotiatewith the developmental needs. Whatis required, therefore, is that the ICTis taken as infrastructure to make useof local knowledge to address devel-opmental issues. The synergy of ICTand local knowledge will trigger thestructural changes that will enabledeveloping countries to overcometheir structural underdevelopment.This will also ensure social cohesion, thus meeting the twinconcerns of sustainable development.

Clearly, the sustainability of a knowledge society presup-poses a qualitative shift in the knowledge base, includinghuman skills. Further, the societies have to be constantlyengaged in innovative mode. This means fast changes in theskill needs. This could raise the serious issue of employabili-ty of the people in the job market. In other words, the issue ofsustainability has to address the challenges of the fast rate ofobsolescence of skills in the digital production processes.

“Lifelong learning must become a key public policy focus,and highlights the mutually reinforcing importance of the eco-nomic and social strands to successful knowledge societydevelopment.”6 In fact, the concept of knowledge society goesbeyond the defined technological parameters. It “includes adimension of social, cultural, economical, political and insti-tutional transformation, and a more pluralistic and develop-mental perspective. It better captures the complexity anddynamism of the changes taking place. The knowledge inquestion is important not only for economic growth but alsofor empowering and developing all sectors of society. Thus,the role of ICTs extends to human development more gener-ally, and, therefore, to such matters as intellectual cooperation,lifelong learning and basic human values and rights.”7

In the Ministerial Roundtable,UNESCO, October 2003, knowl-edge societies are defined in follow-ing terms:■■■■ Establishes relationship between acountry’s scientific capability and itsprosperity.■■■■ Stresses science and technology aswellspring for knowledge creation.■■■■ Calls on public/private sectors toinvest in science and technologycapacities, including research anddevelopment, science education, andelectronic networks for science and

research■■■■ Highlights affordable access to scientific content, such aspublications and databases as a critical development priority.■■■■ Stresses need to identify and preserve traditional knowledge,to apply ICT to make it available to all, and to establish appro-priate links with modern science.

Africa: Building Knowledge Society for Sustainable Development

Africa, too, is engaged with the processes aimed at build-ing a knowledge economy. Though by global stan-dards the continent has yet to build ICT infrastructure

to have accessibility at a scale to minimise the danger of the dig-ital divide, the more serious issue is to conceptualise the param-eters defining the knowledge at the present stage of develop-ment and the corresponding processes of capacity-building. Itis rightly observed that “knowledge-driven sustainable devel-opment must be pursued more forcefully to narrow the grow-ing knowledge divide, which will not be achieved in large partsof AKSs (Africa Knowledge Society) without a profoundreform of knowledge. Knowledge pursuits must better servesustainable development. For this, AKSs must seriously takeup the tremendous knowledge challenges they face. They

The synergy of ICT and localknowledge will trigger the structural changes making

developing countries overcometheir structural

underdevelopment. This willalso ensure social cohesion,

thus meeting the twin concernsof sustainable development.

The Entrepreneurial Training and Development Centre in Dakar, Senegal, that was set up with Indian technical and financial assistance. The $4.5 million centre was set up after an agreement was signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Senegal during the G-15 Summit in Harare inNovember 1996. (Photo: Courtesy, Ministry of External Affairs)


25


November 2005

must invest massively in knowledge to improve the social soiland environment on which it grows, keep abreast of knowl-edge development, set in motion dynamic knowledge-creat-ing processes, reduce knowledge deficits, free knowledge fromimpurities, strengthen knowledge infrastructure and institu-tions, fight knowledge obsolescence and increase knowledgeperformance. They must embark on a new adventure ofknowledge and realise a knowledge renaissance for knowl-edge-led sustainable development.”8

Clearly, the roadmap to aknowledge society for sus-tainable development woulddemand a networking of thelocal communities, theirknowledge and informationin the ICT infrastructure forvalidation and dispersal andsharing. This means a wideinfrastructure and access tothe target community like inthe areas of rural technolo-gies, rural agriculture (e.g.,farming systems), environ-mental rejuvenation and itssustainable utilisation, educa-tion, primary health care, etc.African countries are makingefforts to move towardsbuilding ICT infrastructure.The Organisation of AfricanUnity (OAU) has adoptedthe Africa InformationSociety Initiative.

The Africa preparatoryconference for the WorldSummit on the InformationSociety (WSIS) has in itsAccra Commitments out-lined the following priorities,to be adopted at a conferencein Tunis: ■■■■ Building the information societymust be inclusive of all stakeholdersincluding the government, as well asprivate sector, civil society and theUnited Nations and other regionaland international organisations.■■■■ Building the information andshared knowledge society will con-tribute to achieving the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) toimprove quality of life and eradicate poverty by creating oppor-tunities to access, utilise and share information and knowledge.■■■■ The international community will tackle information soci-ety building on the basis of commitments to remove obstaclesto bridging the digital divide.■■■■ Building an inclusive information society requires the use

of the languages of the concerned populations.■■■■ The utilisation of ICT technologies will advance the geo-graphic and political unity of the African continent andstrengthen, expand and facilitate growth of the African econ-omy for the betterment of our peoples’ lives.

Building an information society requires the constructionand maintenance of an adequate ICT infrastructure. The NewPartnership for Development (NEPAD) recognises ICT as thepriority sector. It is proposed that under NEPAD, the region

would enhance telephonelines by 100 percent at lowercosts, improving reliability ofcommunications services.Under the leadership ofAlpha Oumar Konaré, for-mer Malian president andcurrent chairman of theCommission of the AfricanUnion, an e-AfricaCommission has been set up.But knowledge society is notmerely the development ofinfrastructure. While it is theresponsibility of the state todevelop national infrastruc-ture policies that are afford-able and sustainable, the roleof civil society is central tomake it all-inclusive. “Africa’scivil society’s participation inthe information society is cru-cial for the promotion of sus-tainable and balanced devel-opment. This includes thepromotion of human devel-opment that is equitable, sus-tainable, holistic, inclusive ofall sectors of society, genderresponsive, participatory,people-centred and Afro-cen-

tric. The civil society can provideleverage to influence policy andensure that strategies and plansenable the development and thebuilding of an information societybased on social justice and humandevelopment.”9

It is also necessary that the market,the key player in ICT, be sensitised“to invest in and deliver services andinfrastructure to under- and un-

served areas with particular sensitivity to the needs ofmarginalised and vulnerable groups in society”. The pointmade here is that Africa, which has been the victim of thevolatility of market prices for its resources, could face similarsituation if the local resources for knowledge society are notdeveloped. This requires development of “local information

Students at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICT,above, which was inaugurated in 2003 in Accra. The India-AfricaPartnership has also seen joint collaboration in the field of education,below. (Photos: Courtesy, Ministry of External Affairs)

Building an information societyrequires the construction and

maintenance of an adequate ICTinfrastructure. The New

Partnership for Development(NEPAD) recognises ICT as the

priority sector.

26 November 2005

resource centres and to build capacity to produce and collectaccurate and relevant local content in official and national lan-guages and lingua franca taking cognizance of oral and tradi-tional forms of communications”. The contribution of civilsociety, however, depends upon its digital literacy. It is right-ly observed that, “Digitally literate civil society can make intel-ligent use of a mix of ICT tools to provide information to oth-ers on policy issues, engage citizens and government in poli-cy processes and increase participation in national, regional andglobal ICT governance issues.” Africa needs the critical massof digitally literate to transform the knowledge economy toknowledge society. Education is the essential enabler of knowl-edge society. It is here that India can play a vital role.

India-Africa Relations: Building Knowledge Society

The changing global premise of relations among thecountries demand that the India-Africa relations arecorrespondingly redefined. As pointed out earlier,

India’s engagement with Africa has been on a larger canvasranging from trade in commodities,investment, industrial collaboration,technical cooperation, etc. This pro-file will continue to grow as the twomarkets recognise the mutual com-plementarities. The ‘Focus Africa’programme is a recognition of thespecial emphasis on Africa in Indianforeign policy. It aims “at providing afunctional framework for sustainedpartnership between India and indi-vidual African countries, as well aswith regional groupings in the conti-nent. This framework would utiliseour core strength of strong demo-cratic values, our steady economicgrowth, our large pool of scientificand technical manpower and a diver-sified experience in development.”10

It is taking special measures to pro-mote bilateral commercial ties byextending credit lines.

India is looking for augmentingexports in fields like machinery andtransport equipment, petroleum products, paper and woodproducts, textiles, iron and steel, plastic and linoleum products,rubber manufactured products, agro products, chemicals, andpharmaceutical products. These countries can also be impor-tant sources for import of petroleum, metallurgical goods, rawcotton, fruit, vegetables and preparations, chemicals, non-metallic mineral manufactures, precious stones, textile yarn,gold, nickel, and ferro-alloys.11 Further, these countries offerpotential for investment in sectors such as tourism, pharma-ceuticals, electronics, computer software and accessories, infor-mation technology related products, financial services and tex-tiles. The table on the facing page provides the changing paceof the India-Africa trade. India is also pursuing an “out of the

box” approach in giving developmental content to its relationswith Africa.

One such initiative has been the to send 500 farmers to cul-tivate land in the East African nations by the Andhra Pradeshgovernment. It has signed letters of intent with Kenya for50,000 acres and with the Uganda Investment Authority for20,000 acres. The Indian farmers would work as entrepreneursand landowners, not as labourers. Authorities in East Africasigned the agreements to give land on a 99-year-old lease to afarmers co-operative society from Andhra Pradesh. Land inUganda is being given for $3.75 per acre while the governmentis still negotiating the price for Kenya.12

While India’s Africa policy has to work towards the facili-tation of these processes, it has to go beyond. The policy oughtto work towards those issues where Africa faces difficulty inmeeting developmental goals due to structural factors. Themarket would not be moving to these areas. One area whereAfrica faces such difficulty in the context of globalisation is thebuilding of a knowledge society. Again, as observed earlier, ithas to essentially be an indigenous effort, yet there are areas

where India.s engagement could beconceived.

One promising area could be theeducation for ICT. The knowledgesociety requires not only skills forICT but also analytical skills andeffective communication. Thisrequires an education system gearedtowards it. As observed by Dr. K.Y.Amoako, executive secretary,Economic Commission for Africa,“Software production is a mantra toIndian excellence. India has also beenaggressive in the development of lan-guage infrastructure through IT ––an area of considerable interest toAfrica, given its multiplicity of lan-guages. Software production is apotential entry point for Africa intoICT production. Compared to hard-ware, it is less capital intensive, morelabour intensive, and has a longershelf life. While there is a limited poolof expertise in this area in Africa,

Indian software houses face a large-scale migration of humanresources. Nonetheless, there are opportunities for African ITcompanies to work with Indian counterparts in gaining skills,resources and new software development culture and quali-ty.”13 It may, however, be pointed out while India has anadvantage over Africa in this sector, the premise of a future rela-tionship in the ICT sector lies primarily on the common objec-tives the two are pursuing, namely, “creating opportunitiesfor local communities to benefit from ICTs by providing sup-port (seed money for local innovation on low-cost and appro-priate technologies), enhancing private investment in ICTinfrastructure, and promoting national and international sup-port for rural community-based access”.14


Software production is a potential entry point for Africa

into ICT production. Comparedto hardware, it is less capital

intensive, more labour intensive,and has a longer shelf life. While

there is a limited pool of expertise in this area in Africa,Indian software houses face alarge-scale migration of humanresources. Nonetheless, thereare opportunities for African ITcompanies to work with Indiancounterparts in gaining skills,resources and new software

development culture and quality.

27November 2005

Trade Figures for the Sub-Saharan Region(Period: April-March)

Countries & Region 2001-2002 2002-2003 % GrowthExports Imports Trd. Bal Exports Imports Trd. Bal Exports Imports

Angol 25.02 0.01 25.1 37.30 7.20 30.10 49.10 ....Botswana 4.57 0.00 4.57 4.09 0.01 4.08 -10.00 5905.48Lesotho 0.25 3.78 0.01 3.77 1416.99Mozambique 30.87 6.91 24.26 46.70 27.77 18.93 51.27 320.01Namibia 9.88 0.19 9.69 4.97 3.27 1.70 -49.73 1649.35South Africa 352.94 1440.90 -1087.95 475.67 2089.57 -1613.90 34.77 45.02Swaziland 1.38 0.21 1.16 13.02 0.45 12.56 843.59 110.57Zambia 25.71 13.49 12.22 31.00 14.40 16.60 20.57 6.74Zimbabwe 12.50 18.49 -5.99 15.90 14.02 1.88 27.22 -24.17Southern Africa 463.12 1479.90 -1016.77 632.42 2156.68 -1524.26 36.56 45.73Bentin 55.42 43.05 12.36 66.35 38.19 26.16 16.12 -11.30Burkina Faso 9.47 12.71 -2.84 16.12 9.59 6.53 63.29 -24.56Cameroon 13.62 8.83 4.79 21.14 6.57 14.57 55.18 -25.54Canaryis 1.81 0.01 1.81 1.06 -41.36Cape Verdeis 0.11 0.11 1.97Congcprep 38.45 1.80 36.95 53.45 3.25 50.20 39.02 80.93Equi Guinea 0.44 0.11 0.01 0.10 -73.94Gaboin 5.53 10.25 -4.72 17.67 21.02 -3.36 219.65 105.09Gambia 13.55 0.52 13.04 14.06 4.52 9.54 3.76 777.61Ghana 68.41 19.92 48.49 105.56 18.63 86.92 54.30 -6.47Guinea 24.65 15.83 8.82 34.36 14.87 19.49 39.39 -6.10Guinea Bisu 7.32 9.68 -2.36 5.19 47.39 -42.19 -29.04 389.35Ivory Coast 52.73 76.35 -23.62 49.09 85.90 -36.82 -6.90 12.52Liberia 17.46 43.11 -25.65 4.57 2.22 2.22 -74.53 -94.84Mali 32.84 2.16 30.48 22.70 19.79 2.91 -30.46 -817.18Maurtiania 19.87 0.01 19.85 20.51 0.02 20.49 3.25 74.52Niger 35.44 0.60 34.84 52.99 0.06 52.93 49.53 -90.41Nigeria 563.14 87.12 476.03 449.84 77.75 372.09 -20.12 -10.75Sao Tome 0.03 0.34 0.04 0.30 903.60Senegal 23.03 133.60 -110.57 51.36 171.28 -119.92 122.97 28.20Sierra Leone 17.35 0.44 16.91 10.95 4.14 6.81 -36.85 851.59St. Helena 0.53 0.54 1.45Togo 47.36 10.85 36.51 71.66 12.84 58.82 51.31 18.36West Africa 1048.77 476.83 571.94 1067.62 538.11 529.51 1.80 12.85Burundi 2.53 0.07 2.47 4.53 78.72Cafri Rep 0.75 4.55 -3.80 2.94 293.62Chad 4.20 1.13 1.88 -0.74 -73.04Malawi 20.47 1.70 18.78 30.82 1.70 29.92 50.56 0.51Rwanda 4.03 0.02 4.01 6.17 52.93Uganda 55.59 1.20 54.40 65.98 1.97 64.30 18.68 64.90Zaire Rep 3.63 0.12 3.51 4.31 0.00 4.31 18.85 -97.86Central Africa 91.21 7.65 83.56 115.89 5.56 110.33 27.05 -27.36Comoros 2.36 0.90 1.46 6.39 0.32 6.07 170.51 -61.47Djubouti 16.22 0.74 15.48 37.43 0.82 36.61 130.73 10.83Ethiopia 90.83 18.39 72.53 62.05 10.55 51.50 -31.68 -42.63Kenya 156.01 31.94 124.07 203.66 33.44 170.22 30.54 4.68Malagasy RP 13.17 2.20 10.97 14.71 3.94 10.77 11.71 79.28Mauritius 162.91 3.26 159.64 164.96 16.13 148.83 1.26 394.58Reunion 4.89 0.32 4.58 5.00 0.22 4.78 2.18 -29.64Seychelles 5.73 0.05 5.69 6.18 0.05 6.12 7.74 15.34Somalia 15.03 14.31 0.72 19.93 26.05 -6.71 32.64 86.20Tanzania Rep 90.78 76.09 14.69 115.54 91.14 24.40 27.27 19.77East Africa 557.93 148.20 409.73 635.85 183.27 452.58 13.97 23.66Total Subsaharan 2161.03 2112.58 48.45 2451.77 2883.64 -431.84 135.45 364.50India’s total 43826.72 51413.28 -7586.56 52234.40 61286.31 -9051.91 19.18 19.20% share 4.93 4.11 4.69 4.71

Value in US$ Million

Data Source: DGCI&S, KolkataExchange Rate (April-March 2002) 1U.S. $ = Rs. 47.6919Exchange Rate (April-March 2003) 1U.S. $ = Rs. 48.3953

28 November 2005

In this context, the IndiaPAN-African project establish-ing a VSAT-based tele-medicine and tele-educationinfrastructure is of great signif-icance. Indian President A.P.JAbdul Kalam, during the inau-gural session of the PAN-African Parliament, onSeptember 16, 2004, floatedthe idea of connecting all thenations of the African Union(AU) by a satellite and fibreoptic network to provide effec-tive communication and con-nectivity among the nations.“The network would connect53 African countries and itsheads of state (and) primarilyprovide tele-medicine, tele-education, Internet and Voice-Over Internet Protocol(VOIP) services and also isscalable and supports e-governance,e-commerce, infotainment, resourcemapping and meteorological ser-vices.”15 The detailed project wassubmitted to the AU Commissionby India in May 2005.

A technical committee was con-stituted by the AU to do a technicalreview. It formed two workinggroups, which after detailed deliber-ations for three days recommendedthe project for its adoption andimplementation. India was requestedto extend support for five yearsinstead of three.

“The MoU between India andAU was signed in August 2005 by theMinister of Communication, beforethe start of the project in October2005. Both India and the AU areworking out the modalities for theMoU to kick-start the project soon.India’s contribution to the promo-tion of African connectivity and thevalue-added services in the knowl-edge domain in the education, healthcare, e-governance and agriculture sectors will certainly helpin the capacity-building activities of the African Union. Hence,India is a partner to the African Union’s MillenniumDevelopment Goals and continues to work for the promotionof development and share the best of its experience to thedeveloping nations of the world.”16

The project, estimated at $63.7 million, would connect fiveuniversities, 53 learning centers, 10 super-speciality hospitals

–– and 53 remote hospitals actas patient-ends. These will befully equipped with medicalhardware, cameras, and soft-ware to manage the patients,store and forward medicalrecords and analyse digitallysigned prescription and adviceto the remote patients as anintegrated package.

Data centres will be set upfor the management, mainte-nance, storage and retrieval ofthe medical records. There willbe retrieval mechanism in eachhospital for its medical facilities.Out of 53 tele-medicine termi-nals, 43 will be fixed terminalsin the Remote Hospital and 10mobile terminals installed inmobile vans.17

Besides, it will link two uni-versities from India and three

universities from Africa. It also pro-vides network connectivity throughVOIP, videoconference and Internetconnectivity to the heads of state of allthe 53 countries.

The PAN African network will beVSAT-based star network with116+53 VSAT terminals equally dis-tributed over all the countries and ahub located in one of the countries.India has already set up tele-medicineand tele-education hubs at Bangaloreand Ahmedabad, respectively. It isproposed to link the hub of PANAfrican network with the hubs oftele-medicine and tele-education inIndia through under-sea cables.18

Energy: New Dynamics of IndiaAfrica Relations

Africa’s emergence on theglobal hydrocarbon marketand India’s search for energy

security has given a new dynamism tothe India-Africa relations. Engaged in

the process of developing its overseas energy policy and strat-egy, India apparently intends to define its energy ties withAfrica in the wider context of cooperation. In the Indian frame-work, Africa is not merely a market. With energy gaining pri-ority in the African development agenda, the African govern-ments are equally keen to diversify their energy ties. Thusthere is a very obvious synergy of interest between the two. Inits strategy for overseas equity participation, India places high


Engaged in the process ofdeveloping its overseas energy

policy and strategy, Indiaapparently intends to define itsenergy ties with Africa in the

wider context of cooperation. Inthe Indian framework, Africa is

not merely a market. With energy gaining priority in theAfrican development agenda,the African governments areequally keen to diversify theirenergy ties. Thus there is a

very obvious synergy of interests between the two. In its

strategy for overseas equity participation, India places high

premium on Africa.

29


November 2005

REFERENCES

1. While the proportion of very poor people in all developingcountries fell from 27.9 percent in 1990 to 21.3 percent in 2001,the percentage in sub-Saharan Africa has risen. This has alsomeant that the number of poor Africans climbed from 227 mil-lion to 313 million during the same period.2. ‘Building the Knowledge Society’, Information SocietyCommission. http://www.isc.ie/downloads/know.pdf3. ‘The Global Knowledge Economy: And its Implication forMarkets’, ‘The Global Knowledge Economy’ (David SkyrmeAssociates).4. UNDP Human Development Reports that document thatthe richest 20 percent of the world’s population receives 86 per-cent of the global income, while the poorest 20 percent receivesjust 1 percent. Human Development Report, 1999.5. ‘Building the Knowledge Society’, Information SocietyCommission. http://www.isc.ie/downloads/know.pdf6. ibid.7. ‘Towards Knowledge Societies.’ An Interview with AbdulWaheed KhanUNESCO-CI.htm8. Jacques L. Hamel, ‘Knowledge Policies for SustainableDevelopment in Africa: A Strategic Framework for GoodGovernance’ (Draft Working Paper).9. ‘Africa Civil Society to Strengthen an Inclusive Information

Society at National, Sub-regional and Continental Levels.’The African Regional Preparatory Conference for the WSIS. 10. www.highcommissionofindia.com11. http://www.africa-business.com/features/india_africa.html12. ibid.13. Dr. K.Y. Amoako, executive secretary, EconomicCommission for Africa, ‘Enhancing India-Africa Cooperationin the Information Age’. http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/speeches/amoako/2000/0412_india_africa_relations_in_info_age.htm 14. ‘India and the Knowledge Economy: Leveraging Strengthsand Opportunities’, World Bank, November 8, 2004.15. Pan-African e-Network –– an India and Pan-African coun-tries Initiative.16. ibid.17. ‘Establishing a VSAT-Based Tele-Medicine and Tele-Education Infrastructure for Pan-African Countries’. http://www.moc.gov.gh/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2418. ibid.19. From the Cabinet note prepared by the PetroleumMinistry. Alexander’s Gas & Oil Connections –– India andSouth Africa to sign agreement in hydrocarbon sector.20. ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) Scouts in W Africahttp://www.rediff.com

premium on Africa. “Africa is our major destination for equi-ty participation in the oil and gas sector as countries like Libya,Sudan, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and many other smallrepublics of Africa have considerable oil and gas reserves.”19

ONGC Videsh is looking for participation in West Africa forexploration and production of oil. Reportedly, “OVL is plan-ning to pick up a substantial stake in two exploration and pro-duction fields in a West African country and has initiated talkswith a European company. It is planning to pick up a 50 per-cent stake in one of the fields.” OVL has planned an invest-ment of over $2 billion in acquiring 50 percent stake of a glob-al oil major in a highly prospective offshore exploration blockon the West African coast.20

The convergence between hydrocarbon deficit India andenergy surplus Africa makes an obvious case for partnership.However, energy deals are not merely economic in nature.Energy resources have strategic and geopolitical importance.Thus despite the ascendancy of market, externalities play a cru-cial role in defining the energy relationship. Political dividendand security concerns are important inputs in the decision-making process.

Besides, the hydrocarbon market carries its own deviationsand distortions. It has been a highly integrated industry witha limited numbers of competitors. It requires active supportfrom the state in overseas operations. Thus, the energy policyof the country participating in the global market gets inter-twined with the foreign policy. As a new entrant, India faces

the disadvantages of a latecomer, besides the limitation of itscapabilities in term of volume of investment and know-how.But the absence of historical baggage could be a source ofstrength as well.

In the emerging African hydrocarbon market, India has tocreate its own niche by developing a distinct paradigm for itsenergy relationships. Market-driven relations might make theAfrican supplier rich but not necessarily contribute to theirempowerment.

Indian energy ties have to be embedded in the develop-mental framework. Africa needs to develop its energy resourcesfor nation-building. The discontent of globalisation providesthe space to countries like India to step in. Indian policy alsohas to take cognizance of competing interest in the market notonly from America and Europe but also from Asia, particular-ly China.

In the context where pressure of global powers is going tobe increasingly felt by the local governments in devising theirhydrocarbon regime, India, along with other developing coun-tries, could contribute in making a more competitive remu-nerative and developmental regime to ensure the security ofthe energy suppliers from Africa. Clearly, India-Africa energyrelations have to be sensitised to contribute towards societalresilience.

There are enormous stakes for both India and Africa coun-tries in this mutual development of their energy needs andinfrastructure. ■■

30 November 2005

India’s traditional commercial and civilisa-tional links with Africa acquired a specialvalue and substance when India, after itsIndependence in 1947, led the struggleagainst colonialism and imperialism at theworld stage. India’s concern for Africaemerged from Jawaharlal Nehru’s simpleassessment: “Though separated by theIndian Ocean, Africa is in a sense our next

door neighbour.” During the second half of the last century,India’s voice was particularly strident in the anti-apartheidstruggle, even as distinguished SouthAfricans of Indian origin participatedactively in all aspects of this struggle,as associates of Nelson Mandela atRobben Island, or through massdemonstrations organised by thetrade unions, or even as part of theunderground movement.

In the post-colonial period, thiscountry’s primary link with Africawas through the Indian Technicaland Economic Cooperation (ITEC)programme, initiated in 1964, on thebasis of which India shared itsknowledge and expertise with thou-sands of young Africans throughwell-structured and meaningfultraining courses. Over the last 40years, India has invested nearly $1billion in these training programmesand almost every African country has benefited from them.India’s approach has focused on strengthening the “South-South” linkages and on promoting self-reliance through thetransfer of technologies aimed at meeting the needs of Africanpartner-countries. Today, annually, about 500 officials fromAfrica participate in various capacity-building programmes inIndia.

Energy now promises to add a new dimension to this tra-ditional relationship. While countries of North Africa, such as

Algeria and Libya, were already principal oil-producing coun-tries through much of the 20th century, it is only in the lastfew years that the African continent as a whole has come to beseen as a global oil and gas producer. In 2004, Africa as a wholeproduced 9.3 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), accountingfor nearly 12 percent of the world’s total production. Over thelast 10 years, sub-Saharan Africa has recorded an extraordinaryincrease in production (over 51 percent), which is matchedonly by the CIS countries.

With regard to natural gas, in 2004, Africa produced about21,400 million cubic feet per day, accounting for 7.5 percent

of total global gas production. Overthe last 10 years, Saharan Africa andsub-Saharan Africa have recordedsignificant increases in gas produc-tion, of 70 percent and 89 percent,respectively.

The positive outlook pertainingto Africa’s hydrocarbon potential isattested to by new acreages being reg-ularly offered by different countries,significant new discoveries, andactive production activity supportedby infrastructure development.

Nigeria has been, and is expectedto remain, Africa’s principal produc-er. Oil production began in thiscountry in 1958; it became an OPECmember in 1971. Today, Nigeriaproduces over 2.4 million bpd; interms of oil reserves, Nigeria

accounts for 35,651 million barrels as against total Africanreserves (at end 2004) of 105,000 million barrels, i.e., 34 per-cent. Nigeria also dominates the African gas scene, with 35percent of total African gas reserves (at the end of 2004) of 477trillion cubic feet (TCF).

In North Africa, Libya, Algeria and Egypt are the dominantplayers in the African hydrocarbon scene. The oil reserves ofthe North African countries are estimated at 46 billion barrels,with Libya having 65 percent and Algeria 20 percent of the total

Talmiz Ahmad provides an overview of Africa’s vast hydrocarbonreserves which have the potential of providing a radically new

dimension to the burgeoning India-Africa ties.

Imparting ENERGYto India-Africa ties

It is only in the last few yearsthat the African continent as awhole has come to be seen asa global oil and gas producer.

In 2004, Africa as a whole produced 9.3 million barrels ofoil per day (bpd), accountingfor nearly 12 percent of the

world’s total production. Overthe last 10 years, sub-Saharan

Africa has recorded anincrease in production (over

51 percent), which is matchedonly by the CIS countries.

P O W E R T A L K

31


November 2005

reserves in the region. Algeria produces1.9 million bpd and ranks second inAfrica, after Nigeria. Libya commencedproducing oil in 1961; it ranks third inAfrica, with production at 1.6 bpd. Withthe recent lifting of sanctions, Libya hasoffered several acreages for E&P contractswhich have evoked considerable interna-tional interest. Egypt has so far been amodest oil producer, with most of its oilbeing used domestically.

However, gas discoveries in NorthAfrica in recent years have significantlytransformed the region’s hydrocarbonscenario. North Africa is estimated tohave gas reserves of about 8 trillion cubicmeters, with the principal sources beingAlgeria (57 percent), Egypt (21 percent)and Libya (16 percent). Algeria is thethird-largest gas exporter in the world,after Russia and Canada, and is destinedto emerge as a significant player in theglobal energy security scene. It was theworld’s first LNG exporter, and, in themid-1970s, it became the world’s largestLNG producer. Algeria was also involvedin the setting up of the first trans-nation-al gas pipeline in the Mediterranean car-rying Algerian gas to Italy, and later toSpain.

Egypt has also now emerged as a glob-al supplier of natural gas. With increasedgas reserves discovered in the 1990s,Egypt began to develop its LNG capabil-ities. By 2006, Egypt is expected to pro-duce 17 billion cubic metre of LNG perannum, which may increase in later years.A pipeline is carrying Egyptian gas toJordan to fuel power projects; there areplans to extend this pipeline to Lebanonand Syria, and possibly even to Turkeyand Europe.

In coming years, the principal pro-ducers in Saharan Africa will beMauritania, Sudan and Chad, while thesignificant players in sub-Saharan Africaare expected to be Angola, Nigeria,Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast. Though oil explorationbegan in Angola in 1910, the first commercial discovery wasmade in the 1950s. Through the 1980s, in spite of the ragingcivil war, there was extensive onshore exploration in the coun-try. In the 1990s, deepwater and ultra-deepwater explorationwas started by major international oil companies and met witha high success rate. Mauritania, a new source, will begin pro-duction in 2006.

Intensive oil and gas exploration over the last 10 years hasincreased Africa’s oil reserves by 25 percent. The U.S., which

imports 7 percent of global produc-tion of oil, obtains 15-17 percent of itsneeds from West Africa; it hopes toincrease this to 25 percent by 2015.West Africa’s proved, probable andpossible reserves taken together areestimated at 35 billion barrels of oiland 151 TCF of natural gas.However, in spite of major recentdiscoveries, due to war, politicalinstability and difficulties relating tophysical access, much of sub-SaharanAfrica remains unexplored.According to the U.S. GeologicalSurvey, West Africa’s undiscoveredoil reserves could be as much as 72billion barrels. In terms of oil-equiv-alent, sub-Saharan total reservescould be about 121 billion barrels,i.e., more than these of NorthAmerica, Europe, the Asia-Pacificregion and South Asia.

Significant reserves are availableeven in areas that have been producing oil and gas for sometime, i.e., Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, and Congo-Brazzaville,particularly in deep off-shore waters. Recent exploration activ-ity has identified considerable potential in new areas such asEthiopia and Niger, and in East and Southern Africa. EastAfrica is a relatively new area with considerable potential: Anobserver has described it as having “some of the greatest andmost exciting exploration potential on the continent.”

According to U.S. estimates, the exploration and produc-tion of deep-water and ultra-deep water development in West

Officials of India's oil major OVL Ltd. at a drilling site in Sudan. OVL has picked up a 25 percent stake in the country’s Greater Nile Oil Project, a venture that is fuelling Sudan’s dreamof becoming a major oil-exporting power.

India’s investment in Sudan’shydrocarbon sector

cumulatively amounts tonearly $2 billion. The other

recent success for India hasbeen in Libya where Indian

companies, the Oil IndiaLtd.-Indian Oil Corporation

(OIL-IOC) combine andONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL),have between them won

three blocks in the face ofstiff international

competition. Recently, OVLalso acquired shares in

some E&P blocks in Nigeria.

32 November 2005

Africa would require nearly $110 billion, up to 2020, withinvestment between $20-25 billion going just to Nigeria andAngola; the balance would to go Gabon, Equatorial Guinea andCongo-Brazzaville during this period. However, these invest-ments would, in due course, yield very rich returns: The fiveprincipal producers of West Africa would cumulatively earnabout $800-900 billion up to 2020; Nigeria and Angola wouldearn about 80 percent of these returns.

The discovery of Africa’s natural gas potential has signif-icant politico-economic implications for the continent.The technological effort and the substantial investment

required for exploration and development, and the transna-tional character of the transportation of gas through pipelines,all of these taken together mean that a narrow nationalistic andunilateralistic approach in the gas sector is not viable, and needsto be replaced by regional and supra-regional cooperation.The success of this new approach will mean that the spirit ofworking together in peace and friendship will have to replacethe feuds and conflicts of the past between Africa’s authori-tarian and corrupt regimes that havefrequently allowed their nationalassets to benefit narrow ruling oli-garchs and their time-serving coter-ies, and instead will ensure thatAfrican resources will be used opti-mally for African growth and devel-opment.

Transnational gas pipelines pro-vide the greatest promise for the real-isation of such cooperative endeav-ours. The West African Gas Pipeline(WAGP) project is a multinationalgas transportation project initiated byNigeria and Ghana. Valued at $560million, it will provide Nigerian gasto Ghana, Benin and Togo. It is beingfinanced and implemented by a com-bination of international and nation-al oil companies such as Chevron,Shell, the Nigerian national oil com-pany, NNOC, and the Volta RiverAuthority of Ghana.

Even more ambitious is the proposed Trans-Saharan GasPipeline going over 4,000 km from Nigeria to Algeria. InSouthern African, the Kudu gas project will exploit Namibiangas to provide fuel for an 800 MW power project which willdeliver power not only to South Africa but also to the SouthernAfrica Power Pool.

Africa has considerable promise even beyond convention-al oil and gas reserves. Though not endowed with significanthydrocarbon resources, South Africa has been a pioneer in thedevelopment and use of unconventional fuels, particularly inrespect of Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) and Coal-to-Liquid (CTL)technologies. These fuels meet 40 percent of South Africa’s liq-uid fuel requirements. The principal South African companyin this area, Sasol, is presently constructing the first commer-

cial scale GTL plant outside South Africa, in Qatar, which willcommence producing ultra-clean diesel and naphtha in 2006.This technology will also be used in Nigeria where natural gas,presently being flared, will be converted into premium fuel.

Africa’s rich hydrocarbon potential adds an entirely newand potentially very significant dimension to India’s ties withthis continent. India is hydrocarbon deficit to the extent of 70percent; this deficit is expected to increase to 85 percent by2025. Hence, India’s quest for energy security has made itnecessary for the country to pursue a pro-active oil diploma-cy to diversify its hydrocarbon sources as also to acquire hydro-carbon assets across the world through equity participation indeveloped fields and through exploration and production con-tracts and midstream and downstream joint ventures andinvestments.

In recent years, these efforts have already met with somesuccess in Africa. Nigeria is the second-largest supplier ofcrude oil to India, after Saudi Arabia, meeting about 12 per-cent of her annual needs. India’s first foray into Africa in equi-ty participation was the acquisition of a 25 percent stake in the

Greater Nile Project (GNP) inSudan, which is today providingIndia with about three million tonnesof oil per year. This was followed bya contract to construct a 200-kmproducts pipeline from a refinery inKhartoum up to Port Sudan. India’sinvestment in Sudan’s hydrocarbonsector cumulatively amounts to near-ly $2 billion. The other recent successfor India has been in Libya whereIndian companies, the Oil India Ltd.-Indian Oil Corporation (OIL-IOC)combine and ONGC Videsh Ltd.(OVL), have between them wonthree blocks in the face of stiff inter-national competition. Recently, OVLalso acquired shares in some E&Pblocks in Nigeria.

These early successes constitutethe basis of a substantial long-term engagement of India

with Africa across and even beyond the hydrocarbon valuechain. India is well-placed to pursue such engagement. Weenjoy considerable goodwill across the continent for the roleour country played in the anti-colonial struggle as also for ourITEC programme that developed the knowledge base of atleast three generations of Africans. But, beyond these strengths,the possibility of the success of Indian efforts is enhanced bythe fact that African countries are increasingly linking theaward of upstream E&P contracts to participation by interest-ed parties in the midstream and downstream sectors (pipelinesand refineries) and, more importantly, in economic develop-ment projects covering sectors such as railways, power projects,and the development of domestic natural resources and infras-tructure. India, with its capabilities in the hydrocarbon sector

India recently hosted a composite delegation from

Nigeria made up of the ministers of power and steel, commerce and energy, the chairman of the NigerianRailways and the Special

Advisor to the President forEconomic Development. Thisdelegation, over three days,

conveyed its interest in linkingNigeria’s E&P contracts todownstream and economic

development proposals, particularly in regard to power

and railways.

P O W E R T A L K

33November 2005

and its national development experience over 50 years, is wellequipped to meet these challenges.

India recently hosted a composite delegation from Nigeriamade up of the ministers of power and steel, commerce andenergy, the chairman of the Nigerian Railways and the SpecialAdvisor to the President for Economic Development. Thisdelegation, over three days, conveyed its interest in linkingNigeria’s E&P contracts to downstream and economic devel-opment proposals, particularly in regard to power and railways.India has speedily responded to the Nigerian offer by settingup an inter-ministerial task force to pursue E&P proposals intandem with specific power and railways projects in Nigeria.

The Angolan government has also conveyed to India theirinterest in linking E&P proposals to economic developmentoffers, particularly the revival of mines and the upgradation ofroad, railway and port systems which have suffered seriousdamage on account of the prolonged civil war.

India is at present pursuing three major transnational gaspipeline projects which will bring natural gas to her bordersfrom Iran, Turkmenistan and Myanmar. India is thus unique-ly placed to participate in Africanpipeline projects. A proposal that hasconsiderable economic and strategicvalue for Africa and Asia would bethe Egyptian project to take oil andgas pipelines from Alexandria to theRed Sea, which would create a new“Suez Canal” for oil and gas trans-portation, providing a convenientaccess to India and the rest of Asia toNorth African and even Caspianhydrocarbon resources.

An important area for an Indianrole in meeting Africa’s urgentrequirements is in the development ofhuman resources that will be requiredto explore and develop the continent’shydrocarbon potential. A pan-Africaninitiative in this area that is alreadyunderway is AfricaArray, a 20-yearprogramme designed to strengthengeophysics education and researchand build a training and research sup-port system. India, with her 70-year experience in the hydro-carbon industry, and her numerous research and training insti-tutions, can make a useful contribution in this initiative.

Beyond the energy sector, India’s recent engagement withAfrica has been both novel and creative, and promises to con-solidate a deep political and economic partnership with thecontinent over the long-term. In February 2004, Indialaunched a major techno-economic venture in Africa, titled“Team-9” (Techno-Economic Approach for Africa IndiaMovement). Team-9 is a part of the New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD) framework. It constitutes asubstantial, mutually beneficial engagement with eight rela-tively under-developed but resource-rich countries –– Senegal,Mali, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea,

Burkina Faso and Chad. The initiative is aimed at providinginvestment and low-cost technology to develop infrastructurein core areas on the basis of favourable lines of credit worth$500 million. This is separate from the $200 million offereddirectly by India to NEPAD. These two offers, plus the devel-opment assistance offered directly to certain countries, adds upto nearly $1 billion.

The MoU signed on March 1, 2004, between India andeight African ministers of the partner countries ofTeam-9, identifies the following areas that need prior-

ity attention: Food security and freedom from hunger; healthsecurity, and job security. Specific areas of cooperation are:Rural development, transport, energy, telecommunications,IT, small and medium enterprises, health services and phar-maceuticals and agriculture.

India has also embarked on a unique hi-tech programmethat, when completed, will provide extraordinary benefits tothe region. India’s communication, educational, remote-sens-ing and meteorological satellites have brought the benefits of

tele-medicine, tele-education,resource mapping and weather fore-casting to some of the remotest partsof the country. During his visit toAfrica in September 2004, PresidentA.P.J. Abdul Kalam announcedIndia’s willingness to share the ben-efits of these technologies withAfrica. The Indian Space ResearchOrganisation (ISRO) has alreadydeveloped an ambitious plan to con-nect the 53 countries of Africathrough a network that uses satellite,fiber optic and wireless links. It isenvisaged that, in partnership withthe African Union and individualcountries of Africa, a network will beestablished that links learning cen-tres, universities and hospitals inevery African country with counter-part institutions in India that haveproven expertise in these fields.

Africa’s substantial hydrocarbonreserves hold the promise of economic development and pros-perity for the people of this continent who have for severaldecades suffered poverty, loss of dignity and exploitation. Thechallenge is to harness the resources generated by the energyreserves and invest them in all-round development of infras-tructure, social and economic upliftment and the develop-ment of human resources. This empowerment will enablethe continent to obtain the highest standards of achievement,which are warranted by its ancient civilisation, the wisdom ofits leaders, and the sincere commitment of its people to excel.India, with its traditional links with the continent and its expe-rience, both with developmental issues and in the hydrocar-bon sector, can effectively partner the nations of Africa as theymarch forward to meet their destiny. ■■


An important area for an Indianrole in meeting Africa’s urgent

requirements is in the development of human

resources that will be required to explore and develop the continent’s hydrocarbon

potential. A pan-African initiativein this area that is already

underway is AfricaArray, a 20-year programme designed to

strengthen geophysics education and research andbuild a training and research

support system. India can makea useful contribution in this.

34 November 2005

The above lines, highlighting the need fora confluence of hearts and minds, ispenned by none other than the greathumanist, poet and scientist of ourtimes, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,President of the Republic of India. Theoccasion could not have been more sig-nificant than the first visit to Sudan in 28years by an Indian President in October

2003. But, apart from the significance of the event, the IndianPresident, in his captivating poem, has perhaps captured a for-gotten reality of the rich multifaceted interaction between thissame River Nile Civilisation with the Indus Valley Civilisationseveral thousand years back. Was he recalling the great con-nectivity between two time-honoured hydraulic societies sincethe dawn of their common histories? Was his call for a conflu-ence of hearts and minds a reiteration of a history of peacefulcontacts between the people of the respective nations in whichseas and oceans never acted as a barrier? Was he, from his hotelroom overlooking the confluence of the two rivers in the latestclimax of contacts between India and Sudan, recalling the firstcontacts between India and Sudan with their river-based civil-isations? Though the answers are certainly, “YES,” the forego-ing is a reminder that, rather than seeking comfort in the glo-rious past of the relationship of the two countries, there existsa proud historical legacy on which bilateral cooperation can be

Sudanese ambassador toIndia AbdalmahmoodAbdalhaleem Mohammadtraces the centuries-old historical and civilisationalties between India andSudan, and maps out arobust future for bilateralrelations in diverse fields,including the developmentof hydrocarbon sector, andenhanced economic andcommercial relationsbetween the two countries.

…My mother called me ‘Blue Nile’I am also named by mother, ‘White Nile’When we grew and grew, we asked“Oh Mother, Oh Mother,Tell us, why did you name us ‘Nile’?”

Our mother said lovingly,“Oh my childrenYou travel and travelCross mountains, forests and valleysThousands of miles, enriching nine countriesYou reach KhartoumYou Blue and White Niles confluence with a Mission.

“God has commanded you to give a messageYou give a beautiful messageWhen we rivers confluence.Oh Humanity, why not your hearts confluenceAnd you blossom with happiness.”

New Delhi-Khartoum:A new SILK ROUTE?

D I P L O M A T E S E

35


November 2005

based and strengthened for the mutu-al benefit of their respective peoples.

Relations between Sudan andIndia are indeed old and deep-root-ed in history. It dates back to theVedic period. Parallelism undoubt-edly existed between the ‘River NileKings’ and the Vedic philosophyembodied in the scriptures. Religioussymbols on the shores of the Nileand the Ganges were not only simi-lar but had the same philosophicalcontent, proceeding from monothe-istic principles and degenerating intoa polytheistic heathenism.Similarities in names were alsorevealing. Kush, who was the son ofRama of the Hindu epic Ramayana,reflects similarity with the name ofthe well-known land, Kush. TheIndian historical text, ‘VishnuPurana’ of the period 5000-2000 BC, spoke warmly about ourrivers, mountains and the splendour of the Nile. Relations dur-ing the Meroitic Kingdom, known by historians as the“Birmingham of Africa”, and India are not difficult to assess.As a leading technological hub of its time, Meroe has trans-

ferred its iron-based industries to Africa and beyond, withreciprocal influences evidenced by the introduction of irriga-tion techniques from India as shown by the introduction ofHafir construction, according to Arkell.

And according to Arkell ( the point is also made by Vycichland Vercoutter), the presence of elephant figures at Naga andMussawarat es-sofra with the snake and the three-headed fig-ures of Apedemak demonstrates an Indian influence on theMeroitic culture. Vercoutter also suggested an Indian influenceand resemblance in the Meriotic temple tradition. It is inter-esting also to note in this connection that Colonel John Spake,an officer in the Indian Army who was financed by the RoyalGeographical Society and went to Africa in search of the sourceof River Nile from 1859 to 1861, had claimed that he securedhelp in his exploration from the ancient Hindu scriptures. Andfor over a thousand years, according to R. Coupland in his ‘EastAfrica and its Travellers’, Indian settlements existed around thesame time as that of the Arabs in the seventh century.

Various current socio-cultural similarities between the peo-ples of both Sudan and India are certainly suggestive of stronghistorical engagements and considerable movements of peo-ples and ideas that were accumulated throughout history.Perhaps, researchers are called upon to focus on such sharedinfluences rather than looking for answers from theMediterranean and Hellenistic worlds.

Trade flourished between Sudan and India during the FunjSultanate. Sinnari sailors were known for their professionaleminence across the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean. Goodslike spices, ivory, gold, iron, gum, copper, wheat, sesame oil,cotton, etc., were exchanged. Not only in trade, but interac-tion and resultant influences in arts, architecture, music and

others were also monitored, with thefamous Sufi figure Taj Eldin al-Bihari of the Qadiriya Sufi ordercoming to Sudan from India as oneof outstanding examples of suchinfluences on Sufi thought.

During recent history, especiallyduring the struggle for emancipation,India and Sudan came closer to eachother. The Sudanese people were notonly influenced by the Gandhianthought (several generations ofSudanese carry the name of Gandhi),but the Sudanese leaders and peoplehave also taken inspiration from thestatesmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru,and the Graduates Congress, the van-guard of the Sudanese elites’ resis-tance, emulated the Indian experi-ence in the very name it carried aswell as in its strategic tactics.

The arrival of Gandhi in Port Sudan in 1932 enroute alsoto Egypt and Britain has further fertilised the Indo-Sudanesecontacts that have shown substantive increase in the period fol-lowing the independence of Sudan in 1956. Shortly prior tothat in 1954 and at the invitation of the British and the Egyptian

TThhee ccoonnfflluueennccee ooff tthhee BBlluuee aanndd WWhhiitteeNNiilleess aatt tthhee SSuuddaanneessee ccaappiittaall KKhhaarrttoouumm

Relations between Sudan and India are indeed old and

deep-rooted in history. It datesback to the Vedic period.Parallelism undoubtedly

existed between the ‘River Nile Kings’ and the Vedic

philosophy embodied in thescriptures. Religious

symbols on the shores of the Nile and the Ganges were

not only similar buthad the same philosophical

content.

36 November 2005

governments, India, represented bySukumar Sen, Chief of the ElectionCommission, conducted the first electionsthat paved the way for the emancipation ofthe country. And as a self-governing territo-ry, Sudan sought the services of the Indianjudicial personnel and the experience of itslegal system, which continue to inspire thelegal fraternity in Sudan. It is also Indiawhich contributed technically and material-ly to the “Sudanisation” processes in theaftermath of independence, and its experi-ence helped earlier than that in the estab-lishment of vital sectors like the railway sys-tem, and the Sudan Forest Service in 1901which was based on the report of Murell, anIndian forester.

The opening of the SudanEmbassy in New Delhi shortly afterindependence reflected the impor-tance Sudan attached to its relationswith India as it was one of the firstfew embassies established abroad.Pledges of new commitments toenhance bilateral relations wereechoed by Rahmtalla Abdalla, thefirst Sudanese ambassador to India,when he presented his credentials onOctober 16, 1956, to Dr. RajendraPrasad, the first President of inde-pendent India. It was Abdalla whoinaugurated the “Sudan Block” of theprestigious Pune-based NationalDefence Academy on May 30, 1959.The academy is an everlasting sym-bol of the Indo-Sudanese solidarity asit was a gift from Sudan to India con-ceived in 1941 in grateful recognitionand commemoration of the gallantry and sacrifices of Indiantroops in defense of Sudan in the Second World War.

The visit to India by Sudanese Prime Minister Ismail al-Azhari in 1955 and his earlier participation, along with Nehruand other leaders of the emerging developing world, in theBandung Conference of the non-aligned nations, laid thefoundation for economic cooperation between Sudan andIndia. Such cooperation was given added momentum by thevisit of Nehru in 1957 to Sudan, being one of the only threeAfrican countries ever visited by him as Prime Minister ofIndia. Bilateral ties were strengthened and various exchangeswere witnessed, including the deputation by India of top irri-gation engineer A.N. Khosla, the then vice chancellor ofRoorkee University, to advice the Sudan government on theproper utilisation of the Nile waters, as well as the visit toIndia by Deputy Prime Minister Mirghani Hamza, who wasone of distinguished invitees at the inauguration of the atom-ic reactor in Trombay by Nehru.

A credit of Rs. 50 million was also given to Sudan for the

purchase of engineering goods, chemicalsand fertilisers, industrial tools and machin-ery. President Abbaoud’s visit to India in May1964, following the visit of Zakir Hussain,India’s vice president, to Sudan in 1963, gavea further boost to the Indo-Sudanese bilateralrelations whereby an Indian Technical AidProgramme was promised along withNehru’s announcement of India’s willing-ness to buy more Sudanese cotton. The vis-its exchanged by dignitaries of the two coun-tries crystallised the commitment of therespective leaderships for closer ties, includ-ing the visit of Prime Minister Ismail al-Azhari to India in 1967, President Numeri in1974 and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Sudan

in 1975.In its ‘Look East’' policy, President

Al-Bashir’s government recognisedthe vitality and importance ofenhanced Indo-Sudanese relations.Relations between the two countrieswere given due attention, when, dur-ing the visit of the then ForeignMinister Ali Osman MohammedTaha to India during May 30 to June1995, a joint committee of co-opera-tion was upgraded to a JointCommission at the ministerial level,following which the then StateMinister for Foreign Affairs, MustafaOsman Ismail, visited India duringNovember 6-9, 1997, for the firstmeeting of the commission. The sec-ond session was held in Khartoumduring April 8-9, 2000. While the for-mation of the Joint Commission rep-resented an important institutional

framework, it was at its meeting in Khartoum several unprece-dented agreements on cooperation were signed, namely:■■ Agreement on trade and economic cooperation.■■ Agreement establishing a Joint Business Council betweenthe apex chambers of commerce and industry in the two coun-tries.■■ An MoU for cooperation in the development of the smallscale enterprises sector.■■ An MoU on annual consultations between the Ministry ofForeign Affairs of Sudan and the Ministry of External Affairsof India.■■ Agreement on cooperation between the Foreign ServiceInstitute of India and the National Centre for DiplomaticStudies in Sudan.■■ Agreement on a Cultural Exchange Programme.■■ Protocol for cooperation in radio and television in the twocountries.■■ Agreement on cooperation between the Press Trust of India(PTI) and the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).

The Sudanese people were notonly influenced by Gandhian

thought (several generations ofSudanese carry the name ofGandhi), but the Sudanese

leaders and people have alsotaken inspiration from the

statesmanship of JawaharlalNehru, and the Graduates

Congress, the vanguard of theSudanese elites’ resistance,

emulated the Indian experience in the very name it

carried as well as in its strategic tactics.


37


November 2005

Further, an agreement on cooperation inscience and technology was signed duringthe visit of Alzubair Bashir Taha, Minister ofScience and Technology of Sudan, to Indiain 2002 and an MoU on cooperation inbiotechnology was signed during the visit ofsecretary, Department of Biotechnology,Government of India, to Sudan. The twosides also signed another MoU on coopera-tion in solar energy, along with the renewalof the working programme between theNational Centre for Research in Sudan withthe Indian Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research. The institutional frame-work was also given new impetus during thevisit of President Abdul Kalam to Sudan inOctober 2003 when three agree-ments were signed on the following:Promotion and protection of invest-ments; avoidance of double taxation;and cooperation in information tech-nology and communication.

During the recent session of theIndia-Sudan Joint Business Council,held in New Delhi duringNovember 13-14, 2003, an agree-ment was reached between theConfederation of Indian Industry(CII) and the Sudanese Chambers ofIndustries to establish a JointBusiness Group, with prioritiesdefined and relevant sectors for co-operation identified.

It is most encouraging to note thatcooperation in the scientific and tech-nical fields is gathering momentumwith the holding of the second work-shop between the scientists of bothcountries in Lucknow concurrently during the meeting of theJoint Business Council last November in Delhi. The themeof the workshop was cooperation in the medicinal and aro-matic plants within a framework for implementing the bilat-eral agreement on science and technology. The first workshopwas held in Khartoum in early 2003. Agreements that are cur-rently nearing completion include an air service agreement andan MoU on cooperation in agricultural research and forestryas well as an MoU between the Sudanese National InformaticsCentre and its Indian counterpart. On the other hand, Sudancontinues to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the IndianTechnical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.And starting in April 2003, the Government of India hasincluded Sudan in its ‘Focus Africa’ programme, which seeksto enhance trade, investment and joint ventures with selectAfrican countries, bilaterally and multilaterally, through thesub-regional economic groups like COMESA and the PTABank with which India has established an institutional work-ing relationship.

The entry by ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL)to Sudan as a partner in the oil consortiumis the most significant development in thehistory of economic relations of the twocountries. With the acquisition of theCanadian Talisman’s share of 25 percentamounting to $750 million, and construc-tion of the Khartoum-Port Sudan OilProducts Pipeline, Sudan is certainly emerg-ing as the biggest recipient of Indian foreigndirect investment (FDI) in the entire Araband African regions. Aware of the promis-ing future awaiting their bilateral engage-ments, the two countries have agreed toupgrade the level of their Joint Commissionto be co-chaired by their respective minis-

ters of foreign affairs in a markeddeparture from the previous holdingof the commission’s meetings at thelevel of state ministers. The impor-tant decision was taken during thevisit of H.E. Ali Osman Taha to Indiain July 2002, accompanied by a high-level delegation that included theministers of foreign affairs, agricul-ture, science and technology.

The Indo-Sudanese relations wit-nessed its historic moment whenKalam visited Sudan in October,2003, in his first foreign tour sincehis election as President of India in2002. The visit, which was the first ofits kind in nearly three decades, pro-vided an excellent opportunity for anexchange of views with the Sudaneseleadership on ways and means toconsolidate bilateral relations in allfields. The Joint Statement issued on

the occasion of the historic visit embodied a vision for strate-gic partnership between the two countries as it contained alsotheir identical views on issues of mutual concern. During thePresident’s visit, India extended a $50 million line of credit asa contribution to the economic development of Sudan.

It is unquestionable that Indo-Sudanese relations havealways been cordial and friendly. Their relations are charac-terised by deep and abiding bonds based on civilisational her-itage and shared history and culture. The strategic engage-ment realised in the oil sector that has taken shape with thelandmark entry of OVL, the overseas arm of the ONGC, intoGNPOC has transformed their bilateral relations and isexpected to positively impact all other sectors and domains ofcooperation. Indeed, there is a great potential for increased flowof investment as well as untapped potential in major sectors ofconcern to the two countries. Sudan is looking forward tobenefit from the Indian experience in its various success sto-ries, including information technology, agriculture, food secu-rity and agro-processing, small scale industries, human

The Joint Statement, issued on the occasion of the historic

visit by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to Sudan in

October 2003, embodied avision for strategic

partnership between the twocountries as it contained alsotheir identical views on issues of mutual concern. During the

President’s visit, India extended a $50 million line ofcredit as a contribution to the

economic development of Sudan.

38 November 2005

resource development, science and technology and pharma-ceuticals. In the Khartoum Joint Statement, the two sides feltthe need to strengthen existing institutional mechanisms tocope with other expanding bilateral relations.

The forthcoming Delhi meeting of the Joint Commissionis expected to address, inter alia, issues relating to the strength-ening and streamlining of the institutional mechanisms.Establishing specialised sub-committees on major issues likehydrocarbons, agriculture, small industry, etc., is of greatimportance as it will also facilitate necessary follow-up.Reactivating various agreements and MoUs is equally relevantto ensure that added dynamism is created and sustained.Addressing the bureaucratic hurdles will go a long way inachieving the expected goals and objectives.

The Joint Statement issued on the occasion of the visit ofthe Indian President to Sudan has emphasised that the revi-talised Indo-Sudanese relations are not only in the best inter-ests of the two countries but also a concrete model for South-South cooperation. Enhanced relations between the two coun-tries would serve the socio-economic needs of their people andwould certainly constitute an appropriate response to chang-ing world scenarios economically and politically. The recentpositions by developed and developing countries at WorldTrade Organisation (WTO) meetings reflect the need for sucha solidarity. In the case of Sudan, as it prepares for accession tothe WTO, India’s technical assistance and support is indeedvital. And as Sudan is applying for the status of “DialoguePartner” in the Indian Ocean Rim for Regional Cooperation,one of the important emerging economic blocs, the support ofIndia, which has already been promised, is of equal importance.

Perhaps, it could not have been a more opportune time forcooperation between Sudan and India on constitutional andlegal matters than this juncture when Sudan is fully engagedin operationalising the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.There is no doubt that the experience of India, as a multi-reli-

gious, multi-ethnic and multicultural society like Sudan, andits role model of unity in diversity, demands consideration andinvites emulation.

As India and Sudan, along with other developing countries,are facing profound challenges brought about by globalisationand the current configuration of world’s power, it is incum-bent on them to enhance their coordination in the interna-tional fora, and to use their foreign office consultations mech-anisms for assessment and evaluation of the unfolding globalevents. Indeed, Sudan and India have always shared commonvalues and principles. They share an unflinching commitmentto the promotion of regional and international peace and secu-rity. They believe in a multi-polar world with a fair and equi-table system of global trade and business. The views of the twocountries are similar on the need to restructure the UnitedNations and, in particular, the Security Council, in order thatit becomes responsive to the needs and aspirations of devel-oping countries.

The two countries hold similar views on the need to con-demn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and adhereto the fact that terrorism knows no religion nor any geograph-ical limitations. The two countries are committed to non-alignment as it symbolises independence in decision-makingand autonomy of choice. As the cradle of the two oldest civil-isations, the two countries believe in dialogue and interactionamong civilizations. The best illustration in this regard wasmade by Mahatma Gandhi, when he said, “I don’t want myhouse to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed.I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house asfreely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

From his hotel room overlooking the confluence of the tworivers in Khartoum, President Kalam was not only eyeing theNile in its historic, eternal journey northwards, but he wasperhaps visualising a new Silk Route, a rendezvous with his-tory again between two great civilisations. ■■

PPrreessiiddeenntt AA..PP..JJ.. AAbbdduull KKaallaamm pprreeppaarriinngg ttoo aaddddrreessssSSuuddaann’’ss NNaattiioonnaall AAsssseemmbbllyy oonn OOccttoobbeerr 2211,, 22000033,,

dduurriinngg hhiiss hhiissttoorriicc vviissiitt ttoo tthhee ccoouunnttrryy..


39November 2005


Bollywood, business and MahatmaGandhi –– this is a very unusual trin-ity, but between them they haveconfigured and defined relationsbetween the 1.2 million SouthAfricans of Indian origin and whatsome in the older generation stillrefer to as the “motherland.” Even inthe apartheid isolation era spanning

four decades, there were always people in the community whomanaged to bring in the movies that locals queued up forhours to see at cinema halls lining the streets of Durban, wheretheir forebears first arrived as indentured sugar cane labourersin 1860. And then there were always women who cravedIndian saris and spices even as the freedom struggle veteransused Gandhian principles in their fight.

The new generation of SouthAfrican Indians is, however, tryinghard to amalgamate various strands oftheir inherited culture and the cul-ture of their adopted country. Thismixed heritage has, according tosome observers, triggered an identi-ty crisis in the decade-old democra-cy while others argue that there is nosuch crisis as Indians and Africanswork alongside each other in fields asdiverse as politics and culture.

So one finds that the state presi-dent’s chief adviser is of Indian ori-gin, and the Tata group teaming upwith African partners in empower-ment deals for previously disadvantaged South Africans, whilewhite and black South Africans sing and dance to the hypnot-ic beat of Bollywood numbers.

The chairman of the South African Human RightsCommission, Jody Kollapen, a third-generation South AfricanIndian, is candid about the matrix of challenges that confront

the current generation of South African Indians.Kollapen says while South African Indians should take

advantage of the space created by the Constitution and by theBill of Rights to develop their culture, they should also rise toanother challenge –– that of recognising the cultures of othercommunities.

“The Constitution doesn’t just require us to advance andrespect our own culture. It requires us also to be South African–– to step outside the box of our own culture and to embraceother cultures and to be enriched by those cultures. That is thechallenge in many respects for South Africans of Indian ori-gin,” says Kollapen.

Kollapen argues for a more syncretic culture that weavesdiverse elements of this legacy. “On the one hand, to ensurethat we use the opportunities that have been given to us toadvance our culture, language and religion that makes us who

we are, but on the other hand also toshow a fidelity and a loyalty to thenew democratic state and to see ouridentity inextricably linked to that ofthe rest of the country.”

“I think that is a bit of a more dif-ficult challenge, because in manyways we feel threatened and it wouldnot be an understatement to say thatwhen you speak to many people ofIndian origin, they say to you: ‘Wefeel threatened; we have a particularview on affirmative action’ (whichgives preference to previously disad-vantaged communities, but is per-ceived as favouring Africans to the

detriment of Indians).” “But I think we have seen how many of our leaders have

positively done that –– religious groups, cultural groups, politi-cians across the spectrum have shown that you can be part ofa broader nation while not placing your culture, your languageand your religion at risk.”

Cross-culturalSYNTHESIS

Fakir Hassen digs deeper into South African Indian community’s love for its adopted home and finds a fascinating story of

cross-cultural synthesis unfolding in the country where MahatmaGandhi perfected his methods of non-violent struggle.

“Without a doubt, we have astrong umbilical cord to India

and we should not be ashamedabout that and, in fact, be

proud about that. We shouldwear our culture proudly on our

sleeves, but at the same timewe should remind ourselvesthat we live in Africa, and our

destiny is inextricably linked tothe people of this continent.”

40 November 2005

The promotion of culture, reli-gion and language among SouthAfrican Indians that Kollapenadvocates finds reflection in myri-ad activities like locals flocking tomeet the resident head of theMuslim holy shrine of Ajmer inIndia when he visits here, or theSwaminarayan Mission opening amultimillion-rand temple whichhas even become a major touristattraction.

But the links between the twocountries go well beyond commu-nity activity. Politically, India hasalways had a special place in thehearts of the freedom fighters here,especially since it initiated the fightagainst apartheid at the UnitedNations in 1948. This was firmlyendorsed at the 50th anniversaryof the Freedom Charter adoptedby the people in Kliptown, whichwas marked at the same spot southof here a few months ago, whenIndia was the only foreign stateinvited to the meet.

For the 81-year-old ChotubhaiMakkan, a Gujarati communityactivist, it was an emotionalmoment when he joined a JewishRabbi and Methodist Christianminister in opening the prayers atthe event. “I had never believedthat I would witness in my own lifetime the achievement ofthe objectives of the Freedom Charter,” recalls Makkan.

When Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal tookoffice in Pretoria a few months ago, he said his top prioritieswould be to sustain the rapidly growing trade between the twocountries and to supplement the efforts of South AfricanIndians in promoting Indian culture among all communities.“With growth of 25 percent last year starting from a very smallbase (a decade ago) one wants to see that that rate of growth,or perhaps even larger growth, is maintained over the next fewyears,” says Pal. “If we can do that, I think we can reach thefull potential that Indo-South African trade can.”

Pal outlines myriad initiatives that have boosted tradebetween the two countries. “Various platforms, such as theIndia-South Africa CEO forum, bring the movers and shak-ers together, and nothing works better than that.” He is alsopleased with how South African Indians have tenaciously clungto their essential culture. “But we need to show Indian culturein all its diversity –– it should not be all Bollywood or allBharatanatyam; it should be a mix of high culture, popular cul-ture and everything in between. I think it is happening, and ifit needs any encouragement from us, we’ll certainly be happyto provide that.”

Bollywood culture, however,continues to be the reigningflavour and infects even those newto its charms. A stage play titled‘Fusion’ recently brought togetherwhite and black performers. Thecast was trained to speak and sing inHindi by voice trainer SuchitraNagarajan. “It was a challenge,especially when I found that nevermind their non-existent Hindi,even the English they spoke wasdifferent to my English,”Nagarajan quipped.

Cross-cultural transmission hasworked both ways. Brian Sekoko,a Black South African fromSoweto, is currently in India and isconfident of becoming the firstAfrican Kathak dance graduate. Hisinterest in Indian art was kindled atclasses run by Dr. Vinod Hassel inseveral black townships here afterhe arrived in the country a decadeago.

Sekoko stunned local audienceswhen he made his stage debut lastyear with a half-hour Kathak per-formance.

Scores of South African Indiansstudy Indian music, dance and lan-guages at schools all over the coun-try, even if very few in the youngergeneration speak any Indian lan-

guage these days. The advent of subtitling in Indian films hasregenerated interest in Indian cinema that had all but died bythe 1970s as pirated videos forced once-thriving cinemas tobecome shopping malls. After showing a few Indian films fouryears ago and realising their huge market potential, the coun-try’s largest cinema group, Ster-Kinekor, began a Bollywoodcircuit, showing these films regularly, with its closest com-petitor Numetro Cinemas taking a similar sales pitch since lastyear.

“It’s the special composition of Bollywood films and theirgeneral family appeal that draws the audiences, mainly Indian,of course, but there are also now audiences from other com-munities, especially after the national public broadcaster, theSouth African Broadcasting Corporation, began showingIndian films with subtitles,” says Fiaz Mahomed, chief exec-utive officer of Ster-Kinekor.

Indian music is equally popular with a multicultural audi-ence. Ekbal Omarjee, a former Indian national, is now SouthAfrica’s largest Indian music dealer with his Global BollywoodMusic chain of outlets after he secured distribution rights fromalmost all Indian music companies, especially the famous T-Series. “The more people we can get on board to buy legiti-mate and quality, guaranteed products, the quicker we can

Brian Sekoko, right, who hopes to become the first India-trained African graduate in Kathak dance, receives advice onsome steps from his mentor, Dr. Vinod Hassel of the R.K.Dance Theatre.

Those who comprise the new generation of South AfricanIndians are trying hard to

amalgamate various strands oftheir inherited culture and the

culture of their adopted country.

D I A S P O R A

41


November 2005

wipe out the scourge of piracy, which not only helps crimi-nals, but also causes unemployment and basically amounts totheft,” Omarjee says of his biggest threat, Pakistani-producedpirated copies openly sold on streets here.

Bollywood’s influence is evident in beauty and fashioncontests being organised in the country. Miss Bollywood, MissTeen Bollywood and Mr. Bollywood contests are just someof these events, which were started in the past two years. In arecent pageant, the 17-year-old Remona Moodley, a highschool student, became the youngest ever winner of the annu-al Miss India South Africa contest, which saw her going toMumbai in November to represent South Africa against a hostof winners from countries in the Indian diaspora in the MissIndia Worldwide Pageant.

“It will be great to learn from women from the diasporahow Indians live there. We know about Indians in South Africaand Indians in India, but this pageant will provide an oppor-tunity to spend time with the other girls and see how they livein their countries,” says an excited Moodley.

So even as an increasing number of Tata and Mahindravehicles hit South African roads, young Indians vie in bhajansinging contests. Cheap Indian medicines not only providehealing to South Africans but remind them of their vital linksto India. And yes, Mahatma Gandhi continues to be the livingicon who remains an inspiration for generations of Indians andSouth Africans.

For South African Indians, the meaning of their adoptedcountry only sinks in and acquires added resonance whenthey are out holidaying in India or in some other part of theworld. “I vote at election time for the best candidate for thejob, and go on holiday to India with my family everyDecember, but it’s always great to come back to South Africaafter a break there, because there’s no place like home,” says

Hashmukh Patel, an accountant. Kollapen perhaps has the last word. “Without a doubt, we

have a strong umbilical cord to India and we should not beashamed about that and, in fact, be proud about that. Weshould wear our culture proudly on our sleeves, but, at thesame time, we should remind ourselves that we live in Africa,and our destiny is inextricably linked to the people of this con-tinent.” ■■

Photo top, an African choir joins students of the Shree Bharat ShardaMandir School at an honours function in Lenasia to sing the anthems ofboth South Africa and India. Photo above, Shireen Munsamy, left, his-torian and author, with Vijay Nakra, CEO of Mahindra and Mahindrain South Africa, which sponsored copies of her book ––aimed at chang-ing perceptions of South African Indian history –– for distribution inlocal schools.

The East AfricanDIASPORA

42 November 2005

In recent years, diaspora has become a popu-lar term of critical and public discourse in thebackdrop of globalisation and trans-nation-alism, both of which challenge the traditionalidentities of nation and race, and even classand gender, and uphold the energies of var-ious subjectivities. Once seen as “a space ofsocial death”, to paraphrase OrlandoPatterson’s suggestive imagery of slavery,

diaspora is now increasingly endowed with new possibilitiesas a forerunner of the future ofglobalisation.1

However, in spite of itspopularity there still exist dif-ficulties in conceptualising theterm “diaspora”, mainlybecause of its complex socialand cultural identities.Focusing on the issue of iden-tity, Paul Zaleza suggests that“a diasporic identity implies aform of group consciousnessconstituted historicallythrough expressive culture,politics, thoughts and tradi-tion, in which experimentaland representational resourcesare mobilised from the imag-inaries of both the old and the new worlds.” She argues thatthe identical complexities of diasporas have been created outof actual and imagined lineage and geographies (cultural, racial,ethnic, national, continental, transnational) of belonging, dis-placement, and recreation, constructed and conceived at mul-tiple temporal and spatial scales, at different moments and dis-tances from the putative homeland.2

According to contemporary Anglophone theoreticians,

diaspora upsets internal and external balances of identities, i.e.,it inter-relates with the imagined (homeland) and the encoun-tered (host land). Their experience in a foreign land requiresadjustment, and thus hybridisation, of identity. This transfor-mation creates the tension between the diaspora and its home-land on claims to national identity.3

Kim Butler, a historian of the African diaspora in Brazil,insists that the conceptualisation of diaspora must be able toaccommodate the reality of multiple identities and phases ofdiasporisation over time. She offers a simple but useful scheme

for diasporan study dividedinto five dimensions: i) rea-sons for, and conditions of,the dispersal; ii) relationshipwith homelands; iii) relation-ship with the host lands; iv)inter-relationships within thediasporan groups; and v)comparative study of differ-ent diaspora.4

However, the contempo-rary diasporas necessitateredefinition and re-conceptu-alisation of the term in thelight of global developmentswithin the wider study ofinternational relationsbecause of the increasing

importance of non-state actors and their power and role ininfluencing states and government policies. As diasporas aremainly non-state actors, they have to be viewed not only asminorities in their particular host society, but also as impor-tant entities vis-à-vis their countries of origin. It may be men-tioned here that the case of India is a peculiar one as the dias-pora was ignored and held at arm’s length for the best part ofIndia’s independent history. The importance of the econom-

Aparajita Biswas traces the growth of an economically empowered and influential Indian diaspora in East Africa and argues for a more proactive Indian policy to involve overseas

Indians in the rejuvenation of India-Africa relations.

A map of East Africa during the time of the migration of Indians to thethe African continent, especially western Indian Ocean nations.

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ic power of the diaspora in the development of their homecountry, or influencing their host countries’ policy-makingtowards their home country to a certain degree, had been total-ly overlooked by the Indian foreign policymakers. The over-seas Indians were totally neglected as India, ignoring their eco-nomic potential, developed its relationship with the decolonis-ing host countries. For example, the government of India wasindifferent towards the expatriate Indians during difficult sit-uations in Africa.

Having said that, it is imperative to understand the natureand characteristics of the territorial nation state of India thatcame into being at independence. It may be noted that the cre-ation of post-colonial states often involves a high degree ofnational consciousness. India’s independence movement andits leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and other nationalists,directly created a national consciousness at the beginning ofthe 20th century. At the time of independence, the Indiannation state included all the political class, over and above awide range and number of divergent civil societies. The senseof Indian consciousness on the eve of independence includedthe diaspora, which had been expatriated under the Britishcolonial system. However, India started excluding the diaspo-ra after its independence. It may be noted here that the senseof national consciousness varies from region to region in India,and it is a particular region to which the individual expatriateIndian remains attached. Unlike, for example, Israel, which isa state born out of the nationalism of a diaspora, India createda territorial nation state and, in the process, cut off the diaspo-ra.

The system developed for India after independence was aseparate linguistic and cultural unit, combined to form arepublic where power and authority was centralized. Indianpolitical leaders were more concerned with the problem ofnational integration and of nation-building immediately afterindependence. Thus, with a swap from nationalist movementto a nation state project, there was no place for ethno-nation-alistic concerns within the new state’s foreign policy. The newpolitical identity could not include the satellites of expatriateIndians living all around the world.5

This article analyses the relationship between the govern-ment of India and overseas Indians in Africa from 1947onwards, giving a brief historical background as to how thediaspora came into being and the nature of the relationship thatwas prevalent between them before independence. It also triesto point out the shift in the policy of the government of Indiatowards overseas Indians. It may be noted that from a state ofconfused and complete passivity of the earlier years, the gov-ernment’s policy has become proactive regarding the interestsof the Indian diaspora. This was the result of the process of lib-eralisation of the Indian economy, started in 1991, as a resultof which the Indian government is increasingly wooing theIndian diaspora population to make investments in India. Theinflow of investment from this source can be substantiallylarge, considering that India’s diaspora population is more than

20 million people, spread across some 130 countries. Thequestion that arises is: How will these increased levels ofmigration and a larger diaspora affect India? And what policiesshould India adopt with regard to the diaspora so as to maxi-mize the country’s welfare and strategic goals?

The Indian diaspora has been an important factor inIndia’s relations with African countries. One of theimportant aspects of the India-Africa relations is the

presence of a sizeable number of overseas Indians in Africancountries. Since ancient times, Indians have interacted with thecoastal regions of western Indian Ocean, especially with theEast African and the Southern African regions. However,widespread migration and permanent settlement took placewithin two broad periods and under two sets of situations:First, under imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th cen-tury; and then after the mid-20th century. The former was afunction of the colonial expansion taking indentured labour,traders and administrators to the colonies, the latter was migra-tion of all forms of skilled, unskilled, entrepreneurial and pro-fessional labour.

It may be noted that as the Act of Emancipation of 1834abolished slavery, tropical colonies with sugar and cocoa plan-tations had sought other forms of cheap labour. The Britishcolonial authorities arranged a system of indentured Indianimmigration established in Calcutta and Madras. Labour wasrecruited in the hinterlands and signed contract of at least fiveyears, which guaranteed them basic pay, accommodation, foodrations, medical facilities and partly paid return passage. In1860, thousands of Indians reached Natal, Transvaal and CapeColony in South Africa to work on the white settler planta-tions. Later, voluntary immigration gathered momentum, withnew immigrants coming in as traders and artisans or for fast-growing job opportunities. By the early 20th century, ethnicAsians –– mainly Indians –– had constituted a sizeable com-munity in all the British eastern and southern African territo-ries.6

Since then, they have made a very significant contributionto the development of these colonies. It is to their credit thatall their skills, determination, ingenuity and sacrifice weredirected at building solid economic and cultural bases in east-ern and southern African regions.

It may be recalled here that in 1895 the British East AfricanCompany initiated the Kenya-Uganda railway line to build arailroad from the coast at Mombassa to Lake Victoria in orderto protect the upper sources of the Nile which was approvedby the British government. The company was at that timeinvolved in extremely heavy expenditure in consolidating theBritish influence in the interior. It also had faced the seriousproblem of long haulage of 700 miles to Uganda. To deliverone tonne of goods to the company’s outpost to Uganda wouldcost them around 250 pounds. It became clear that withoutmore economical methods of transport, it would have beendifficult to maintain effective control over the vast area. The

44 November 2005

company as such proposed to the British government to con-struct a railway line into the interior, because it was in no posi-tion to finance such an undertaking.7

Once the British government conceded the significance ofthe railway, the construction work brooked no delay. InDecember 1895, the first construction staff arrived atMombassa. Since the Africans of that area were unaccustomedto wage labour, it was considered necessary to import cooliesfrom India, a bulk of them from Punjab. However, it must beremembered that most of the Indian coolies were repatriatedalthough few of them remained behind. They did spread allover East Africa –– some of them even went to South Africa.Hence, this could not be considered as a major factor, by itself,for the considerable size of the Indian population in the EastAfrican countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. But in fact,the repatriated coolies spread aword about immense wealthand opportunities in the EastAfrican countries.8

With the developing trad-ing opportunities in theAfrican hinterland and thegovernment’s policy toencourage large-scale immi-gration from India, the pullfrom Africa drew hundreds ofpeople from India.

Another big reason for thisimmigration was the impover-ishment of people in BritishIndia. There was a lack of jobopportunities, repeatedfamines and excessive pressureof population on land andother resources. It is not sur-prising, therefore, that in the19th century India had provid-ed a ready market for cheaplabour for several British pos-sessions. The misery of thepeople in India was sowidespread that they felt a kindof push from within to leave their land and search for a decentmeans of livelihood overseas.9

Following the completion of the Kenya-Uganda railway,many Indians stayed back to start a new life either astraders, artisans or administrators for the British gov-

ernment in East Africa. Indian traders in increasing numbersmoved along the railway tracks and the caravan routes to newadministrative areas as well as into remote districts. As a result,they pushed the frontiers of business into the new regions. Theentrepreneurial instinct of Asians was demonstrated with thesetting up of many small shops, called the Asian “duka”, which

sprang up in the interiors. These shops provided people in theinterior regions of Africa a window to the outside world.10 Themost famous Indian “dukawalla”, of the time was AladinVisram. Between 1893 and 1913, his caravans penetratedbeyond the borders of German East Africa into Uganda, Kenyaand parts of Congo Free State and southern Sudan. Before theUganda Railway had reached Kisumu, Aladin’s caravan bear-ing large quantities of goods from Zanzibar and Bagamayamade its way to his stores in Uganda. He also used fleets ofsmall vessels to carry cargoes between various parts of lakeVictoria. The crowning achievement of the career of AladinVisram was the cotton ginnery he established in associationwith other Indian merchants at Kampala during 1912-14. It didprovide the foundation of the subsequent Indian role in theUganda cotton industry. Around the turn of the 19th centu-

ry, the Indian “duka” became avery important link in thechain of communicationbetween the interior EastAfrican regions and the outsideworld.11

Gradually, most of thetrade and commerce in theEast African regions was in thehands of Indians. In Uganda,cotton ginning and coffee cur-ing were a completely Asianmonopoly. Indian industrialmagnets like Sir Homi Mehta,Sir Purshotamdas ThakurdasSheth, Nanajibhai KalidasaMehta and Ambalal Sarabhaiinvested in the region for thesetting up of cotton ginningfactories. In Tanganyika, theAsians owned many of thelarge sisal and other planta-tions. Similarly, two Indianfamilies –– the Madavanis andHindochas –– who had invest-ed a huge amount of capital insetting up of these industries,

dominated the sugar and cotton industries in the East Africanregion.12

Therefore, the role of the Indian merchants in the eco-nomic development of East Africa need not be emphasised.The following remark by Nanajibhai Mehta are equally trueof not only Uganda, but also the whole of East Africa: “It wasIndian merchants who made Uganda habitable at the cost ofthe kith and kin and through physical hazards and naturalhardships built up trade, raised plantations, cultivated tea gar-dens, grew office estates and installed factories and industrialconcerns and helped them to usher in modern civilisation andprovided an economic basis, which ultimately inspired the

A railway survey team comprising Indians and white officers in 1896.

Once the British government concededthe significance of the Kenya-Uganda

railway, the construction work brooked nodelay. In December 1895, the first

construction staff arrived at Mombassa.Since the Africans of that area were

unaccustomed to wage labour, it wasconsidered necessary to import cooliesfrom India, a bulk of them from Punjab.

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November 2005

people of the land to achieve freedom and economic inde-pendence.”13

It may be recalled that until the early 1920s, there was lit-tle resentment among the Africans regarding the Asian pres-ence in East Africa. This was despite the fact that 90 percentof trade was in the hands of the Asians, mainly because Africanswere relatively new to commercial activities in the region. Theeconomic role of the Asians was seen to be largely harmoniouswith the Africans. However, during the course of colonialrule, African resentment towards Asians grew and became abuilt-in factor in the region. The reasons for African animos-ity towards Asian settlers lay in the socio-economic changesthat were taking place in East African countries in the post-warperiod. These changes ultimately widened the hiatus betweenAsians and Africans, and extended the area of friction betweenthe two communities.

It was during the inter-war peri-od that Asians attained a level ofprosperity which was missing

earlier. Where once they were poorand struggled hard for a modest liv-ing, after the war, with the openingup of new avenues for employmentand investment in commercial enter-prises, the Asians were quick to seizethe opportunity. Therefore, while theeconomic condition of Asiansimproved, Africans under the Britishcolonial rule were relegated to infe-rior positions.

The monetary and commercialsectors were subject to rules and reg-ulations which the Africans wereusually unable to abide by. Even thecolonial administrations discouragedpetty trading and considered hawkingas undesirable occupation for theAfricans.14

Again, African participation in themanufacturing sector and plantationswas by way of unskilled wage labour.Their entry into the higher rungs ofthe monetary economy was highlyrestricted. Even the educational sys-tem that was introduced after the warbenefited the Asians rather than theAfricans. It would be relevant tomention here that primary educationwas entirely in the hands of Europeanmissionaries who were mainly interested in proseletisation.15

Thus, under the system, very little was spent on African edu-cation. In comparison, the Asian community invariably keptahead of the Africans in the matter of education and also in

skilled and semi-skilled manpower resources. Consequently,by the 1960s, the Asian population of East Africa providedalmost a quarter of the entire East African professional andmanagerial personnel, and about two-fifths of its highly skilledclerical and manual workers.16

Besides, there were notable disparities in the nature ofoccupation of the three racial groups –– Europeans, Asians andAfricans. In fact, whatever little economic progress wasachieved during the colonial times had benefited and enrichedthe immigrant settler communities and their descendantsmuch too disproportionately. Consequently, non-Africaninhabitants, who constituted only 2.3 percent of the total pop-ulation in East Africa, dominated the economic activity of theregion.

Moreover, the per capita income of Africans was much lessthan Europeans and Asians. Forexample, the African per capitaincome in Uganda was 12 pounds asagainst the Asians’ per capita incomeof 288 pounds, and the European percapita income of 990 pounds in theyear 1963.17

Being in the middle echelon ofthe colonial economy, with theEuropeans at the top and Africans atthe lower end, Indians felt pressuresfrom both sides. On the one hand,they were victims of racialism andhatred from Europeans, who alsofeared competition from them. Onthe other hand, the Africans lookedupon Indians as exploiters because oftheir money-lending activities andthe high prices they charged forgoods.

Another important factor was thethree-tier social order where everycommunity retained its social cus-toms and traditions. The Asian com-munity occupied a middle positionand had no social contact withAfricans. The Asians, with their casteconsciousness, looked down uponAfricans as being socially and cultur-ally inferior.

However, it may be recalled thatIndians in East Africa never exceed-ed more than 2 percent of popula-tion and also had no ambition to par-ticipate in the political affairs of East

African states like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Even whenthe issue of their political and equal status came up, Indiansdemanded equal treatment, not equal privileges, at the expenseof Africans. In 1921, leaders of East African Indian National

The dhow was the means of transport for Indians travelling to East Africa.

The entrepreneurial instinct ofAsians was demonstrated withthe setting up of many small

shops, called the Asian “duka”,which sprang up in the interiors.These shops provided people in

the interior regions of Africa awindow to the outside world.

The most famous Indian“dukawalla”, of the time was

Aladin Visram.

46 November 2005

Congress like M.A. Desai, Isher Dass and S.N. Acharya lenttheir support to a group of African reformists to form theYoung Kikuyu Association –– the first African political organ-isation formed in Kenya. It was later named as the East AfricanAssociation. Indians also helped organise trade unions after thewar. In fact, trade unionism in Kenya originated under theinfluence and direct participation of Asian trade unionists.18

Around this time, there also existed close contactbetween Kenyan and Indian nationalist leaders.Mahatma Gandhi’s passive resis-

tance approach as a weapon to fight Britishimperialism appealed to African politicalleaders. By 1946, Kenya African Union(KAU) had emerged as the largest and thestrongest of the African political parties, andtook the lead in the African struggle for inde-pendence. KAU got a further impetus whenits leader, Jomo Kenyatta, returned fromLondon after a 15-year exile. In an inter-view, he said, “Indians and Africans havepolitically many things in common and acommon platform can be built where themembers of the two communities can worktogether on complete equal footing.”19

In 1958, second generation Indians,through the Kenya Indian Congress(KIC), the Kenya Freedom Party(KFP), the Uganda Action Groupand splinter intellectual groups inTanganyika, began to join Africanpolitics in partnership with Africannationalists. Indians joined the par-liamentary groups of both theKenyan African National Union(KANU) and Kenyan AfricanDemocratic Union (KADU). Theyeven demanded that these Africanparties should be kept open to Indians in order to create trulynational parties. But this demand was not acceptable to KANUand KADU.20

Yet, in 1961, when most of the East African countriesbecame independent, apprehension of an uncertain future ledIndians to seek either constitutional safeguards or assurancesfrom the African leaders or, as a last resort, interference by thegovernment of India. The anxiety of Indians was caused by thewave of boycotts and attacks on them. Indians could relate theirfears. Europeans took advantage of the mood and provokedAfricans against Indians. Even prominent African politicalleaders disowned their responsibility to protect Indians, anddeclared that though attacks were “unwarranted”, it was up toIndians to regain the confidence of Africans.21

In fact, the situation was such that Africans felt that theywere doubly colonized. On the one hand, they were subju-

gated by the British masters and white settlers, and on theother, by the Indian settlers. It was not surprising, therefore,that sporadic racial tension was evident from time to time. InKenya, the situation was worse because not only was there alarger concentration of Indian population but, most impor-tantly, Indians were virtually dominating trade and commerceand were also occupying top jobs in the country. Thus, afterindependence, the presence of overseas Indians becameunwelcome in countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.This was particularly linked to the activities of Indian traders

and, in some places, civil servants. The resultwas that after independence, a movementwas initiated to expel all foreigners, includ-ing Indians.

Immediately after independence, thegovernment of Kenya started“Kenyanisation” of its economy,

wherein all non-citizens, largely Indians,were asked to take a work and residence per-mit. The government was equally con-cerned about the “Africanisation” of high-level jobs and positions. A directive wasissued to all private and public companiesthat posts held by non-citizen Europeansand Asians be “Kenyanised” within a five-

year period. By this Act, Kenya’sMinistry of Commerce and Industrywas to withdraw permission fromnon-citizen traders to deal in goodswhich were classified as “specified”under the Trade Licensing Act. Itmeant that any non-citizen runninga business –– wholesale, retail, importor export –– was compelled to closethem. All such measures had far-reaching consequences. They affect-ed both the Indians who were

employed in the corporate sector and Indian “dukawallahs”who were in small businesses.22

Unemployment, caused by the Africanisation and a gener-al climate of the anti-Indian feeling, had created a situationwhere many educated Indians left East African countries. In1963, over 1,100 Indians, including 400 employees and theirwives, returned to India.23 Between 1963 and 1968, the Asianpopulation of Kenya was reduced by one-third. In Uganda,when Idi Amin came to power in January 1971, he wanted toput the entire Ugandan economy in the hands of nativeUgandans. According to him, 80,000 Asians were destroyingthe economy of Uganda by encouraging corruption and, there-fore, there was no room for them in Uganda. All the peopleof Indian origin (PIOs) who were Kenyan citizens, Britishand Indian passport holders, had to leave in 90 days, i.e., beforeNovember 8, 1972. Amin declared that Indians were the

“Indians and Africans have politically many things in common and a common

platform can be built where themembers of the two

communities can work togetheron complete equal footing.”

–– Jomo Kenyatta

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“worst imperialists” and described the expulsion of the PIOsas part of the “war of liberation”.24

By the time the Asians were expelled from Uganda, manyof them felt that the period of Asian enterprise in East Africawas over. They were not only ruthlessly expelled from Ugandabut also pushed out from Tanzania and neighbouring Zambia,Malawi and Zimbabwe. Even those who had secured citizen-ship of these countries were highly uncertain of their future.However, this is not the complete story. There were two dis-cernible trends towards the middle of the 1970s. One was theexpulsion of Asians from Uganda and theexodus from Kenya and Tanzania; the otherwas a sizeable fresh inflow of Indians intothese very countries as well as several otherdeveloping countries of Asia and Africa.

The new immigration was a result ofgrowing demand for certain categories ofmiddle- and high-level manpower andenterprising skills which were not availablelocally but could be located in South Asiancountries. This demand rose considerably,and was backed by the projected develop-mental needs identified by Kenya and otherneighbouring countries. Even President IdiAmin of Uganda had called back Indians.This migratory process gathered furthermomentum as the years rolled by asa result of which the Asian popula-tion in Kenya started swelling again.These were not businessman butprofessionals such as doctors, teach-ers, accountants who took assign-ments in Africa on a contractualbasis. They were highly educatedand hailed from different parts ofIndia.

The basic plank of independentIndia’s policy towards over-seas Indians was that these

people should not look to India, butidentify themselves with the localpopulation wherever they had set-tled. In 1950, Krishna Menon, thethen foreign minister of India, stated that Indians abroad hadto give allegiance to the country they lived in. He did, howev-er, stress on the affinities they had with the mother country,but these affinities were not necessarily political.25

Throughout this period, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrutook two policy initiatives. Firstly, he made it clear that if theAsian population of Africa was interested in settling down per-manently in the African countries, they must give up their atti-tude of hesitation and join the national mainstream of theiradopted countries. Secondly, India would remain steadfast in

its commitment to support the independence of African coun-tries, and promote Afro-Asian solidarity.26

It is relevant to mention here that during this period, India’sforeign relations were conducted in a spirit of idealism, plac-ing world co-operation and friendship with Asian-Africancountries above the dictates of India’s national interests and theinterests of overseas Indians. Nehru was deeply concernedabout the larger African causes and would not mind if thecauses of Indian settlers or racial discrimination against themoccupied a back seat. He wrote, “Now the Indian question has

to be viewed in a different light from the oneit was viewed in the past. In the past, ourmain effort was to persuade the British colo-nial office to interest itself in bettering theconditions of Indians abroad. We as an inde-pendent nation have to deal with other inde-pendent nations.”27

Even as India was publicly committed tosupport de-colonisation everywhere, it wascaught in a dilemma on the issue of over-seas Indians. On the one hand, overseasIndians were asked to take local passports,and on the other, Indians were advised notto take part in local politics. In fact, confu-sion marked India’s policy towards overseasIndians during the 1950s and 1960s. In the

case of Madagascar, the contradic-tory advice to overseas Indians couldbe seen most clearly when, in 1955,it was declared that “it is the duty ofIndians living abroad to act in sucha way as to help dependent territo-ries obtain their autonomy”.28 Alsoin 1955, Nehru declared that over-seas Indians could expect no helpfrom India, if they exploitedAfricans. And in 1960, he stated thatoverseas Indians should keep theiremotional roots, but adjust to thenew environment, and in Africa theyhad nothing to fear, it being unde-sirable for them to return to India.29

According to Nehru, Indiansmust always give primary considera-

tion to, and associate themselves as closely as possible with, theinterests of the people of the countries they had adopted. Theymust not even appear to be in a position of exploiting local peo-ple and must be friendly with them. Otherwise, India wouldprefer them to come back and “not spoil the fair name ofIndia”.30

There was another factor that caused much disillusion-ment among overseas Indians. In the pre-independence peri-od, they had assumed that, because of Indian nationalism, agreat interest would be taken by India regarding them. Some

Nehru wanted Indians to giveprimary consideration to, and

associate themselves as closely as possible with, theinterests of the people of the countries they had adopted.

They must not even appear tobe in a position of exploiting

local people and must befriendly with them. Otherwise,

India would prefer them tocome back and “not spoil the

fair name of India.”

48 November 2005

of them even advocated that economic and judicial sanctionsbe taken on behalf of the overseas Indians wherever they havebeen harmed. However, there was no protection to overseasIndians by the government of independent India, which calledon them to identify themselves with their countries of resi-dence. As Nehru declared: “Certainly we do not like any coun-try to ill-treat Indian citizens or Indian nationals or give thema place which is lower than those of others. But while Indiawould do its utmost to protect legitimate interests, it would notprotect any vested interests which injure the cause of the coun-try they are in.”31

In fact, today many expatriate Indians in Africa do notidentify with India and its people anymore. They haveonly symbolic identification. The fact is that they felt

abandoned on more than one occasion, and felt rejected byIndian society, which does not regard them as real Indians.

The paradox was that in spite of the government of India’scommitment to Afro-Asian solidari-ty and India’s consistent support toAfrica’s liberation movement, not asingle African country offered anyhelp to accommodate overseasIndians at the time of their expulsionfrom Uganda. Even at the time of theSino-Indian border conflict, very fewAfrican countries extended supportto the Indian cause. Among theAfrican countries, only four states ––Congo, Ethiopia, Libya and Nigeria–– gave diplomatic support to India;five others –– Kenya, Liberia,Tunisia, Mali and Somalia ––expressed sympathy and concern;whereas Ghana, Guinea andTanzania took an unsupportive attitude towards India. EvenNehru was not certain whether any Afro-Asian country hadcondemned China as an aggressor.32

However, it may be recalled that during both the wars ––in 1962 with China and the Bangladesh war in 1971-72 –– thegovernment appealed to overseas Indians and received massivesupport from them.

What is evident here is a lack of proper policy frameworkor machinery in the government of India to deal with thequestion of overseas Indians. Although, after independence,there was a separate cell in the Ministry of External Affairs tolook after the affairs of overseas Indians, it was not fullyequipped to study the overseas Indian question or suggest pol-icy guidelines.

At critical junctures, these matters were taken up on a bilat-eral basis with the concerned foreign government.Subsequently, this cell became more or less inactive, to berevived in 1977 by the Janata Party government.

Thus, the question of overseas Indians did not receive any

prominence in India’s foreign policy objectives. The govern-ment time and again refused to regard automatically as Indiannationals those PIOs whose forefathers had settled abroad formany years unless they registered themselves as Indian citizens.As a result, some of the overseas Indians became “stateless”because their country of domicile declined to extend themlocal citizenship. It will, therefore, be seen that while India hasrisked hostility and even engaged in armed conflicts whenev-er its national interest was at stake, the issue of overseas Indiansnever constituted an area of vital interest in its foreign policyperspectives.

The other reason for the government’s apathy towards thediaspora issue was that India until recently paid little consid-eration to international trade. As a result, the importance ofoverseas trade networks provided by its diaspora was under-played.

This is an important reason why Indians in East Africa orin Hong Kong were not courted by the Indian government and

Indian business, despite the potentialpay-offs. Indian fears of the outsideworld were reflected not just in itspolicies towards international tradeand foreign direct investment (FDI),but also in apathy bordering on bit-terness towards its more successfuldiaspora. In the last decade, the trans-formation of the ideological climatein India and the success of the dias-pora, especially in the United States,has resulted in much greater under-standing among both.

The resulting lack of defensive-ness has been an important reasonfor the growing links and strongerbonds, which have transformed rela-

tions between India and the diaspora.33

It was only after 1990 that a significant change took placein the policy of the government of India with regard tothe PIOs. This had started with the appreciation of for-

eign remittances of nonresident Indians (NRIs) in the Gulfregion and North Africa. This also provided a substantial addi-tion to India’s foreign reserve requirements. In fact, India todayis comfortably placed in its foreign exchange reserves becauseof remittances from overseas Indians.

In the early 1990s, the Indian government tried to wooNRIs and Indian settlers abroad to attract FDI in their newdrive towards globalisation. Special concessions were given toNRIs for investing their wealth in the Indian Industry, for set-ting up new industrial ventures or simply for depositing for-eign currency in their Indian bank accounts.

When the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came topower, it maintained close contact with the overseas Hindupopulation, thus creating a support base among them. It stood

The Indian diaspora in Africaeven felt that India, in its anxietyto cultivate African goodwill, was

not averse to condoning theinjustice being committed

against them. This primarilyreferred to India closing itsdoors to the British Asians

between 1968 and 1972 in theirhour of need when they were

first pushed to leave East Africa,and later forcibly expelled.

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for active and overt association of the overseas Indians as partof its foreign policy objectives. It helped to organise the firstever Conference of Parliamentarians of Indian origin, andintroduced the PIO card. By paying a one-time fee of $1,000for this card, overseas Indians got multiple entry visas for 20years. The other advantage for PIO cardholders is that theyenjoy all commercial rights, except in the case of purchase ofagricultural land.34

The PIO card, in fact, is some kind of recognition by thegovernment of India of its diasporic population. However, onecannot ignore the fact that, in spite of being successful pro-fessionals and businessmen in their host countries, the feel-ing of insecurity of being a minority persists among overseasIndians.

There is a need for the Indian diaspora to be united glob-ally as we have seen in the case of the Chinese and the Jews.The prosperous and confident overseas Indians have thepotential to become a powerful lobby that can create a strongsupport base for India in foreign countries.

Thus, in order to develop the potential of the Indian dias-pora to emerge as an important strategic asset, policies towardsthe diaspora have to be carefully chalked out. The governmentshould treat diaspora at par with other foreigners on economicissues such as investment incentives, while treating them at parwith residents Indians on civil, social and cultural rights. Onthe economic front, overseas Indians should be given theopportunity to work in the Indian private and the public sec-tors. Departments like research and development and educa-tion should be opened to overseas Indians. On the sensitiveissue of political rights, overseas Indians should be allowed toavail of dual citizenship, but critically without the right tovote, unless they can be taxed.

Thus, the government of India may take into considera-tion these new developments in formulating its Africa policyand its policy towards overseas Indians in East Africa. TheIndians in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius and otherWestern and Southern African countries could be of signifi-cant help to India in rejuvenating its economy. ■■

BIBILOGRAPHY

1. Patterson, Orlando, ‘Slavery and Social Death: AComparative Study’, Cambridge, Harvard University Press,1982.2. Paul Tiyamba Zeleza, ‘Rewriting the African diaspora:Beyond the Black Atlantic’, African Affairs, Vol. 104, No. 44,January 2005.3. Braziel Jana Evans and Mannur Anita (eds), ‘TheorizingDiaspora: A Reader, Oxford, Blackwell’, 2003.4. Butler, Kim ‘Brazilian Abolition in Afro-Atlantic Context’,African Studies Review, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2000, pp1.5. Lall, M.C, ‘India’s Missed Opportunity: India’s Relationswith the Non-Resident Indians’, England, Ashgate, 2001.6. Biswas, Aparajita, ‘European Slave Route in the IndianOcean Region’. Paper presented in the conference organizedby UNESCO, on ‘Oral Tradition and Slave Route’, inMozambique, March 2004.7. Gregory, R.G., ‘India and East Africa: A History of RaceRealtions:1890-1939’, Oxford, O.U.P., 1971.8. Ramchandani, R.R., ‘Uganda Asians: The End of an Enter-prise’, Bombay, United Asia Publications, 1976, pp 84-87.9. Rao, G.R., ‘Indian Immigration in Kenya –– A Survey’,Indian Economic Journal (Bombay), Vol. IV, 1956, pp 33-4210. Thomas, R.L,.and Scott, Uganda, London, O.U.P., 1935,pp 31311. ibid.12. Ramchandani, R.R., ‘Uganda Asians :The End of anEnterprise’, Op. cit pp 84-87.13. Ghai, Y., and Ghai, D., (eds), ‘Portrait of a Minority ––Asians in East Africa’, Nairobi, O.U.P., 1970.14. Brown, J.M., ‘Kenyatta’, London, 1972, pp 233.15. ‘Indians in East Africa’, Bombay (published by Sir

Purshotamdas Thakurdas Research Centre), 1971, pp 10-11.16. The Hindu, 18th October, 1961.17. Biswas, Aparajita, ‘Indo-Kenyan Political and EconomicRelations’, Delhi, Kanishka Publishing House, 1992. 18. Gregory, R.G., ‘India and East Africa: A History of RaceRelations’, Op. cit.19. Pant, Apa Saheb, ‘A moment of Time’, Bombay, Longman,1974.20. Ibid.21. Tandon, Yash, ‘The Future of the Asians in East Africa’,Africa Contemporary Record, Current Affairs Series, London,Rex Collins, 1973. 22. Ibid.23. 1bid.24. Kondapi, C., ‘Indians Overseas, 1838-1941’, Bombay,1951, ch 7. See also in this regard, Usha Mahajani, ‘India andPeople of Indian Origin Abroad’, in M.S., Rajan (ed), ‘India’sForeign Relations During the Nehru Years’, Delhi.25. Ibid.26. Nanda, B.R., (ed), ‘Indian Foreign Policy –– the NehruYears’, New Delhi, Vikash Pubishing House, 1976.27. Ibid.28. ibid.29. ibid.30. ibid.31. ibid.32. Gupta, Aniruddha, ‘Uganda Asians, Britain, India and theCommonwealth,’ African Affairs, Vol. 73, No. 292, London,July, 1974. 33. Kapur, Devesh, ‘Indian Diaspora as a Strategic Asset’,Economic and Political Weekly, February 1, 2003.34. Dubey, Ajay, ‘India and Experience of Indian Diaspora inAfrica’, Africa Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2000.

Q: What kind of role do you see for Egypt in creating a resur-gent Africa?A: The role of Egypt is not new to Africa. Ties between Egyptand the rest of Africa are deep and cover a broad spectrum ofshared interests. Geographically, culturally and economical-ly, this role is a deeply embedded one. There is migration fromEgypt to all parts of Africa. The RiverNile extends deep into Africa. There are10 states on both sides of the Nile.

We interact in Africa through variousmechanisms like the EconomicCommunity of West African States(ECOWAS), the Economic Communityof Central African States (ECCAS) andthe Organisation of African Unity(OAU). However, with globalisationthere are new emerging modes of inter-action with the world. We are trying tograpple with serious problems like howto eradicate poverty, disease, illiteracy andvarious ways in which we can help theAfrican causes.

Egypt played an important role in theliberation of African states. We maintaindiplomatic relations with all the Africanstates. Q: In what ways can Egypt support whatyou have called “African causes”?A: We have set up the African Fund thatprovides training in all walks of life. TheAfrica Fund, very much like India’s ITEC(Indian Technical and EconomicCooperation programme), provides eco-nomic and technical assistance to variousAfrican countries. With all our con-straints, we never compromise on ourcommitment to this fund.

We are very committed to the Africancause. Africa, in order to play its role in the world, needs thesupport of the international community. The support of the

global community is vital for solving Africa’s problems likecivil, ethnic strife and debt burden. There is also need formore fair trade with Africa and the opening of markets forAfrican products. Q: Are you happy with the state of the India-Egypt relations?A: Relations between India and Egypt are ancient and go back

millennia in time. There is strong civili-sational and cultural commonalitybetween the two counties. In ancienttimes, the Egyptians were keen to trade instrategic commodities like frankincenseand spice. Frankincense was used to exor-cise evil spirits and spices were used forembalming the bodies of pharaohs. Thetrade in these commodities was linked tobeliefs of the pharaohs. This ancient rela-tionship was reconfirmed in moderntimes. There is a huge reservoir of con-fidence, good faith and good wishesbetween the people of India and Egypt.We can always build on that. Q: The world has changed a lot from theheyday of the anti-colonial struggle andthe struggle for emancipation. How canIndia play a more effective role in the devel-opment of Africa?A: Egypt believes that the best way towork in Africa is to work through multi-lateral organisations like the AU (AfricanUnion). This represents the collectiveconscience of Africa. India has reaffirmedfaith in this relationship through its‘Focus Africa’ policy. India is alreadyinvolved in a wide array of activities liketele-medicine, tele-education and theongoing battle against AIDS. India isengaged in economic reconstruction ofAfrica through New Partnership in

Africa’s Development (NEPAD). India has a big role to playin peacekeeping and peace-building in African countries. Our

Egyptian Ambassador to India Dr. Kheir El Din Abdel Latif speaks to Manish Chand about India-Egypt relations, India’s role in creating a resurgent Africa, the future of U.N. reforms and the

Non-Aligned Movement.

50 November 2005

I N C O N V E R S A T I O N

‘We are very committedto the AFRICAN CAUSE’

‘Our President has greatregard for India. He makes

it a point to meet everyIndian delegation that visitsEgypt. We have all along

been great friends of India.There is never an

international meeting without a consultation

between India and Egypt.’

President has great regardfor India. He makes it apoint to meet every Indiandelegation that visits Egypt.We have all along been greatfriends of India. There isnever an international meet-ing without a consultationbetween India and Egypt. Q: What kind of role do yousee for the Indian diaspora inpromoting India-Africa rela-tions?A: There is a large and influ-ential community of Indianexpatriates in African coun-tries. Expatriates can act as abridge between India andAfrica and can contribute toeconomic development ofthe region. The Indian com-munity in Africa is growing.A large number of Indiansgo to African countries to work in the IT sector. Technicians,doctors and engineers from India are in great demand in theAfrican countries. Q: What can be done to boost trade and economic relationsbetween the two countries?A: There is a tremendous potential to increase the volume oftrade between the two sides. The two-way trade is close to $1billion with the balance of trade in Egypt’s favour. India is oneof the top 10 investors in Egypt. There are big Indian invest-ments in Egypt. The total Indian investment in Egypt willexceed $1 billion in a year or two. Q: India and Egypt have been the pioneers of the Non-AlignedMovement (NAM). Some say the movement has lost its steamin the post-Cold War unipolar world. How can India andEgypt come together to revive the NAM?A: We never thought the NAM should be disbanded. Wethought of refurbishing the NAM and giving it a new lookand direction on the basis of shared goals, causes and visions.Let’s not forget that the NAM is one of the largest blocs ofnations and it has a huge reservoir of goodwill among devel-oping countries of the world. Why should we squander thisgoodwill?

Unless there is a bloc of like-minded nations, we can’tpromote the cause of developing countries in the world.That’s why the NAM is more relevant: It continues to be abeacon of hope and a defender of the legitimate interests ofThird World countries. Q: Both Israel and Palestine want India to play a bigger rolein the Middle East peace process. What kind of role do you seefor India in this all-important dialogue?A: India is a friend of the Arab world. It has a lot of affiliationsand associations with the Arab world. It enjoys trust and con-fidence of the Arab world. India’s move to appoint ChinmoyGharekhan as special envoy to the Middle East has been wide-

ly appreciated. He is a friendof the Arab world and hewill be in a position to findways and means to activateIndia’s role in the MiddleEast peace process. Theinternational communitymust make a renewed pushfor peace in the region.Q: How can India and Egyptcooperate to make the reformsof the United Nations possi-ble?A: The world of today is notthe same as it was in 1945. Achange should take place inthe U.N. to cope with thenew realities. It’s a totallydifferent world we live in.This should be reflected inthe present structure of theU.N. If we are talking ofdemocratising at the nation-

al and international levels, then the U.N. should be democra-tised. The U.N. can’t preach others to be democratic with-out first democratising itself. Besides, development is close-ly interwoven with peace and security based on internation-al legitimacy and the U.N. charter. We strongly believe thata balance should be struck between the General Assembly andthe Security Council. We should give an enhanced role to theGeneral Assembly in international relations. The SecurityCouncil should be based on methods of work based on trans-parency.

We believe that the ECOSOC should be strengthened. Ithas a major role to play in solving unemployment and under-development in many countries. We are for reforming theInternational Court of Justice and support a greater role forcivil society in world affairs. Q: What is Egypt’s position on the G-4 plan and India’s bidfor a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council?A: We believe in all-encompassing U.N. reforms and notjust reform of the Security Council. Our position on theU.N. reforms is the one enunciated by the AU in its HarareDeclaration in 1997. It was decided at Harare that the Africansshould get 4-5 non-permanent seats and two permanent seatsto be occupied on a rotational basis. This African consensuswas confirmed at Addis Ababa. Africa alone will decide theissue and without external interference. This is the only wayto advance African unity and solidarity. Q: What can be done to boost tourism and people-to-peoplecontacts between the two countries?A: Egypt is a big tourist destination for India. Nearly 50,000Indians visited Egypt last year. Indian tourists are received verywarmly in Egypt. There is spontaneous goodwill for them ––so much so that some taxi drivers don’t charge a penny fromIndian tourists. We opened an office to promote tourism inMumbai recently. ■■


November 2005 51

Egyptian Ambassador to India Kheir El Din Abdel Latif, right, with film-star Amitabh Bachchan, left, who is extremely popular in Egypt, at asocial gathering at the Ambassador’s residence in New Delhi.

52 November 2005

India and the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) are readying for anexpansion and consolidation of their multi-faceted ties during the 25th anniversary yearof the multi-lateral organisation that took itscurrent shape over a decade ago to promotea common economic community. The for-mation of the SADC is based on the premisethat underdevelopment, exploitation, depri-

vation and backwardness in Southern Africa would be over-come through economic cooperation and integration. One ofthe major aims of the SADC is to “secure international under-standing, cooperation and support and mobilise the inflow ofpublic and private resources into the region”.1

The new market economy has influenced theSADC as a regional bloc. SADC is moving aheadto build regional community, peace, securi-ty, democratic governance and economicintegration. “I am confident that theSADC vision, the Regional IndicativeStrategic Development Plan (RISDP)and the Strategic Indicative Plan of theorgan provide us with a road map for thedevelopment of our community over thenext decade,” former Mauritius PrimeMinister Paul Berenger wrote, capturing thespirit of India-SADC relations. Mauritius is thecurrent chairman of SADC.

“As we re-engineer our own regional integration process,we also need to foster better linkages with other regional eco-nomic communities in consonance with the African Union’svision, mission and strategic plan,” he said.

He added: “Our common destiny is also linked to the close-ness of the relations we seek to establish with the rest of theworld, beyond our continent. In this respect, I am deeply grate-ful to India for the commitment it has shown in helping usachieve our key objectives in a spirit of Afro-Asian friendship,solidarity and partnership. India and SADC are bound by com-mon history and a shared vision of the future.”2

Southern Africa Development Coordination Council(SADCC) was formed in Lusaka on April 1, 1980, with Angola,Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe as members.Democratic Republic of Congo (1998), Mauritius (1995),

Namibia and South Africa after their independence joinedSADCC in later years. Madagascar finalised accession at thesummit in August this year while the application of Rwandawill be considered soon.

SADCC took the shape of SADC on August 17, 1992, inWindhoek with the aim of developing a regional community,which will safeguard economic well-being and ensureimprovement in the standard of living and quality of life, free-dom and social justice, and peace and security for the peoplesof southern Africa. During the cold war period, the SADCplayed a dynamic political role in the struggle against apartheidin the liberation struggle in southern Africa and the establish-ment of democratic governance in this region. This period wit-nessed the solidarity, unity and brotherhood among the SADC

members in confronting common socio-economicproblems like poverty eradication and in ensur-

ing peace and prosperity of the region. Most of SADC members have had suc-

cessful elections that give a clear expres-sion of the region’s commitment todemocracy. SADC is working towardsthe harmonisation of its macro-econom-ic policies in order to create necessary

conditions for integration of theireconomies at both the regional and global

levels. The SADC has set up an organ on “politics,

defence and security cooperation” under the leadership ofSouth African President Thabo Mbeki. It has energised con-tinental mechanisms for conflict prevention, management andresolution. To promote real democracy in this region, nation-al elections are conducted under the “governing democraticelection” resolution adopted at the SADC summit inMauritius in 2004.

The SADC is also setting up legal frameworks providing awide array of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for new businessand joint ventures that include duty exemptions on raw mate-rials and equipment.

SADC has established different centres to promote tradelike the Zimbabwe Investment Centre, Namibian InvestmentCentre and Enterprise Mauritius. The group provides insti-tutional guarantee under Multilateral Investment GuaranteeAgency (MIGA) to attract investment in various member-states. It implemented the liberalisation of intra-regional trade

As it marks its 25th anniversary year, the Southern AfricaDevelopment Community (SADC) is preparing to expand and

consolidate its ties with India. Dr. Suresh Kumar writes about thepotential that India-SADC relations hold.

Partnering SADCS O U T H E R N F O C U S

53


November 2005

on September 1, 2000, andhas decided to establishSADC as a Free Trade Areaby 2008.

In an address to the SouthAfrican parliament onSeptember 15, 2004, IndianPresident A.P.J. AbdulKalam outlined his vision ofIndia’s partnership withSADC. In order to realisedeveloped India by 2020, fivekey areas have been identi-fied for integrated action:One, Agriculture and foodprocessing –– with a target of400 million tonnes perannum of foodgrains as wellas others with different tar-gets and agricultural prod-ucts. Agriculture, with thehelp of a second green revo-lution and agro food pro-cessing, would bring foodsecurity and prosperity torural people and speed up thecountry’s economic growth,President Kalam said.

Two, education andhealthcare that aims to increase the employment potentialleading to social security and population control. Three, infras-tructure development, including reliable and quality electricpower for all parts of the country, which is vital for all the coresectors.

“Four, information and communication technology is oneof India’s core competencies. It can help industry and com-merce, promote education in remote areas, create massiveemployment and provide healthcare to remote areas, and

Five, critical technologies and strategic industries thatincludes nuclear, space, ocean, defence and other frontier tech-nologies which aim at providing sustained growth and self-reliance for the nation. “Foreign investors and partners toohave an important role to play. It is all the more important thatfriendly countries like us share our expertise and core strengthsto speed up our own growth.”3

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SADC

The SADC Summit Declaration in May 2004 on agri-culture and food security reaffirms its commitment toensure accelerated agricultural development and sus-

tainable food security in accordance with the United NationsMillennium Development Goals, the Declaration of the WorldFood Summit 2002 and the SADC’s RISDP.4

Angola’s subsistence agriculture feeds 85 percent of its pop-ulation. The Democratic Republic of Congo offers foreigninvestment in food and others sector related to it. Lesotho’s

economy is primarily basedon subsistence agricultureand invites investors in foodprocessing and other similarindustries. Malawi is pre-dominantly an agriculturaleconomy with 90 percent ofits population living in ruralareas. Agriculture accountsfor nearly 40 percent of GDPand 88 percent of export rev-enues. Mauritius is knownfor its sugarcane cultivationand covers 90 percent of cul-tivated land and 32 percentexport earnings of total mer-chandise trade. Subsistenceagriculture in Mozambiqueand Namibia involve a majorpart of their workforce. Foodand related products andagro processing are the pri-ority area of development inSouth Africa economy. InSwaziland, a land-lockedcountry, 80 percent of thepopulation depends on sub-sistence agriculture.Tanzania’s economy

depends heavily on agriculture and employs 80 percent of theworkforce. Only 15 percent of Zambia’s 60 million hectaresof arable land is presently under cultivation. Zimbabwe needsagriculture technology for sustainable development and offersvast scope for investment in the agriculture sector.

In addition, SADC promotes the tourism industry throughthe Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa(RETOSA) and the “Okavango Project” (OUZFIT), whichconsists of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia andZimbabwe. Moreover, SADC addresses the needs of the mar-ket economy.

As Bayano Valy writes: “SADC stock exchanges haveresolved to concentrate on loose cooperation after clarifying thesticky issues that seemed to slow down progress towards anintegrated real-time network of the region’s national boursesby 2006. The capital market is one area where integration isyet to be realised and the chiefs of the region’s bourses are inthe process of building closer coloration, which will eventu-ally lead to integration of stock exchanges in the region.”5

INDIA’S RESPONSE

It is the right time to focus on agricultural policies in theSADC region and document its vital role in strengthen-ing agricultural technique and food output value. India’s

experience in the agro-industrial sector, water managementand irrigation techniques, non-farm rural employment sectorand rural development can be harnessed for the development

54 November 2005

of the region. Besides, there are common problems

each country faces. For example, 70 percentof land in India and in the SADC region isdry land, which urgently requires a cohesiveresponse.

The focus on agriculture, however,shouldn’t be at the cost of industries. SADChas vast reserves of mineral resources thatcan accelerate the region’s economic growth.

SADC is rightly focussing its energies onovercoming problems like poverty, food cri-sis and underdevelopment. India andSAADC have rich resources, a good climateand ample water. The concentration on agri-culture, along with industries, requires a sus-tainable policy in this region.

The private sector is the backboneof the Indian economy and accountsfor 70 percent of GDP. India hasalmost 3.57 million units in thesmall-scale sector, employing about20 million people. This sector con-tributes $165 billion to the Indianeconomy.

With a view to enhance India’strade with Africa, the government ofIndia launched an integrated pro-gramme, ‘Focus Africa’, from theyear 2002-03. The main objective ofthe programme is to increase inter-action between the two regions byidentifying areas of bilateral trade andinvestment. The ‘Focus Africa’ pro-gramme emphasised on seven majortrading partners of the region, name-ly, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa,Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania andGhana, which together account for around 69 percent ofIndia’s total bilateral trade with the sub-Saharan Africa region.6

The CII Africa Committee has the mandate to further busi-ness cooperation that helps establish a symbiotic relationshipbetween India and emerging African economies. The com-mittee, through wide-ranging activities, !! Develops strategies to enhance economic, industrial andtrade relations ! Identifies areas of mutual cooperation!Highlights issues of concern and evolves suitable policy rec-ommendations! Frames guidelines and checklists for different forms ofindustrial cooperation, and!Represents industry sectors seeking greater mutual cooper-ation.7

Besides, the CII has institutional agreements with 32 coun-terpart organisations in 18 African countries with the objec-tive of facilitating exchange of information and promotingbusiness interests of Indian and African industry. The com-

mittee pursues a three-point agenda: Focuson core issues of industry; interaction withAfrican missions in India and Indian mis-sions in Africa; and partner and assist thegovernment of India in its specific Africa-related initiatives.8

A bi-monthly electronic newsletter is cir-culated to Indian industry, CII’s MoU part-ners in Africa, Indian missions in Africa,African missions in India, key policymakersin India and Africa to provide them latestinformation on economic, industrial andpolitical scenario in Africa. The CII hasdeveloped an integrated strategy for pro-moting Indian exports into Africa to sup-plement ‘Focus Africa’ programme of the

Indian Ministry of Commerce andIndustry. This strategy includes:Identifying focus markets in Africa;identifying products with potentialfor export to focus markets; semi-nars/workshops for export opportu-nities; trade delegations to focuscountries; participation in sector-spe-cific fairs in focus countries, Made inIndia/Enterprise shows.9

Export-Import Bank of India(EXIM India) operates a number offinancing and support programmesto facilitate and promote India’s tradeand investment in the African region.The EXIM Bank operates a pro-gramme to support overseas invest-ment by the Indian promoterthrough joint ventures/ wholly-owned subsidies. Such supportincludes finance in select cases,directs participation in equity along

with the Indian promoter, to set up such ventures overseas.10

With a view to enhancing the competitiveness of Indianexports and to identify Indian trade and investment potential,EXIM India periodically conducts research studies on coun-tries/regions/sectors/industry and on macro-economic issuesrelating to international trade and finance, and works closelywith the government of India on these issues.

EXIM India has also come out with a bilingual (English andFrench) magazine titled ‘Indo-African Business’ which focus-es on bilateral trade and investment between India and Africa.The magazine addresses the business information needs ofcompanies that are interested in trade with the African region.It has a representative office in Johannesburg, South Africa,which plays a role in facilitating economic cooperation withthe African region, and is closely associated with several otherbanks’ initiatives.

Food security is another important arena of cooperationbetween India and SADC. A key policy research identifies thecombination of technologies and institutions which will give

‘Our common destiny is alsolinked to the closeness of therelations we seek to establish

with the rest of the world,beyond our continent. In this

respect, I am deeply grateful toIndia for the commitment it has

shown in helping us achieve ourkey objectives in a spirit of Afro-Asian friendship, solidarity and

partnership. India and SADC arebound by common history and a

shared vision of the future.’–– Paul Berenger, Former

Mauritius Prime Minister

S O U T H E R N F O C U S

55November 2005

access to food to local communities and regions in Ethiopia. A coherent food strategy includes India-SADC investments

on new technology and agricultural research; human capitaland managerial skills produced by investments in schools,training, and on-the-job experience; physical capital invest-ments in rural infrastructure such as irrigation, dams and roads;and farmer support institutions such as marketing, credit andextension services.

It is important to transform subsistence agriculture into sci-ence-based intensive agriculture by adopting promisingindigenous practices combined with selective use of improvedtechnologies like inorganic fertilizers, better equipment,improved seeds, and improved soil conservation and agroforestry practices. Improved technologies and use of farm cap-ital is the most promising path to achieve the goals of greaterproductivity, food security and sustainability in most agro-cli-mate zones. Overall, the challenge of eradicating absolutepoverty in this region is best achieved by pursuing an economicgrowth strategy that transforms the current low productivityin agricultural sector.

ECONOMIC RELATIONS

India has economic relations with all the regional organ-isations in Africa as nearly all of them are inter-related.India and South Africa have launched an important ini-

tiative to convert South African Customs Union (SACU)from Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to a Free TradeAgreement (FTA). The five member-states of SACU ––Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland ––and India have robust trade relations, with the trade turnoverincreasing from $900 million in 1997-98 to $2,500 million in2003-04.11

India has strongly supported the objectives of NewPartnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The gov-ernment of India has already committed $200 million for thispurpose, which will be utilised through credit line grants.12

According to NEPAD, “Africa needs a growth rate of 6-8 per-cent to reach its cherished Millennium Development Goals;and to achieve this rate of growth as a continual basis over along run, impressive foreign direct investment inflows areneeded. Many African countries have undergone significanteconomic reforms and liberalised their markets and trade, andwidened the scope of operation of their private sector in tunewith the winds of globalisation.”13

President Y.K. Museveni, chairman of the CommonMarket for Eastern and South Africa (COMESA), writes, “Weare even addressing the issue of excessive balkanisation of thecontinent (with 53 states compared to three in North America)in a variety of ways, including economic blocs like SADC,COMESA and the Economic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS). The world, therefore, needs to encouragethese positive trends in Africa by opening up their markets ona quota-free, tariff-free basis.”14

There are great opportunities that COMESA offers forIndian businessmen. The trade and market integration isbound to have spillover trade effects of foreign investment in

promising sectors such as textiles and apparel, agriculture andinfrastructure, particularly financial infrastructure.15

The East Africa Community (EAC) is a group of threemajor countries of East Africa, namely Uganda, Tanzania andKenya. EAC Custom Union was signed on January 1, 2005,and India looks forward to it. India’s three-band CommonExternal Tariff structure of 0 percent, 10 percent and 25 per-cent will apply to goods imported into East Africa. The pref-erential treatment under COMESA and SADC shall contin-ue to apply during the transition period.

INDIA-SADC RELATIONS

It is indeed a reflection of India’s confidence in the eco-nomic potential of the SADC region that an MoU oneconomic cooperation was signed between India and

SADC in October 1997. This comprehensive agreementenvisages cooperation in diverse sectors such as agriculture,health, economic development, water resource management,human resource development, promotion of small and medi-um enterprises, communications, commerce, banking, tradeand investment.

The then SADC chair (Angola) and Indian external affairsminister agreed to set up a SADC-India Forum on July 17,2003, and identified focus areas like agriculture, small- andmedium-scale industries, pharmaceuticals and humanresource development.

The forthcoming SADC-India Forum dialogue will pro-vide a plan of action to actualise development goals of theSADC region. It will undoubtedly strengthen the existing rela-tions and pave the way for more and maximum cooperationin the mutual interest of SADC and India. “The forum willprovide a platform for SADC and India to engage in policy dia-logue, agree on priority areas of cooperation and formallyestablished cooperation arrangements between SADC andIndia in the spirit of South-South cooperation. The proposedareas of cooperation are agriculture, trade and investment,water resources management, promotion of small- and medi-um-scale industries and entrepreneurial development, drugsand pharmaceuticals, human resources development andinformation technology.”16

In response, the government of India said: “We look for-ward to increased cooperation with the member-countries ofSADC, both bilaterally and multilaterally, as a part of our pol-icy of fostering close links with Africa as a whole and are con-fident that enhanced cooperation between SADC and Indiawill yield rich dividends for both the sides.”17

Then Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singhhailed this spirit of India-SADC cooperation on the 25thanniversary of the SADC. “The SADC constitutes one of themost important regional organisations in Africa and we attachutmost importance to strengthen our relationship and tieswith it in different sectors. The main objectives for which theSADC was founded include, raising the standard of living ofthe people of this region, improving the quality of their life andpromotion of peace and security. These are the ideals, whichwe in India too fully share and keep before us in our own


56 November 2005

march towards development.18

The Ministry of External Affairs ministry noted this expan-sion in India-SADC economic relationship. “India’s com-mercial and economic links with SADC have registered amarked improvement during recent years. There are undoubt-edly ample opportunities for further expanding the interactionbetween India and SADC in commercial, economic and otherarenas. India also appreciates the consistent support receivedby it from SADC member’s countries in multilateral fora onissues of vital concern to it.”19

Table 1 elaborates the major product description ofimports from India and Table 2 emphasizes the potential ofmajor product description of exports from India.

The EXIM Bank study shows that India has robust traderelations with the SADC countries with trade turnovermore than doubling from $1.5 billion in 1997-98 to $3.4

billion in 2003-04. India’s trade balance has, however, dra-matically swung from a surplus of $68 million to a deficit of$81.8 million over the same period.20 This is primarily due tonearly a three-fold increase of Indian imports from SADCover the period, while exports have not varied significantly overthe years. South Africa is the largest trading partner among theSADC countries, accounting for more than 42 percent of totalIndian exports to SADC.

Almost all major South African companies have investedheavily in other SADC countries, elsewhere in Africa and,indeed, globally, although South Africa remains an importantbusiness centre for all of them. De Beers has managedBotswana’s diamond mining industry since 1969 throughDebswana, a joint venture with the local government.Zimbabwe is the second-largest SADC economy, yet evenbefore the emergence of its current political uncertainties, itnever succeeded in attracting FDI flows comparable to thoseentering other countries.

South Africa’s participation in the SADC comprising 14Sub-Saharan African countries allows access to a market ofapproximately 140 million, which is expected to grow at anannual rate of around 3 percent. South Africa has also turnedits attention to pursuing agreements for South-South cooper-ation through the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA)Forum.

“A business delegation that visited South Africa and a reportprepared by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce andIndustry mentioned that there is a huge market for Indianproducts and tremendous opportunities for Indianentrepreneurs”.21 Early this year, Prime Minister ManmohanSingh visited Mauritius and signed bilateral agreements ondiverse areas, including trade.

Moreover, SADC countries offer opportunities in terms ofForeign Direct Investment (FDI). Tourism, pharmaceuticals,electronics, computer software and accessories, informationtechnology related products, financial services and textiles holdlarge potential for Indian investors.

Despite many important initiatives to promote trade rela-tions, Africa is still a largely uncharted territory for Indianbusiness. The existing level of business ties between India andAfrica does not reflect the full potential. The consolidation ofIndo-Africa economic cooperation, bilateral or multilateral,can usher in a new era of South-South cooperation. Both thedesign and implementation of the SADC Trade Protocol suf-fers from some critical weaknesses.

The differentiation and back-loading of tariff reductionschedules; restrictive rules of origin and excessive concernsabout the costs and risks of intra-regional tariff liberalisationas well as the slow pace of implementation of agreed commit-ments are likely to undermine the potential benefits to begained from the trade protocol.

Besides, all SADC countries are facing the challenge ofadjusting their economies to the rapid pace of globalisationand the progressive opening up of national economies totrade and factor markets. The smallness of the SADC mar-ket does not serve as a sufficient base to develop industriesthat can compete in wider markets behind trade barriers.International trade and openness to it has to play an impor-tant role in the region’s strategy to stimulate growth andexport competitiveness.

Paul Kalenga writes, “Four things should be done to pre-vent the Trade Protocol from being yet another failed region-al integration instrument in Africa: Fast-track the tariff liber-alisation process so that by 2008 substantial intra-SADC tradeis duty free; design a clear program to eliminate non-tariff bar-riers to trade within a transparent rules-based framework;reform the SADC rules of origin towards the promotion of

1. BOTSWANA: Cotton yarn, excluding thread; articles ofrubber; industrial diamonds; textile and leather machinery;paper and paperboard; medicaments; optical fiber; printedbooks and globes; piston engines; and special industrialmachinery.2. LESOTHO: Goods vehicles; medicaments; portlandcement; soap; wooden furniture; cigarettes; footwear; cloth-ing accessories; blankets and travelling rugs; motor vehicleparts; cotton and woven fabric.3. NAMIBIA: Iron and steel tubes; special industrialmachinery; offset printing machinery; medicaments; opticalfiber; motorcycles and cycles; piston engines; other chemi-

cal elements; electrical circuit equipment; hydrocarbons andtheir derivatives.4. SOUTH AFRICA: Rice; leather and leather goods;medicaments, diamonds; all kinds of spices; textile yarn;motor vehicle parts as well as accessories; dyeing and tanningcolor materials; pharmaceutical products; and all kinds ofhousehold linen.5. SWAZILAND: India’s share in Swaziland’s total importsis negligible –– that shows the tremendous trade potential exitbetween the two countries.

(Source: Compiled from ITC, Geneva,Trade Analysis System, 2004.)

Table 1

S O U T H E R N F O C U S

57November 2005

international competitiveness and investment; as well as mov-ing towards the reduction and harmonisation of external lev-els of protection. This will facilitate the region’s gradual andsmooth integration into the world economy.”22

SADC countries’ principal exports continue to be sold inworld markets. There are limited prospects in the short tomedium term of increased exports to SADC despite prefer-ential market access (except for South Africa). The entireSADC regional market is very small by international standardswith aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) of about $187.7billion in 2000, of which South Africa contributes over 70 per-cent.23

This limits the scope for an inward-looking regional tradestrategy. Therefore, for many SADC members (if not all) the

SADC Trade Protocol is only useful if it is used as a platformfor improving global competitiveness.

Overall, there are mainly three barriers to enhancing Indo-SADC economic cooperation: the non-uniform trade regula-tions in the SADC countries; poor transport infrastructure inthe region; and inadequate communication infrastructure.

As a result, India and other interested countries do not haverequisite information about the regional market both in termsof demand and supply conditions.

To sum up, there is a real possibility of PTA and a subse-quent move to FTA and scrapping of double taxation. Thereis no doubt that a FTA between India and SADC will signif-icantly enhance bilateral trade. A long-term approach to trans-late FTA into reality is therefore the need of the hour. ■■


1. BOTSWANA: Passenger transport vehicles; portlandcement; medicaments; metal structures and parts; printedLooks, globes, etc.; motor vehicle parts; wooden furniture;sugars, beat or cane; raw, insulated wire and optical fiber;milled and semi-milled rice; electrical circuit equipmentaccessories; diamonds; rubber tyres and treads; soap. 2. LESOTHO: Goods vehicles; medicaments; portlandcement; soap; wooden furniture; cigarettes; footwear; cloth-ing accessories; blankets and travelling rugs; motor vehicles;hand and machine tools; rubber tyres and treads; cut paperand board; sewing machine parts; cotton and woven fabric. 3. NAMIBIA: Passenger transport vehicles; ships, boats;motor vehicle parts; medicaments; goods vehicles; tanks,casks/drums; office equipment accessories; textiles/leathermachinery; metal structures/parts; portland cement; aircraftparts; wires/cables; antibiotics; iron-steel articles; diamonds.

4. SOUTHAFRICA: Passenger transport vehicles; medicalinstruments; electrical circuit equipment; specialised indus-trial machinery; ships and boats; motor vehicle parts; medica-ments; goods vehicles; telecommunications equipment;musical instruments and records; paper and paper board;milled rice; computer equipment; internal combustionengines; oilcake; oil seed residue; printed matter; chemicalproducts; office equipment accessories.5. SWAZILAND: Knit and crochet fabric; passenger trans-port vehicles; goods vehicles; motor vehicle parts; wheat;television and radio transmitters; portland cement; plasticcontainers; medicaments; food processing machines; sweet-ened concentrated milk; cream; frozen bovine meat; wheeledtractors; soap; wooden furniture.

(Source: Compiled from ITC, Geneva,Trade Analysis System, 2004.)

Table 2

REFERENCES

1. Article 5, Objectives, Southern African DevelopmentCommunity Charter, 1980. 2. SADC AT 25, The High Commission of Mauritius, Delhi,August 2005, p.4.3. Partnership 2005, South Africa & India, South African HighCommission, New Delhi, September 2005, p. 314. Ibid, p.15.5. Bayano Valy, “SADC Bourses Pave Way for GradualIntegration”, Review of African Political Economy, RoapeNo100, 2004, Carfax Publishing, UK, p.376. 6. CII India-Africa Project Partnership 2005, Backgroundpaper, Delhi, p.26.7. Ibid, p.11.8. Ibid, p.259. Ibid, p.2610. Ibid.11. Southern African Custom Union (SACU) A Study ofIndia’s Trade and Investment Potential, working Paper Series

Paper No.8, Export- Import Bank of India, Delhi, February2005, p.2)12. Partnership 2005, South Africa & India, South AfricanHigh Commission, New Delhi, September 2005, p. 1713. African Digest, Third Quarter, 2005, Indo-Africa society,Delhi, pp. 37-3814. COMESA-India Relations, Indo-African society, August2005, p.615. Ibid, p.19.16. SADC AT 25, op.cit, p.6.17. Ibid, p.5.18. Ibid.19. Ibid.20. For More, India-Africa Project Partnership, 2-4th March2005, CII, Delhi.21. The Hindu, Delhi, August 1, 2005. 22. Paul Kalenga, Implementation of the SADC TradeProtocol: Some Reflections, World Bank Policy ResearchWorking Paper 3090, June 2003. 23. SADC, Annual Documents, 2003.

58 November 2005

Disney’s animated movie ‘The LionKing’ features words and phraseslike “Simba” (lion), “rafiki”(friend) and “hakuna matata” (noproblems). These are not imagi-nary words or phrases but are bor-rowed from the Swahili language.The Swahili phrase “Nakupendapia, nakutaka pia, mpenzi we”(I

love you, and I want you, my dear) is part of the lyrics ofMichael Jackson’s popular number ‘Liberian Girl’. “Malaika,Nakupenda, Malaika” (Angel, I love you), a Swahili song, hasbeen an instant hit the world over. These celebrated Swahiliwords and phrases are so popular that they have put Swahililanguage high up on the linguistic map of the world. Swahiliis a Bantu1 language, largely spoken on the east coast of Africa.It was basically a trade language that developed into a languageof wider communication.

The Organisation of the African Unity (OAU), founded in1963 for mutual cooperation and the elimination of colonial-ism in Africa, had approved Swahili as a working languageseveral years ago. It’s successor, the newly-formed AfricanUnion (AU), adopted it as an official language in July 2004.The renewed interest of the AU in indigenous African lan-guages is to consciously reposition and empower these lan-guages so as to rediscover and redefine African cultural iden-tity, and through it promote African unity.

New currents of globalisation are shaping events in a mod-ern world. A remarkable and outstanding feature of the worldtoday is a multiplicity of linkages and interconnectionsbetween states and societies. Enterprises related or unrelatedbecome interdependent and inter-linked globally throughstrategic alliances and international networks.2

As a consequence, the dominant forces of the globalisationare bringing states closer, enhancing integration, weakeningboth economic and political barriers and are facilitating the col-lapse of socio-cultural boundaries. Nations have become moreinterdependent due to cross-border trade and a global market,resulting in a global culture. Global culture has spawned con-sumers even in the remotest of places, who earlier had little or

no access to the large variety of goods and services. At the same time, the currents of globalisation have also

polarized the world into the rich North and the poor South.The rich North has been well integrated into the global net-work. Whereas the situation is just the reverse for the South,which is disunited and marginalised. It has become extreme-ly difficult for the nations of the South to individually com-pete with ever-increasing challenges of the developedeconomies. For some amount of bargaining power and effec-tive participation in the global economy, it is now imperativefor the countries of the South to unite and integrate by hav-ing closer regional ties.3

Likewise, the pressures of international economy haveforced the African countries to make efforts to promote region-al integration and cooperation. This realisation has been actu-alised in the creation of regional, economic and trading blocs.4

The numbers of these regional organisations has increasedfrom 20 to nearly 100 since its initial establishment.5

In fact, at first these regional and sub-regional groupingswere more economically and politically viable, but later theyserved as building blocs towards a continental unification. Thesustained efforts and the political will of the people of Africaand its leaders to unite crystallised into the formation of theAU on July 9, 2002, in Durban, South Africa. It is widelyacknowledged that the AU would create an enhanced form ofcooperation and integration necessary to meet the new chal-lenges of the changing continent and a changing world.6 Thisthen seems to be the appropriate time for ushering in andflourishing of the African Renaissance,7 the concept most zeal-ously professed by President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki.

These recent fruitful efforts of creating an integrated Africahave historical roots. There is a conviction that unlike today,Africa originally was one whole black nation without spatialdivisions but comprising several tribes. Later in history, divi-sions and distinctions developed, criss-crossing the whole ofAfrica. Divided Africa created a very congenial atmosphere forthe colonials to thrive and rule. Some conscious efforts weremade to re-unite Africa but they too were miserably unsuc-cessful.

Real serious attempts for the unification of Africans gained

Rashmi Kapoor argues for the need for a pan-African language that will not only serve as the lingua franca of diverse peoples bound

by a common history and culture, but can become an effective vehicle of an African renaissance.

C U L T U R E & H E R I T A G E

WANTED: A languagefor African Renaissance

59


November 2005

momentum in the latter part of 19th and early part of 20th cen-tury when the Pan-Africanism movement began worldwide.This movement called for all the people of African origin tounite, not limiting itself to the continent of Africa. Initially, theprotagonists of this movement were the black Americans andCaribbeans. Later, by 1922, Marcus Garvey coined the term“a Negro Renaissance”8 or “the First Black Renaissance” or“The Harlem Renaissance” to refer to the philosophy thatwould encourage self-reliance and restore confidence of theBlacks which they had enjoyed in ancient times. This intend-ed to define the nature of the BlackAmerican’s debate with himself andhis culture. All these movementswere predominantly addressing theissues of identity, status and unity ofBlack Americans.

In Africa, it was as late as the1950s that Kwame Nkrumah, thethen Prime Minister of Ghana,preached the need for all the coun-tries of Africa to unite. Nkrumahand several other African leadersinsisted that “Africa’s political inde-pendence and dignity of its peoplecould not be fully achieved and pro-tected without a United States ofAfrica.”9

In the 1960s, President JuliusNyerere of Tanzania idealisedprimitivism of ujamaa10 (AfricanSocialism) and later South Africa’sSteve Biko’s11 Black ConsciousnessMovement came up –– both were fore-runners to the formation of a unitedAfrica. It was in Addis Ababa in May 1963that the OAU was formed. Only 32 of thethen independent states became its mem-ber. Over the years, the OAU became anineffective organisation. This may be dueto the dilution of the spirit of Pan-Africanism and disillusionment due to itslack of control over the member-states.Finally, the sustained efforts of the lead-ers of African states saw the launching ofthe 53-member AU, replacing the OAUin July 2002. Morocco is the only Africannation that has chosen not to be a mem-ber.

The AU aims to help promote democ-racy, human rights and developmentacross Africa. It has been proposed torealise these aims by increasing foreign investment through theNew Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) pro-gramme. Its goal was to have an African Parliament andCentral Development Bank. The Pan-African Parliament wasopened officially on September 16, 2004, in Midrand, SouthAfrica. Though the AU is modelled after the European Union,

but it seems to be a composite of European Union, the Councilof Europe and the United Nations. It also has a number of offi-cial bodies. The AU is promoting the use of African languagesin its official work where it’s possible. But it has also approvedof Arabic, English, French and Portuguese as official languages.All these languages are foreign languages. In July 2004, Swahiliwas accepted as one of the official languages of the AU.

This attempt is considered by many to be a new AfricanRenaissance different from African Renaissance envisaged ear-lier. The current African Renaissance is popular and has

received wide and enthusiastic sup-port from academics throughoutthe African continent. Mbeki hasdescribed the process of AfricanRenaissance as “a process of rebirth,renewal, revival, revitalisation,reawakening, self-reinvention andrededication, characterised by asurge of interest in learning andvalue orientation.”12

U.N. Secretary General KofiAnnan further stressed that this(AU’s) historic effort will requireleadership, courage and a willing-ness to depart from the ways of thepast, if it is to do for Africa what theEU has done for Europe13. Thisimplies that Africa “must reject theways of the past, and commit itselfto building a future of democraticgovernance, subject to the rule oflaw”.14

It is imperative then that the process ofde-colonisation must begin immediately.It should aim to create spaces that will beused for critical reflection and regenera-tion of visions for Africa based on Africanconcepts of justice, creativity and harmo-ny.

But these spaces have to be extended tothe masses of Africa rather than left onlyto the leaders and professionals or elites.For African masses to be part of today’seconomically integrated world, they haveto be able to communicate effectively.This can only be possible by resorting tothe use of languages that are easily acces-sible to the majority. These languages canbe none other than the indigenous lan-guages of Africa and not the imposedcolonial languages. Hence, linguistic

renaissance has to be a necessary precursor to an African renais-sance.

The African linguistic situation is very complex due to themultiplicity of indigenous languages and the existence of colo-nial or foreign languages.15 The dominant colonial languageshave not only marginalised the use of African languages but

Swahili-speaking areas

The African linguistic situation is very complexdue to the multiplicity of

indigenous languages andthe existence of colonial or

foreign languages. Thedominant colonial

languages have not onlymarginalised the use ofAfrican languages buthave also led to the

development of a negativeattitude towards them.

60 November 2005

have also led to the development of a negative attitude towardsthem. In order to improve the status of African languages,they have to replace foreign languages as official languages oftheir countries and the AU. Adopting an indigenous languagewill solve the twin problem of uprooting the colonial lan-guages and revalourising the African language that can uniteAfrica.

If the majority are to participate in the economic and tech-nological development of Africa, then it can’t be promotedthrough the medium of a foreign language. This is perhaps oneof the greatest challenges of the African people. Language isculture and in language we carry our identity and our culture.For the majority of the African people, rebirth or re-awaken-ing is about living and expressing in indigenous languages.16

Then, the choice of any one language as an official AU lan-guage would imply the negation of other languages and cul-tures too.

Therefore, the choice of any one indigenous language fromthe basket of large number of Africanlanguages seems to be an insur-mountable proposition. Lack of res-olution of this problem has resultedin the continued use of foreign lan-guages in the AU to discuss allnational and international issues.Coupled with it, there is also a falsebelief that all Francophone Africaspeaks French and all AnglophoneAfrica speaks English. In reality, onlya very small minority of the popula-tion of these regions speak coloniallanguages and that too is mostly lim-ited to elites and intelligentsia. It mustbe insisted again that the majority ofAfrican masses know only indige-nous African languages.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Englishwas advocated as a lingua franca ofSouth Africa on the premise that itwould cut across ethnic divisions,inadvertently attributing a superior status to it. Similar argu-ments were put forth in other African countries in support ofother colonial languages. Other countries under colonial rulealso underwent these kinds of linguistic impositions. As aresult, the English language has come to dominate the worldmore than before as it has more non-native speakers than thenatives themselves.17 Which perhaps explains why some lin-guists say “the sun sets now on the British Empire but neveron the English language.”18 This then is the imperious posi-tion of English in the linguistic world order, which has to beundermined.

These arguments in favour of ex-colonial languages andespecially English is now losing ground since there are Africanlanguages which vertically integrate masses and classes andalso horizontally across different ethnic groups.19 Some ofthese widely spoken African languages are kiswahili, Hausa,Akan, Fiilfulde.20 But above all, the most favoured language

to be used as an African lingua franca is Swahili. This does notimply ignorance or negation of linguistic diversity in Africa.Neither does it sanction or acknowledge a hierarchy of lan-guages.

It is because of the wide expanse of area in which Swahili isspoken and its written tradition which is quite old as comparedto other African languages that Swahili is preferred. Swahili hasbeen a lingua franca of East Africa for quite some time.Presently, it is spoken by 50 million people either as first orsecond language in East and Central Africa but particularly inTanzania, Kenya and Uganda.21

In addition, many people in Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda,Burundi, Zambia, Somalia, the Comoros and the DemocraticRepublic of Congo speak some form of Swahili. Even in somepockets of South Africa and Zimbabwe some dialects ofSwahili are being spoken. In fact, this magic number of 50 mil-lion speakers does not include speakers of Swahili outsideAfrica. In other continents, there is a substantially large num-

ber of people of African origin whoprefer to speak Swahili. Thus, a sig-nificant number of Swahili speakersare also spread internationally.

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTIONOF SWAHILI

The Swahili identity and histo-ry has long been a contentiousissue and continues to be so

today.22 There are competing viewson the origin of Swahili. It has exist-ed as a distinct language for approxi-mately 1,000 years now.23 The 1stCentury AD account of the Periplusof The Erythrean Sea24 reports theexistence of cities and trading com-munities along the East African coast.Traditionally, the earliest settlersfrom overseas to this coast werebelieved to be Shirazis from the

Persian side of the Gulf of Persia. The Arabs followed them.But they were preceded by local African communities of farm-ers, fishermen and traders.25 They were Bantu-speaking andemigrated from an area north of Congo forest in theCameroons.26

Al Masudi (died C 945 AD), an early visitor from Persia,noted the establishment of towns along the East African coastwith a mixed population of Africans and Muslims.27 Around1100 AD these migrating peoples emerged as a distinct group.They capitalised on their location to trade with visiting Arabmerchants.28 By the 15th century, Swahili language and cul-ture spread as trade and towns developed. People began tobuild in coral and adopted Islam. A new civilisation evolvedwhich was Muslim, urban, mercantile and literate in Arabicand late in the period a writing tradition developed for Swahiliwith the Arabic script.29 Subsequently, Swahili language andculture were enriched by successive colonial invasions during


In structure and vocabulary,Swahili is distinctly a BantuAfrican language. It shares culturally and linguistically with other Bantu languages and peoples far more than itdoes with Arabic, Persian or

Indian. But by far the borrowing of vocabulary has

been largest from Arabic.Though it has taken great

inspiration from the cultures ofthe Indian Ocean coast andcolonials, it has retained its

basic Bantu structure.

61November 2005

the next several centuries by Portuguese, Germans andEnglish. Indians who had gone there as traders and as coolies,also contributed towards its vocabulary.

In structure and vocabulary, Swahili is distinctly a BantuAfrican language. It shares culturally and linguistically withother Bantu languages and peoples far more than it does withArabic, Persian or Indian.30 But by far the borrowing of vocab-ulary has been largest from Arabic. Though it has taken greatinspiration from the cultures of the Indian Ocean coast andcolonials, it has retained its basic Bantu structure. Its syntax andgrammar is Bantu. Swahili is a truly hybrid Bantu language dis-crediting its exogenous Arabic origin.

Internationally acclaimed writers such as Kenya’s Ngugi waThiongo and South Africa’s E’skia Mphahlele have consis-tently argued that the use of Swahili would enhance AfricanUnity.31 As early as 1976, during ‘The Second World Blackand African Festival of Arts and Culture’ held in Lagos inNigeria, renowned scholars, Prof. Wole Soyinka andMohamed Abdulazziz, threw their support behind the choiceof Kiswahili as Africa’s language.32

One can even speculate and go a step further to argue thatSwahili is the only language of African origin that has thepotential to be a world language. Nevertheless, at presentSwahili remains the sole African indigenous language that uni-fies central and eastern Africa, and hopefully it will unite thewhole of Africa in future and also the Blacks in Americas tothe natives of Africa.

What makes Swahili a dynamic language ahead of otherAfrican languages? The fact is that it is the only African lan-guage which has adapted itself to different historic epochs,changing in response to the then existing realities, accommo-dating new cultures and appreciating differences. It has takeninspiration not only from different ethnic groups of Africa butalso from the cultures of the Indian Ocean coast which areessentially based on compromise and negotiation.33 In recenttimes, its speakers have shown a rare determination to not tolet this legacy of their culture dwindle and ultimately degen-erate. Hence, they are valourising and revitalising Swahili.This perhaps explains why many radical writers are turningaway from English, insisting that language and culture areinseparable, and therefore the loss of the former results in theloss of other.

Besides writers and academicians, politicians are promotingthe cause of Swahili to be the working language of unitedAfrica. South African President Thabo Mbeki and ForeignMinister Nkosanzana Dlamini-Zuma welcomed the decisionof adopting Swahili as an official language of the AU. FormerTanzanian President Ali Hassan Mwinyi stressed that theadoption of Swahili will go some way in preserving Africanheritage in the form of a language.34

In support of Swahili, the outgoing AU chairperson, theMozambican President Joaquim Chissana, addressed the sum-mit of July, 2004 in Swahili. He urged the delegates and theircountries to learn the language. He said: “Swahili (is) a uniquelanguage as it contains wisdom, culture and dignity that couldnot be translated or found elsewhere.”35

All these facts prove that there is more support for Swahili

language in comparison to any other African language main-ly due to the following reasons.36 Let’s summarise argumentsin favour of the use of Swahili as a pan-African language.■■ It has proved its unifying ability by enabling effective com-munication between East Africans who speak English andtheir French-speaking neighbours of Central Africa.■■ It has more speakers than all the other languages that havebeen suggested as an African lingua franca.■■ It is a language that has a long writing history with manypublications on culture and literature.■■ Kiswahili is a Bantu language that can be easily acquired inAfrica as half of Africa’s population is made up of Bantu whoselanguages are very closely related.■■ Kiswahili has proved to be flexible in its lexicon expansion.This makes it suitable for communication in a world that iscontinuously experiencing rapid changes scientifically, tech-nologically and socially.

This overwhelming support for Swahili does not imply thatthere is no opposition to it. Some argue that that due to mul-tiplicity of languages in Africa, there are many other impor-tant African languages like Akan in Ghana, Wolof in Senegal,Hausa in Nigeria and Lingala in Zaire. For the natives of theseregions, Swahili is equally alien as are English, French,Portuguese or Arabic, and so should not serve as lingua fran-ca for them. Allaying these apprehensions, Bamgbose suggeststhat people should be encouraged to have bigger languageportfolios that will include African and foreign languages.37

Supporting similar views, Fardon and Furniss said that mul-tilingualism is actually Africa’s lingua franca.38 He propound-ed a four-language formula, first to develop local languagessince everyone has linguistic human rights to enjoy in life, thenregional languages (lingua francas) for wider communicationbeyond own communities, Kiswahili for long-term widercommunication in the AU and the European and other for-eign languages for international interaction.39 This four-lan-guage formula is very complex and cumbersome but prag-matic. In this scheme of language, it has to be highlighted thatSwahili has to be promoted only as an auxiliary language of aunited Africa and not the language that will displace othernational and local languages.

AFRICANISH-SWAHILI AS ANAUXILIARY LANGUAGE

English has continued to hold its sway in most of theworld even after the end of the Empire. The continuedtradition of using English as a most favoured language

of communication can be credited to a great extent to variousnational and international agencies which prefer English as acommon medium. Then, there is also a false belief in thesuperiority of the English language and that its knowledge isa best way to be closer to the Anglophone civilisation. Theparadox of the situation is that globalisation and integration ofdistant world communities has encouraged a reverse process.Rather than English being used more, its relative influence hasbegun to wane both in the commercial and the culturalspheres.40


62 November 2005

This fact can only be attributed to the normal course of his-tory which suggests that after a rise, the decline of the Englishlanguage should follow. For many centuries Greek was the lan-guage of learning, then Latin became the lingua franca of theChristian church in Europe and Arabic was the language of theIslamic civilisation which stretched from Spain in the West toSamarkand in the East. Later, French was the language of theinternational culture. For last so many centuries the spread ofEnglish had been extensive due to the vast expanse of theBritish Empire and the migration of Europeans to Americasand Australia. Besides, the media of a majority of social and sci-entific research continued to be English. But it would appearthe heyday of English is soon going to be history.

An increase in education and awareness in all the countries–– a contribution of English, some would say –– has initiatedthe feeling of pride and respect for their language and culture.Culture is transmitted through the medium of language andlanguage gives identity.41 In fact, the reverse trend of recog-nising, appreciating and promoting indigenous languages inorder to assert their identity is very conspicuous. The linguis-tic revival and preparedness of Africato throw off the former colonial lan-guages, which are the last bastions ofmental slavery, indicates that Africahas matured itself and can stand on itsown feet.

But the experience of Englishforces us to probe whether Swahilihas the potential to be promoted asthe language of the AU. All justifica-tions given in support of Swahiliwould make one think that the sheernumber of people speaking it and therelative neutrality of Swahili languageas compared to other ethnic andnational tongues makes its casestronger for it to be a continental lan-guage. But one cannot ignore histor-ical resentment from other non-Swahili speaking countries of Africaand their thoughtful arguments that question the fundamen-tal suitability of Swahili or that of any other language to playthe role of continental auxiliary.

One criticism may be that Swahili has features which are lin-guistically difficult for people of other speech areas to adapt to.The other may be that people have advantage in understand-ing concepts while using their mother tongue rather than lan-guage that is absorbed mechanically as second or third lan-guage. Thus, it won’t be of much advantage in those countrieswhere for diplomatic, commercial and ideological purposes,their mother tongue has been chosen as an official language.

But the absence of an indigenous official AU language canhave tragic consequences. Lack of a common language can leadto major crises. Translations can create confusion due to inher-ent deficiencies. The dropping of the atomic bomb onHiroshima has been partly attributed to a wrongly translatedreply from Japan. Such objections to translation are motiva-

tion behind Swahili to be nominated as an auxiliary languageof Africa, which every child in Africa should learn in additionto their mother tongue. But the lack of neutrality will dis-courage it to be adopted effectively. Therefore, a modifiedversion of Swahili has to be developed to make it readily accept-able and one with which one and all can identify with. Onlythen will Swahili become the medium that will unify thewhole of Africa.

The term Swahili is used both as the ethnonym of the peo-ple who traditionally speak Swahili language, and the name ofthe language itself.42 For Swahili to be accepted by non-Swahilispeakers, the term “Swahili” has to cut its umbilical chordsfrom its antecedents. The term Swahili may be changed, andI propose that it may be called “Africanish,” a language ofAfrica, just like English, Danish and Spanish of England,Denmark, and Spain. To be an African auxiliary language, itsmodified version would have to be consciously developed forit to move from a lingua franca of eastern Africa to be a linguafranca of the whole of Africa. The modifications have to bebrought about in orthography, phonology, vocabulary or

grammatical structure, so that it is arelatively neutral language and anappurtenance of a modern, unitedAfrican civilisation. It would be aterm in Africa to which everybodycould identify with, communicate inand write without being bothered ofits origin and their nationalism.

PAN-AFRICAN LANGUAGE

The historical connectionsbetween the Swahili languageand the East African coast civil-

isation has created a linguistic and cul-tural gap between Swahili and otherAfrican tongues with not so very dif-ferent political and religious tradi-tions. All the inherent deficienciesmake Swahili an inadequate language,

both for speech and translation for the whole of Africa. In sucha situation, Swahili in its present form is not the ideal mediumto use as a Pan-African language. Initially, though it may beaccepted as an official language of the AU due to the lack of analternative, but a modified version of Swahili –– Africanish ––has to be developed. Africanish, the African language, will bebased on Swahili but has to be promoted as a Pan-African lan-guage. It may not take the place of national languages but maybe a language which the whole of Africa could use as a supple-mentary or auxiliary language. ■■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The term Bantu refers to a large group of Negroid peopleof central and southern Africa. But the word Bantu strictlyrefers to language and not to a race. The Bantu group of lan-guages includes some hundreds of languages and dialects

The reverse trend of recognising, appreciating and

promoting indigenous languages in order to assert

their identity is very conspicuous. The linguisticrevival and preparedness ofAfrica to throw off the formercolonial languages, which are

the last bastions of mental slavery, indicates that Africa hasmatured itself and can stand on

its own feet.


63November 2005

stretching right across Africa. Swahili is one of the Bantugroups of languages.2. Adesanya, L.A., (2000), ‘An Examination of the NexusBetween Adult Education and Globalisation’, in 18th AnnualConference of Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria(PEAN) held at the University of Ibadan.3. The globalising world economy has in many ways revivedthe primacy of regional integration schemes as policy instru-ments to contain the excesses of unfettered free markets.Regionalism is thus seen as the human face of globalisationwhich makes it the only space where liberalisation is sustain-able economically and politically. See S. Sideri, ‘Globalisation’sDilemma: Economic Blocs or Global Economic Apartheid’ inEuropean Journal of Development Research, Vol. 11, No.2,P. 170, 1999.4. The trading blocs are particularly important as a measure tocontain and mediate competitive global pressures whichnational policy resources cannot effectively handle, See S.Sideri, ‘Multilaterlism and Regionalism: A Still DifficultCoexistence’ in R. Ricardo and E. Grill (eds), ‘Multilaterlismand Regionalism After the Uruguay Round’, London,McMillan Press, 1997.5. Mohochi, E.S., (2002), ‘Language and Regional Integration:Foreign or African Languages for the African Union?’ paperpresented at CODESRIA 10th General Assembly, Kampala,Uganda, December 8-12, 2002.6. The outgoing OAU Secretary General, Salim Ahmed Salim,quoted in the article, ‘The Counter Renaissance’ in the SwarajFoundation’, September 2001, site http://www.swaraj.org/counterrensept.htm7. Renaissance means the revival of art and learning under theinfluence of classical models which began in Italy in the lateMiddle Ages. African Renaissance implies the rebirth of Africawhere a united Africa would emerge as a power to reckonwith.8. A Negro Renaissance intends to restore to the Black people“that confidence in themselves and prestige in the world whichthey enjoyed twenty-five, thirty and thirty-five centuries agoby the waters of the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates and onthe plains and plateaus of Ethiopia”. See T. Martin, (1991),‘African Fundamentalism, A literary and Cultural Anthologyof Garvey’s Harlem Renaissance’, Massachusetts, TheMajority Press.9. Ndegwa, P. (1986), ‘The African Challenge, In Search ofAppropriate Development Strategies’, N. Heinemann, Kenya,P. 111-112.10. Ujamaa is a socialism of Africa where a system of self-helpvillage cooperatives were established by President Nyerere inTanzania in the 1960s. In Kiswahili, ujamaa means brother-hood.11. Steven Biko was a South African radical leader. His organ-isation aimed to raise awareness of oppression in the Blackcommunity and develop a sense of pride. He was a symbol ofheroic resistance to apartheid in the Black townships of SouthAfrica in the 1970s.12. R. Khoza, (1999), ‘The Institutional Structures that ShouldUnderpin the African Renaissance’, in W.M. Makogba (ed),

African Renaissance, Mafube & Tafelberg, Cape Town, P.279.13. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan quoted in ‘TheCounter Renaissance’, Op. cit.14. Ibid.15. Mann, M. & Dalby, D. (1987). Have enumerated 2,550languages in Africa as quoted in Thesauruses of AfricanLanguages, Zell Saur, London. Elugbe (1994) estimate theexistence of 2,000 languages, as quoted in Mohochi, E. Op.cit.These differing figures reflect different definitions of language,emphasising communicability of identity.16. Makogba, W. M., (1999), Pxviii, Op. Cit.17. ‘Swahili as a Working Language of the AU’ in Times ofZambia, P.Z, site http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewniews.cgi?18. Ibid.19. Bamgbose, A. (1994), ‘Pride and Prejudice inMultilingualism’ in Fardon R. and Furniss, G. (eds), ‘AfricanLanguages, Development and the State’, London, Routledge,P. 10220. Swahili is refered to as kiswahili by its speakers.21. Sebelebele, M., (2004), ‘Swahili: AU’s official Language’site http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/saglance/constitu-tion/ausummit04.22. Spear, T., (2000), ‘Early Swahili History Reconsidered, inThe Journal of the African Historical Studies, Vol.33, No. (2)P. 257. 23. Hinnebusch, T. J. (1979), ‘Swahili’ in T. Shopen,Languages and Their Status, Winthrop Publishers, Cambridge,P259.24. Morgan, W. T. W., (1973), East Africa, Longman, Nairobi,P.165.25. Spear, T., (2000), P.258, Op.cit26. Hinnebusch, T. J., (1979), P.259, Op.cit27. lbid. P.26028. Spear, T., (2000), P. 258, Op.cit29. Hinnebusch, T. J., (1979), P.260, Op.cit30. Swhili Language in Wikipedia31. Sebelebele, M. (2004), Op.cit 32. Mahochi, E.S., (2000), P.6. Op.cit33. Kambale, J., (2004), ‘Congolese Welcome Swahili asOfficial African Language’, Inter Press Service, Johannesburg.34. ‘Swahili As a Working Language of the AU’, Op.cit35. Mozambican President, Joanquim Chissano, Quoted inSebelebele, M., Op.cit36. Mahochi, E.S., (2002), P. 6, Op.cit37. Bamgbose, A., (1994), P. 34,38. Fardon R. & Furniss G., (1994), ‘African Languages,Development and the State,’ London, Routledge, p. 33-4339. Mahochi, E.S., (2002), P. 7 Op.cit 40. “English_as_an Auxiliary_Language” in Lango Directory.41. Ngugi wa Thiongo, (1981), ‘Decolonising the Mind: ThePolitics of Language in African Literature’, Portsmouth,Heinemann, P. 15-1642. Lodhi, A.Y., (2000), ‘Oriental Influences in Swahili: AStudy in Language and Culture Contacts’, Acta UniversitatisGothoburgensis, Sweden, P. 22


64 November 2005

‘Spoil yourself with a honeymoon on the most romantic andpassionate of continents.’1

‘Africa was no traditional beauty; it was much more thanthat: It was a dream... Africa awakens the explorer in its visi-tors; they journey hour after hour through the bush in the hopeof glimpsing the shadow of a leopard, herds of buffalo... or ele-phants striding majestically towards their unknown destina-tion. It is the excitement of the wild, of the unpredictable, and ofdanger... and there will be a camp able to conjure up English tea,a hot shower and a four-poster bed in the midst of nowhere.’2

Namibia in southwest Africa, a for-mer German colony, was the lastAfrican colony to achieve inde-pendence, in 1990. Today, it vig-orously promotes tourism as animportant source of overseasearnings.3 Tourism is making anincreasing contribution to theeconomy, with 700,000 visitors

in the year up to June 2005. However, factors that continue toconstrain overall economic progress are the very small popu-lation (fewer than two million inhabitants), so a very smallinternal market; a shortage of skilled workers; a lack of indus-trial and manufacturing diversification; and a dualistic eco-nomic structure, ranging from relatively affluent citizens to animpoverished subsistence population sector. The landscape ispredominantly arid; agriculture contributes just 10 percent to

the gross national product (GNP). Struggles to create a viable economy include battles against

drought and food shortages. Unemployment is a serious issuein Namibia, with an estimated 45 percent of the potentiallabour force not in paid work. Yet Sparks and Green describedNamibia as “coming to independence with significant eco-nomic potential.”4 It has some of the best infrastructure inAfrica: Good roads and railways, and ports well placed on theAtlantic Coast, to export goods.

Tourism as Colonial

NOSTALGIAClaudia Bell conjuresup the exotic delights

of Namibia –– its picturesque

desolation, opulentlodges, enchantingwild life –– and asks

whether all thisromantic mythmakingis neo-colonialism in

disguise. Desert Tourism. The sand dunes

are a popular destination

T R A V E L & T O U R I S M

NAMIBIA

65November 2005

For most Westerners, Africa as a geographic construct isgeneralized; separate countries are blurred in stories of Africa.The “mystique of Africa” and “romance of Africa” as entice-ment to tourists are offered by a number of countries. The dis-tinct identity that Namibia promotes is its particular uniquelandscape: Vast empty spaces, softly folding sand dunes; a pic-turesque desolation that is novel to most visitors. Layered ontothis are promises of luxurious accommodation. There are wellover 150 lodges in Namibia, small establishments offeringguests comfort and solace as escape from their daily life in thewest; and as secure retreats in mysterious, potentially danger-ous Africa. The lavish style of classic 1920s safaris of the verywealthy is recaptured in present day Namibian tourist accom-modation. While wildlife is not as abundant as in Botswana andKenya, nevertheless guests can enjoy the peace and solitude ofthe wilderness, in elegance and style.

SEDENTARY CONSUMERS OF LUXURY

Most non-South African tourists in Namibia areGerman, many making repeat visits. For the adven-turous tourist to Namibia –– to Westerners, going

to anywhere in Africa is seen as adventure –– there is so muchto delight. The remote, strange landscape is the main draw:The magnificent red sand dunes, and the vast deserts with fas-cinating wildlife –– oryx! ostriches! kudu! –– and flamingosand pelicans on the sparkling Atlantic coast. To enjoy thisenvironment, one is urged to be a guest in a beautiful lodge.These are not just accommodation, but vacation experience inthemselves.

The lodges’ advertisements urge the jaded Westerner to goto Namibia and relax in luxury: Rejuvenate your body, mindand soul. Whether it is total relaxation pampering in an unri-valled arena for treatments or the end to kick-start a healthierlifestyle, Namibia offers the ideal venue, combining wellnesswith nature and the African wildlife.5

This is nothing to do with any adventurous idea of rough-ing it in the bush: Epupa Camp consists of nine luxury safari-style tents, each with en-suite bathroom.6

The highest quality lodges offer leisure-and-pleasure pur-suits that prioritise bodily gratification. The architecturallybeautiful resorts are stylishly landscaped with palms, cycadsand fragrant frangipani, with large ceramic African ornamentsdecorating the immaculate gardens. Spa and other relaxing,beautifying treatments are available for the visitor’s body, wearyfrom the rigors of everyday Western culture.

On websites and in brochures, inviting pictures of bed-rooms with pristine white draped beds; immaculate table set-tings with crystal wineglasses; elegant lounging areas invitingtotal relaxation amongst a tasteful selection of exotic fabriccushions; carved tables bearing a cornucopia of vibrant freshfruits; swimming pools surrounded by lush tropical plantings;all of these present an ambience of indulgence for the itiner-ant pleasure-seeker.

MacCannell’s model of tourists as sedentary consumers ofcountries whose “way of travel involves elaborate mobile con-trivances and temporary accommodations which are designed

to mock up not merely sedentary existence but a kind of ultra-sedentary existence once the province of royalty... The appealis to a particular ideal of travel in which the meals, the accom-modation, the mode of conveyance, etc., should be moresumptuous, more elaborate and over-prepared than theircounterparts at home”.7

Indeed, this is what the tourists have paid for. Hence thetourist may be described as entering something of a luxuriousfantasy world; a world they can afford for a short time, whichis later recalled as a special experience in an exotic location.

Here we can see what Franklin and Crang refer to as the“sensual, embodied and performative dimensions”8 of con-temporary tourist practices: The guests’ every sense is stimu-lated and soothed in this environment. And the performativeroles are clearly defined.

In this dream world, in these deluxe lodges, the subservientblack African servant fulfills the desires of the visitor, waitingliterally hand and foot (manicures! pedicures!) on the pam-pered visitor. The guest meanwhile settles into the role ofsomething of a royal visitor, succumbing to the extravagantmulti-sensory pleasures in this, their own (albeit very tempo-rary) kingdom of indulgence.

The performance by local people in these service roles dis-tracts and obscures the violence of colonial occupation. Here,the reframing is in terms of local employment. The (black) staffin their pristine uniforms smile at the (white) guests, deliver-ing courtesy, charm, obliging service and authenticity to thevisitors’ experience. The servant class may be seen as “perfor-mative primitives”.9

The lodge staff may not be performing eg traditional dancesin native costume; but they are performing their roles fromanother era of their history: as the colonised indigenee, nowcompliant and obedient, because it’s a job.

ILLUSORY AFRICA

Images and representations of an illusory Africa are almostan intrinsic part of the culture as Westerners. Tourismuptakes, maintains and markets our traditional myths

about Africa; those myths created by centuries of fantasy andromanticism, and tales of danger, adventure and excitement.Contemporary tourism marketing uses those same myths to“sell” consumers notions of place which may or may not cor-respond to the actuality. As Cohen explains, “Advertising tendsto simplify the image; a product (is) most effectively market-ed if its image is reduced to a few easily recognized basictraits.”10 Glasser asserts that, “You don’t sell a product, you sella dream.”11

The images and representations of Africa before Europeandiscovery can be traced to the beginnings of a biological dis-course about race, which attempted to legitimize Europeanentry and colonization. Biological determinism was less aboutrace in general, and more about affirming European percep-tions of themselves as racially superior. This leads to an under-standing of African people as the Other. These beliefs under-pin initial and pre-conceived images of Africa as a site for per-formance of neo-imperialism.


66 November 2005

The role of image creation intourism cannot be over-emphasized.“It is the way in which they (tourismimages in advertising) reflect rela-tionships between products, imagesand people which encourage andreproduce particular ways of seeingthe world.”12 In short, advertisingfunctions to support ideology, and isinstrumental in the reproduction ofsociety’s social structures.

The image-making industriespresent versions of exotic places aspurchasable commodities, a processcrucial to fuel the tourists’ imagin-ings of places to visit. Tourists areurged to go and see. Garlick suggeststhat “Urry’s notion of the ‘touristgaze’, which he insists is central tothe constitution of touristic experience itself, highlights theprivileging of the visual... within modern western cultures.”13

The alarming consequence of this is that identity politicsare overlooked. “With a growing tourist presence and increas-ing engagement with the tourist market, local discourse aboutculture and ethnicity may increasingly resemble touristic dis-course in it’s premises and narrative style.”14

In short, tourists have made –– or are making –– Africa thatwhich they have chosen to see.

This argument highlights not just geo-political differencesbetween the European and African countries, but also the ide-ological discourse surrounding conquest, exploration and asearch for “authenticity” by the modern tourist. The tourists’quest for authenticity signifies a colonial legacy where placesare viewed as mystical or treasured landscapes preserved bytime, to be explored, and exploited. Indigenous people are fre-quently portrayed as passive but grateful recipients of the newcontemporary white explorers (tourists) from urban industri-alized countries.

And so exotic peoples continue to be constructed as sub-

jects of colonization, but nowthrough travel capitalism.Perceptions of the “the romance ofAfrica” rely heavily on the tourismindustry perpetuating a Western fan-tasy.

The tourist is buying a fantasyabout colonialism, which is aboutbeing in control and dominatinganother group. In the case ofNamibia, what is consumed is not somuch Namibia, but an “African”experience. This is commoditised bythe global flow of touristic images,and mapped onto tourists’ owndesires for exotic, adventurous expe-riences, but with the level of comfortthat recalls the lives of wealthycolonisers in Africa.

DISEMPOWERMENT

Clearly, post-independence, there is a strong need forNamibian self-determination of identity. But theimages and “gaze” of the tourist deny Namibians the

right and determine their own identities and personas. The sadreality of the situation is that tourism is the largest employerin the world; it is growing as a significant employer in Namibia.Meanwhile, the ability of Namibia to empower itself anddetermine it’s own understanding of itself is greatly disadvan-taged by a range of economic factors. Despite government andprivate sector efforts to create work opportunities, high levelsof unemployment have persisted since independence. AsSparks explains, Namibia’s previously racist education systemhas resulted in low skill levels for many of the population.15

The small population, little farmable land, adverse climate,and limited access to finance have impeded growth. Profitsfrom its mining industry do not go to Namibians. Theprospects for tourism in the Namibian economy are very pos-

Their (the tourists’) self-focusincludes little concern that

their Namibian lodge holiday isa site of privilege that dependson the poverty of local people.Designers have created prettylodges to represent Namibia

and its idiosyncratic landscape.But the lodges have become

sites where discourses of nostalgia and identity are

inscribed by the tourists andtheir needs.

The exterior and opulent interior of a typical tourist lodge in the Namibian desert. The tourists receive what they seek and paid for: Luxury, sub-servience and indulged leisure, as they escape their everyday roles in late capitalism as “talented consumers”.

T R A V E L & T O U R I S M

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November 2005

itive. But it is noticeable that the white-owned luxury resortswhich employ under-educated black Africans as staff, trainthem to be obsequious to affluent foreign clients.

The dilemma for the tourism researcher is to accept thatfor staff in opulent lodges, at least they are employed (thoughpaid very little). But there is distaste at the re-enactment ofcolonial relationships. Here is a recapitulation of what Kenyanwriter Ngugi wa Thiong’o calls “docile natives,” created undercolonialism as cheap labour. The subjugation of colonialismis reiterated in tourism.

This manner of servility exacerbates racist assumptionsingrained in white Westerners. Those values are provoked andreaffirmed during their visit. In tourism, where the “other” isan acquiescent subject of the gaze, or submissive servant,equality cannot be present. So long as one group perceivesanother as the subservient class, an equal relationship cannotbe forged.

Nicholson-Lord16 reminds us that tourism was supposedto be a “smokeless” industry. It was this belief that under-pinned its growth after World War II, when the World Bank,abetted by a new U.N. agency, the World TourismOrganisation, prescribed it for Third World countries whosemain marketable asset appeared to be “unspoiled” cultures andenvironments.

Tourism, it was argued, would be a passport to development–– a clean, green industry with lots of jobs and no factories orfumes. There was less attention to the extent to which tourismwould exacerbate white supremacy; that it would further themarginalisation of Third World peoples. The tourists’ taste forluxury in the Namibian deserts seems to imply a nostalgia forwhite supremacy and ongoing cultural dominance, if only as atemporary fantasy. The lodge guests, as they act out safari chic

travel of the past,17 discount any possibilities of assumptions ofegalitarianism with indigenous peoples.

The tourists receive what they seek and paid for: Luxury,subservience and indulged leisure, as they escape their every-day roles in late capitalism. As “talented consumers”18, they arebuilding their own life stories and cultural capital throughtheir travel experiences. Their self-focus includes little concernthat their Namibian lodge holiday is a site of privilege thatdepends on the poverty of local people. Designers have creat-ed pretty lodges to represent Namibia and its idiosyncraticlandscape. But the lodges have become sites where discours-es of nostalgia and identity are inscribed by the tourists andtheir needs.

This case study illustrates the slippage and contradictionsbetween cultural tourism and tourist culture19. Tourism inNamibia does not just bring about a commoditisation of aversion of colonial culture. It also impacts on local culture byproviding validation and ironic exploitative economic supportfor the continuation of that touristic imperialism.

There is no simple solution to this dilemma. Raising aware-ness in tourists may be a (modest) start. Affluent Westernersare not likely to stop travelling. Tourism has turned into a reca-pitulation of nineteenth century colonialism, creating a neweconomic dependency. And as Nicholson-Lord concludes: “Itrubs hard against the growing worldwide movement for localor national self-determination.”20

Acknowledgments I would like to thank the Faculty of Arts Research

Committee, University of Auckland, New Zealand, for fund-ing my research projects in Namibia. Thank you also to JohnLyall for reading an earlier draft of this article. ■■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. www.go2africa.com/africa_honeymoon/default.asp2. Taschen, Angelika and Deidi von Schaewen, 2004. SafariStyle Berlin, Taschen; pp 6 - 7.3. The promotion of tourism in Namibia is well document-ed in Travel News, Namibia, a monthly publication whichalso has a website, www.travelnews.con,.na4. Sparks, Donald L. and December Green, 1992. ‘NambiaThe Nation After Independence’. Westview Press, Boulder,San Francisco, Oxford; p73.5. http://www.namibiatourism.com/6. http://namibiareservations.com/epupacampe.html7. MacCannell, Dean, 1992. ‘Empty Meeting Grounds: TheTourist Papers’. London and New York; Routledge; p 5.8. Franklin, Adrian and Mike Crang, 2001. ‘The Trouble withTourism and Travel Theory?’ Editorial in Tourist Studies Vol.1, No. 1, June, p14.9. MacCannell, ibid; p26.10. Cohen, Erik, 2004; ‘Contemporary Tourism, Diversityand Change’, Boston; Elsevier; p265.11. Glasser, R., quoted by Cohen (ibid); p256.12. Pritchard, Anne (2001) ‘Tourism and Representation: A

Scale for Measuring Gendered Portrayals’; Leisure Studies 20(2001); p89.13. Garlick, Steve (2002) ‘Revealing The Unseen: Tourism,Art and Photography’ in Cultural Studies 16 (2) p290.14. Linnekin, Jocelyn, 1997. ‘Consuming Cultures: Tourismand the Commodification of Cultural Identity in the IslandPacific’; in Picard, Michael and Wood, Robert E. (eds.)‘Tourism, Ethnicity and the State in the Asian and PacificSocieties’, University of Hawaii Press, hawaii; p216.15. Sparks, Donald L. and December Green; ibid; p145.16. Nicholson- Lord, David, 1997. ‘The Politics of Travel. IsTourism just colonialism another guise?’ http://www.emily.net/~schiller/pol_trvl.html17. A history of luxury tourism in the African bush is docu-mented by Natasha Burns (photographs by Tim Beddow) in‘Safari Style’, London; Thames and Hudson, 1998.18. Bell, Claudia and John Lyall, 2002. ‘The AcceleratedSublime; Landscape, Tourism and Identity’. U.S.A., Praeger;p153.19. Craik, Jennifer, 1997. ‘The Culture of Tourism’, Chapter6 in ‘Touring Cultures’ Edited by Chris Rojek and John Urry;London and New York; Routledge. pp113- 136.20. Nicholson-Lord; ibid.

68 November 2005

‘The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture andIdentity’, by Amartya Sen; Penguin Allen Lane, June 2005; Price: Rs.650; pp 432.

TThe Argumentative Indian is no not an exoticcreature or an invention of Amartya Sen; turnleft, right or centre –– this redoubtable crea-ture with an inborn love for speaking iseverywhere, arguing and radiating his plea-

sure in this great Indian gift. Some may find this habit of speak-ing ad nauseam a fatal national flaw that has kept us in thelimbo of under-development, but Sen revels in this Indiangenius for talking, and occasionally ask-ing discomfiting questions –– a traitwhich is central to his idea of a pluralis-tic, liberal, multicultural India.

Not surprisingly, the eponymousessay begins with these celebratory lines:“Prolixity is not alien to us in India. Weare able to talk at some length. KrishnaMenon’s record of the longest speechever delivered at the United Nations(nine hours non-stop), established half acentury ago (when Menon was leadingthe Indian delegation), has not beenequalled by anyone from anywhere.Other peaks of loquaciousness have beenscaled by other Indians. We do like tospeak.”

This is not a new habit, Sen points outin his new book ‘The ArgumentativeIndian,’ and quotes extensively from theMahabharata and the Ramayana, scrip-tures and secular texts, ancient andmodern, to underline the centralityof dialogue to the evolution of intel-lectual life of the country.

Sen’s new book –– a collection ofhistorical and philosophical essayswritten over the last decade –– is aninspired meditation on the idea ofIndia and Indian-ness at a time whenthe global image of India is in a stateof flux and is under attack from var-ious votaries of chauvinist passions.

“India is a large and diverse coun-try with many distinct pursuits, vast-ly disparate convictions, widely diver-gent customs and a veritable feast of viewpoints,” he writes inthe preface to the book. “In India heterodoxy has always beenthe natural state of affairs,” says the 1998 winner of Nobel Prizefor Economics.

Sen, a former Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, arguesspiritedly for a “capacious view of a broad and generous

Hinduism, which contrasts sharply with the narrow and bel-licose versions that are currently on offer, led particularly byparts of the Hindutva movement”. This may sound like full-blown paranoia to some, but Sen is convinced that this large,inclusive idea of India is in danger of being enticed by parochialideologies and worldviews with narrow emotional appeals.

Clearly, Hindutva is his pet peeve and he attacks it with com-bative passion that can only come from a deep-rooted convic-tion. “Many of the barbed attacks on secularism in India havecome from activists engaged in the Hindutva movement,including the BJP, which has been described as the principalpolitical party representing the ideology of Hindu nationalism

in the electoral arena,” writes Sen. “Another serious problem with the

narrow reading of ‘Indian culture asHindu culture’ is the neglect of manymajor achievements of Indian civilizationthat have nothing to do with religiousthinking at all,” Sen writes in chapterentitled ‘Secularism and its Discontents.’

In place of this limiting view of India,Sen, Lamont University professor atHarvard, passionately espouses his visionof a liberal, secular India that encouragesdiversity of viewpoints and heterodoxyas the ideal way for the country.

Dismantling stereotypes of India asthe mystical, exotic Orient, and the newcliché about the country’s IT prowess,Sen’s essays engage with contemporaryissues like poverty, class and caste divi-sions, gender inequality and the impact of

India’s new-found nuclear status onhuman security in the subcontinent.

These problems can be resolvedonly through the creative use of thegreat Indian argumentative tradition,he says. “The argumentative tradi-tion, if used with deliberation andcommitment, can also be extremelyimportant in resisting social inequal-ities and removing poverty and depri-vation... Voice is a crucial componentof the pursuit of social justice,” theauthor argues.

“Discussions and arguments arecritically important for democracyand public reasoning. They are cen-

tral to the practice of secularism and for even-handed treat-ment of adherents of different religious faiths (including thosewho have no religious beliefs),” writes the venerable economistand thinker.

This all-important debate is grounded in larger questionsof the Indian identity. “Should the Indian identity be seen as

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s ode to liberal India

“The argumentative tradition, ifused with deliberation and commitment, can also be

extremely important in resistingsocial inequalities and removingpoverty and deprivation... Voice

is a crucial component of thepursuit of social justice,”

the author, noted economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya

Sen, argues.

B O O K S & I D E A S

69


November 2005

something of a federal concept that draws on the differentreligious communities, perhaps even including non-religiousbeliefs, within the list of constituents of a federation of cul-tures?” he asks.

At the end of it all, Sen affirms Rabindranath Tagore’s ideaof India which “militates against the intense consciousness ofthe separateness of one’s own people from others.” This is hisvision of a large, all-inclusive, ecumenical India locked in amortal combat with a smaller India based on narrow religiousand ethnic identities. To save this large India, Sen seems to besaying that one needs to celebrate the argumentative tradition

and flaunt one’s love for argumentative Indians.Befittingly, the author, whose love for argument is almost

visceral, ends his eponymous essay on a light-hearted note byalluding to the legendary Bengali reformer Raja Ram MohanRoy’s witty diagnosis about “the real hardship of death,” whichconsists of “the frustrating –– very frustrating –– inability toargue.”

“Just consider how terrible the day of your death will be.Others will go on speaking, and you will not be able to argueback,” Ram Mohan Roy said famously.

–– By Manish Chand

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Author: Sidney Sheldon;Publisher: Harper Collins; Price: Rs.195

3. ‘The Sea’Author: John Banville; Publisher:Picador;Price: Rs. 276

4. ‘Season of the Rainbirds’Author: Nadeem Aslam; Publisher:Faber and Faber; Price: Rs. 256

5. ‘Never Let Me Go’Author: Kazuo Ishiguro; Publisher:Faber and Faber; Price: Rs. 513

6. ‘Shalimar theClown’Author: SalmanRushdie; Publisher:Jonathan Cape,London; Price: Rs.595

7. ‘Maps For Lost Lovers’Author: Nadeem Aslam; Publisher:Faber and Faber; Price: Rs. 236

8. ‘One Night @ theCall Center’Author: ChetanBhagat; Publisher:Rupa; Price: Rs. 95

9. ‘On Beauty’Author: Zadie Smith;Publisher: HamishHamilton; Price: Rs. 473

10. ‘Eldest’Author: Christopher Paolini;Publisher: KNOPF; Price: Rs. 695

(Source: Bahri Sons, New Delhi, www.booksatbahri.com. All the books listed above are available online)

Vikram Seth’s ‘Two Lives’ is back as number one non-fiction favourite while Khaled Hosseini’s evocative tale of childhood in peacetimeAfghanistan, ‘The Kite Runner’, topped the fiction bestseller list in November.

Bestsellers in India

“WELL, IN THAT case you can’tgo in either.”

Mr. Deen gave him that Look, the stare that virtually said,‘My friend you are about to make a mistake.’

With that he said to the doorman, “It’s not that simple. Ifyou are preventing me from going in you have to physicallystop me.”

“Look,” said the attendant, “Don’t make a scene, just takethis ticket, return it to the cashier, and get your money back.”

“I won’t make a scene, and I will make it easy for you. Justput a finger here (and he pointed at his chest), and tell me thatI can’t go in,” which is what the attendant did, and the twofriends turned and went home without another word.

The next day Mr. Deen telephoned the manager of the the-atre and told him about the previous night’s incident, addingthat he had several witnesses of the episode. He also added thathe assumed that the manager knew that what the doorman haddone was, in legal terms, tantamount to assault.

The manager obviously knew his law, and he realizedimmediately the position that the management had been putin. He only hesitated for a moment, then said, “Come to thetheatre and see me. I will give you a hundred shillings, and wewill forget the whole matter. O.K.?”

That really seems to have riled Mr. Deen, for he said, “Iwould perhaps have accepted a simple apology. But your stupidattempt at buying my honour for a hundred shillings changesthat. Now you will have to make your apology through a four-column announcement in the front page of the East AfricanStandard (that was the leading English language newspaper inKenya).The manager tried to get out of that public, and cost-ly, ad in the paper, but it was futile, and eventually he had todo just that!

■■

AS THE TRAIN pulled slowly into the Tororo railwaystation we all craned out of the windows, looking for the worst.

We were dead sure that a messagewould have been sent ahead from the

train, and that an unwelcome reception would be awaiting usthere. Sure enough, we could see on the platform in the dis-tance, a burly European police officer, and two askairs (con-stable...

At the police station our statements were taken, but thank-fully our friend Bhimsen was not detained. We were informedthat he, as the defendant, would be summoned for a courthearing in a few weeks, as well as we, the three friends, as wit-nesses.

In somewhat of a daze we returned to the railway stationand managed to find a Mbale bound train, boarded it, andreached Mbale after a couple of hours ride in silence, withoutany further incident.

Within five minutes of the train’s arrival at Mbale the dis-embarked passengers were all gone, and the station lookedcompletely deserted. Where were we? More importantly,where was Mbale, the town? A sleepy stationmaster explainedthat the town was four kilometres down the only road leadingout of the station.

“A bus? A taxi? No, no, no such thing.” The stationmastersaid in answer to our enquiry. “Have to find your own way intotown, somehow.”

A little tired, hungry and dispirited we started the long walkto town. At the outskirts of Mbale we met a young man who,in the excited anticipation of the hockey festival, hailed uswith, “Hello! Here for the tournament?” And then, “Whichteam are you?” We told him, and he was suitably impressed,not knowing the task we were facing, with only four playersout of the required eleven.

Shaban Noormohamed, our new friend, was all excitedwhen I told him casually that we were a trifle short on play-ers, and asked him if he knew anyone who might be interest-ed to play for us. ■■

70 November 2005

B O O K S & I D E A S

‘Real African Phantom’, by Khalid H. Malik; Trafford Publishers;$34.62; pp 221.

AAficionados of life and adventure in 19th cen-tury Africa have longenjoyed a singularlyone-sided view –– aview from the West.

The romance and excitement ofEuropean accounts of East Africa haveexploited the mystique of Kenya,Uganda and Tanganyika. But in sodoing, they have given that region anexclusively Western perspective,obscuring an equally thrilling parallel world that existed on thesame time-plane, albeit through an entirely different lens.

So reads an introduction to ‘Real African Phantom’ by

Khalid Malik. And just who inhabited this “thrilling parallelworld?”

“People who have probably read and enjoyed fantasticbooks like ‘Out of Africa’, Gorillas in the Mist’, and ‘Snowsof Kilimanjaro’,” writes Malik, “have certainly lived the adven-tures with the white heroes and heroines of these stories, andperhaps learnt something about the indigenous people as well.In all likelihood,, however, they did not realise that there exist-ed a third entity in East Africa who exerted an equal, if notgreater, influence on the life and development in those coun-tries: The economic force, the silent power –– the East AfricanAsian.”

The ‘Real African Phantom’ features the amazing successstories of this “phantom group” among the three major racesof East Africa and the evolution of one family over a 100-yearperiod, through the eyes of an insider who saw most of it upclose. ■■

On East Africa’s ‘phantom’ Asian community

Excerpts

71 November 2005

Speech delivered by Shashi U. Tripathi, Secretary in theMinistry of External Affairs, on November 8, 2005

At India-Africa Conclave organized by CII and EXIM Bank.

LOOKING AHEADPARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE

In the new millennium, India is seeking to establish a part-nership for development with the African nations based onnew technologies. India has a special relationship with

Africa that has evolved over the decades. Indian leaders hadwarm personal ties with the leaders of the African liberationmovements. Indian and African leaders worked together forAfro-Asian solidarity and were close partners in the Non-Aligned Movement, the G-77 and other international organi-zations. There has been a long-term convergence of princi-ples, ideals and interests between them. These close politicalties have continued with the new generation of leaders inAfrica.

There is a new mood of optimism in Africa with the estab-lishing of the African Union and constituting of an econom-ic regeneration programme under NEPAD. India hasresponded to the changes in Africa with renewed efforts toenhance economic and political cooperation. India wrote offthe debt owed by the African countries under the HIPC(Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) Paris Initiative and restruc-tured the commercial debts. The Indian Government under-took a special programme in March 2004 to strengthen rela-tions with a group of eight Francophone countries of Africa— Burkina Faso, Chad Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea,Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal under the TEAM-9Initiative. The TEAM-9 Initiative set up a mechanism forcooperation to take up bilateral as well as sub-regional projects.It has attracted a good deal of attention with several otherAfrican countries showing an interest in joining the TEAM-9 Initiative.

India sees South-South cooperation as an effective co-oper-ative approach. It is a framework to build a bridge betweenAsia and Africa. We must ensure that access to both new andappropriate technologies are expanded greatly among us.Advances in biotechnology could promote revolutionarychanges in agriculture and health care.

India is ready to collaborate with Africa in new areas of co-operation using advanced technology. The use of space tech-nology to accelerate the development process is one of the newareas for joint action. India has offered the benefits of its spaceprogramme to African countries, to connect all the Africancountries through satellite for tele-education, tele-medicineand other e-services. India has also offered data from its remotesensing satellites and expertise to utilize the data applicationsin different fields for African countries.

India has what has been called Technology with a Triple'A' Tag : appropriate, adaptable and affordable. It is willing toshare its technological skills with African countries in a part-

nership that includes both public and private participation,depending on the requirements of the African countries. Indiais already involved in the three vital sectors of growth in Africa:telecommunications, IT and development of transport infras-tructure through the railways in Africa countries. In 2005,India became the first Asian country to become a full - mem-ber of the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) andit committed US$1 million to the ACBF mission to buildcapacity for sustainable development and poverty alleviationin Africa.

India’s economic and commercial ties with Africa havegrown in the past half-decade. Trade has risen sharply in thisperiod; from less than $1 billion in 1990-91 to $7.03 billion in2003-04. The growth is due to both an increase in Indianexports to Africa as well as African exports to India.

The process of economic development requires capital andthough India is itself a developing country, it has offered linesof credit as a useful resource for African countries. Takentogether with our bilateral lines of credit to individual coun-tries in Africa, our offers for NEPAD and TEAM-9 add up tosomething over a billion dollars. We sincerely hope that it canbe harnessed as a catalyst to build genuine, productive andsustainable partnership in the development of institutionalcapacity in industry, agriculture and infrastructure.

Direct shipping services between South Africa and Indiahave given a major boost to the trade and investment envi-ronment. India is the third largest source of foreign investmentin Uganda and Indian companies are the largest investors inGhana in terms of numbers with 46 new projects in 2004.

The Indian chambers of commerce have established link-ages with their counterparts in African countries to collaboratein creating awareness of the strengths and skills of industry andof business opportunities.

The Asia-Africa Conference adopted a StrategicPartnership Plan of Action that listed the fight againstHIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and various other diseasesthrough a coordinated and sustained global response, with agreater availability of medicines at an affordable price. Indiaand Africa face the same major health problems of HIV/AIDS,malaria, TB and vaccine preventable diseases. About 50 percent of HIV/AIDS patients taking anti-retroviral drugs indeveloping countries rely on Indian products and India is thebiggest provider of anti-retroviral drugs to sub-Saharan Africa.India has entered the field of anti-AIDS vaccines that are in thestage of undergoing tests and is also mounting a campaign toeradicate new strains of diseases like TB and malaria. This isan area where India could have a beneficial cooperation withAfrican countries.

Education and training has been one of the main compo-nents of India’s technical and economic assistance for Africa.The thousands of Africans who have attended educational andtraining courses in India and the hundreds of Indian teacherswho have taught in African schools serve to invigorate thebonds between India and Africa. Under its ITEC programme,

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India has provided training to Africans in diverse fields thatrange from higher education, modern agricultural methods,defence, small-scale industries, democratic institutions, andrailways.

It has continued to innovate to bring its assistance in linewith present day requirements for capacity building in devel-oping countries. Using appropriate technology, it has helpedset up IT parks, rural electrification, self-contained solar light-ing systems, mini cement plants, cotton ginning and process-ing plants.

Aside from cooperation in training of defence personnelfrom African countries, India has shown its commitment topeace in Africa with its participation in UN peacekeepingmissions in the continent. It has participated in 10 peace-keeping missions in the region. It has about 5,000 peace-keepers serving in Congo, Eritrea and Ethiopia — whereIndian troops are also working to improve the conditions ofthe people.

India and Africa stand together to face the new challengesof redefining the Non-Aligned Movement in the presentinternational order, refining the spirit of Bandung and thechallenges at the United Nations. Fifty years ago, the AsianAfrican Conference was about freedom from colonialism, halfa decade later the summit focused on human dignity.

Despite accounting for over half of humanity, Asia andAfrica do not have a commensurate voice in the internationalinstitutions of the modern world. The institutions of theUnited Nations reflect the architecture of the 1950s whenmost of the African nations were not independent. Developingcountries from Asia, Africa and Latin America need to be

included as permanent members on the Security Council inorder to make it more representative and democratic. Abouttwo-thirds of the agenda of the UN Security Council focus-es on Africa, but Africa does not have permanent representa-tion in the UNSC. There is need for reform of the proceduresof the United Nations, with greater consultations betweenthe member countries. Africa must be suitably representedamong the permanent members of an expanded UN SecurityCouncil.

India is a legitimate candidate for permanent membershipof the UNSC. India is the second largest country in terms ofpopulation; it is the world’s 4th largest economy in terms ofpurchasing power parity, and one of the largest contributorsto peacekeeping operations. It has participated in 42 UNpeacekeeping missions. India has been a leader in South-South cooperation and has articulated the concerns of thedeveloping countries at the meetings of the international orga-nizations like the WTO.

India and Africa have a historic relationship and in the pastfew decades have made efforts to cement a sustained relation-ship of cooperation. India has built a framework of coopera-tion through the variegated strands of sound political rela-tions, vibrant trade and economic ties, assistance in educationand training, and peacekeeping. The cooperation will explorenew frontiers in the field of space technology applications, anarea that would help accelerate the sustainable developmentprocesses in Africa. India and Africa look towards an endur-ing partnership for peace and prosperity in the future. Lookingat the spirit of vibrancy in Africa and the vitality in India, weare convinced that the 21st century belongs to Asia and Africa.

Address by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, during theValedictory Function of the Conclave on India-Africa

Project Partnership 2005; ‘Expanding Horizons’New Delhi

November 8, 2005INDIA-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP

FOR FOCUSSED MISSIONS

Iam delighted to participate in the India-Africa Project 2005“Expanding Horizons” organized by the Confederation ofIndian Industries (CII) and EXIM Bank. My greetings to

the organizers, hon'ble ministers, principle advisors, bankers,business captains, representatives of chambers of commerceand industries and government representatives participatingin this conclave. Particularly, I would like to greet the delegatesof 31 African countries who are participating in this Conclave.

Study of Conclave OutcomesI studied the number and profile of participants of both

India and Africa who attended the first conclave held inMarch 2005 and attending the second conclave being heldnow. It is really a high level participation. In addition, CIIand the EXIM bank have provided certain inputs for theconclaves. In spite of that, I consider there is a large scopefor improvement in the quality of output which has result-

ed from these two conferences. Pan African e-Network

During the last two years I had an opportunity to visitAfrican countries such as Sudan, Tanzania, Tanzania-Zanzibar and South Africa. Also, I had an opportunity toaddress the Pan African Parliament on September 16, 2004,at Johannesburg, South Africa, which was attended by headsof 53 member countries of the African unit. There Iannounced the willingness of the Government of India toprovide seamless and integrated satellite, fibre optics and wire-less network connecting 53 African countries. This will pro-vide three connectivities: (i) Heads of the state network fore-governance; (ii) Tele-education network for higher educa-tion, skill enhancement and capacity building; and (iii) Tele-medicine for providing health care and super specialty medi-care. This programme will be funded by India. This networkwill be in position by early 2007.

Flow Chart of Events Towards MoUNow, I would like to give the sequence of events which took

place before final signing of the MoU between India and theAfrican Union for implementation of the Pan-African e-net-work project. As soon as the project was announced, a techni-cal committee was appointed by the Prime Minister’s Office

73 November 2005


(PMO) to generate the project report. The derivation of theproject report took four months and needed six meetings of thetechnical experts drawn from the Department of Space,Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) andTelecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL).MEA had also interacted with the African Union (AU) andmember countries in this period. After the submission of theproject report, the PMO reviewed the project two times. Then,the PMO directed the MEA to submit the project to AU. TheMEA organized a presentation of the project report by a high-level team to the chairman and members of the AU. AU alsoconstituted a Technical Review Committee consisting ofmembers drawn from AU and international organizations.The final presentation was made by the Indian team to theTechnical Review Committee which observed that this pro-posal is in line with the missions and objectives of the AfricanUnion and provides tremendous potential for achieving theMDG (Millennium Development Goals) through the use ofinnovative ICT. Meanwhile, I made a presentation of thewhole project to the 28 Ambassadors of Pan African countriesstationed in Delhi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. After this, an MoUbetween AU and India was signed on October 27, 2005.

I am giving this example to illustrate how, with focussedattention, a government system has been able to perform in atime bound manner. In the case of private sector enterpriseswho have much more autonomy of operation, they should def-initely be able to achieve higher level of results.

India and Africa: Natural AlliesAs all of you will agree with me, India and Africa are natu-

ral allies. We have many things in common and we have a com-mon civilizational heritage. Now India is in the process oftransforming itself into a developed nation by the year 2020.Hence, I would like to present our national challenges andplans. I am sure that this may be relevant to many of the coun-tries in the AU.

Our National Mission — ChallengesOur nation is going through a major challenge of uplifting

of 260 million people who are below the poverty line and alsoto give better life for many millions who are on the border lineof poverty or just above the poverty line. They need a decenthabitat, they need work with reasonable income, they needfood, they need speedy access to healthcare, and they neededucation and finally they need a good life. Our GDP is grow-ing at more than seven percent per annum on anaverage,whereas, the economists suggest that to uplift the peo-ple from below the poverty line, our economy has to grow atthe rate of 10 percent per annum consistently, for over a decade.

Integrated action: To meet the need of one billion peo-ple, we have the mission of transforming India into a developednation. We have identified five areas where India has a corecompetence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and foodprocessing; (2) Reliable and quality electric power, surfacetransport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; (3)Education and healthcare; (4) Information and communicationtechnology; and (5) Strategic sectors. These five areas are close-ly inter-related and, if properly implemented, will lead to food,economic and national security of our country.

Engines for growth: Emphasis should be on full utiliza-tion of natural and human resources of the nation to meet thedemands of the modern society. We should also rememberthat about 50 percent of our population is young people withaspirations for better living. Value addition in agriculture, man-ufacturing and service sectors, building the national core com-petence and technologies will lead to additional high incomeemployment potential. The engines for growth will be accel-erated by launching of the five national missions viz., water,energy, education and skills, infrastructure and employmentgeneration. The totality of these five missions will enableachievement of 10 percent GDP growth rate per annum.

With these aspects in view, we have already laid down theroad map. The priority for the government is to convert theroad map into various missions. It is to be done in a decen-tralized manner allowing a greater role for private enterpriseand local initiatives.

National Missions and OpportunitiesLet me discuss some of the national missions that India is

giving thrust for achieving sustainable economic developmentfor all the regions of the nation. I am sharing these missionswith the members of this conclave, so that you may like to repli-cate this model in your countries. First I would like to agricul-ture and agro food processing.

Agriculture and Agro Food ProcessingIndia is now producing about 200 million tonnes of food-

grains, as a result of the first green revolution piloted by thepolitical leadership of Shri C. Subramaniam, the scientific lead-ership of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and willing farmers. India hasnow embarked on a second green revolution which will enableincrease in productivity and diversification of the agriculturalsector. The second green revolution will have the farmers infocus, farming technology as the friend, food processing andmarketing as partners and the consumers as customers. Fromnow on to 2020, India will gradually increase the productionto around 400 million tonnes of grains. The increase in the pro-duction will have to be done under the reduced availability ofland from 170 million hectares to 100 million hectares withreduced water availability. Now, I would like to discuss aboutPURA.

Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)The number of PURA units for the whole country is esti-

mated to be 7,000. This envisages integrated connectivities tobring prosperity to rural India. These are — physical connec-tivity of the village clusters through quality roads and transport;electronic connectivity through tele-communication with highbandwidth fibre optic cables reaching the rural areas fromurban cities and through Internet kiosks; and knowledge con-nectivity through education, vocational training for farmers,artisans and craftsmen and entrepreneurship programmes.These three connectivities will lead to economic connectivitythrough starting of enterprises with the help of banks, microcredits and marketing of the products.

Each PURA cluster will connect about 20 villages depend-ing upon the region and population and will cost about Rs. 100crores ($20 Million). After initial short-term employment dur-ing construction etc., we have to plan for initiating actions for

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providing regular employment and self employment opportu-nities in nationally competitive small enterprises in agro pro-cessing, manufacturing and services sectors for about 3000people. If the industrial/business parks are marketed well, theycan generate employment opportunities in support sector forabout 10,000 people in that cluster. This will provide sustain-able economy for the rural sector. In this national mission,bankers can promote entrepreneurship in the rural areas. Thiswill lead to the removal of urban-rural divide. This experiencecan become a model for other countries to follow.

Periyar PURA — Transformation of Rural SocietyLast year I had visited Periyar Maniammai College of

Technology for women and inaugurated a project calledPeriyar PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)Complex. Over 65 villages near Vallam, Thanjavur district ofTamil Nadu, have been transformed as a PURA Cluster. ThisPURA complex has all the three connectivities — physicalconnectivity, which has a circular road and interconnectingroads covering major villages along with bus transport system,it provides electronic connectivity through Internet kiosks andknowledge connectivity through its academic background —leading to economic connectivity to the 65 villages.

The centre of activity emanates from the women engi-neering college that provides the electronic and knowledgeconnectivity. Periyar PURA has healthcare centres, primaryto postgraduate-level education and vocational training centres.This has resulted in large scale employment generation and cre-ation of number of entrepreneurs with the active support of 850self-help groups.

They have innovative water management schemes for irri-gation and providing potable water for all the village citizens.All 65 Periyar PURA villages are having only rain fed irriga-tion. Two hundred acres of waste land have been developedinto cultivable land with innovative water managementschemes such as contour ponds and water sheds for storing andirrigating the fields. All the villagers are busy in either cultiva-tion, planting Jatropha, herbal and medicinal plants, powergeneration using bio-mass, food processing and above all run-ning marketing centres. Due to shortage of rainfall in that local-ity, farmers were suffering due to scarcity of water not only foragriculture but also for drinking purposes. Keeping this inmind, Periyar PURA developed six percolation ponds and fivecheck dams to harness the rain water amounting to 2.73 lakhcubic meter per year. This water is supporting the irrigation of300 acres of land through recharging their open wells and borewells. It also supplies drinking water to the people. PeriyarPURA has also developed alternate practices such as contourlands, check dams across natural streams for water conserva-tion and developed a model for irrigation for conservation ofwater. More than 5,000 farmers are benefitting from this pro-gramme. This example will be useful for water managementin PURA complexes. Recently, Periyar PURA has brought anumber of employment oriented schemes to the tsunami-affected Nagapattinam villages and trained the self-help groupson Tiles making, paper manufacturing, alternative buildingblocks manufacturing and a number of commonly used itemsrequired in the rural and urban market. This single women

engineering college have empowered the villagers throughskill-oriented training, provision of finance and provision ofmarket connectivity for their produce.

PURA: Loni Model (Maharashtra)Recently, I visited a place called Loni in Maharashtra where

a participative model of integrated rural development has comeup among 44 villages with the population of 80,000. The archi-tect of this model, Shri Bala Saheb Vikhe Patil, MP ofMaharashtra , has a vision of improving the productivity of therural people through improved quality of life with healthcare,education and employment. The concept is people centricdevelopment for social transformation. The thrust area ofdevelopment has been on comprehensive medicare particularlyfor women and children, need based health education and e-connectivity to the farmers. The complex has created 27 edu-cational and vocational institutions consisting of schools, col-leges, polytechnic and ITI including medical and engineeringcolleges. They have created sugar factory, bio-grass plants,chemical plants and power projects. They have a large num-ber of self-help groups for providing low interest loan for theweaker sections in the society. Due to the co-operative effortof the people, literacy in these villages has gone up from 63 per-cent to 83 percent, birth rate has come down from 2.3 percentto 2 percent, infant mortality rate has decreased to 35 per 1000from 70 per 1000 and the standard of living of the people hasgone up by over 20 percent compared to other village clustersin the neighbouring areas.

Bio-fuel MissionThe government has decided to permit mixing of 10 per-

cent bio-fuel with diesel. This has opened up new opportu-nities for employment and wealth generation. We have nearly63 million hectares of wasteland available in the country, outof which 33 million hectares of wasteland have been allottedfor tree plantation. Certain multi-purpose trees such as jatrophacan grow well in wasteland with very little input. Once grown,the crop has fifty years of life. Fruiting can take place in thisplant in less than two years.

It yields oil seeds up to five tonnes per hectare per year andproduces two tonnes of bio-diesel. Presently, the cost of bio-diesel through the plant is approximately Rs. 17 to Rs. 19 perlitre which can be substantially reduced through choice of rightsize of the plant and using high yield variety plantation. Bio-diesel plants grown in 11 million hectares of land can yield arevenue of approximately Rs. 20,000 crore (nearly four billion)a year and provide employment to over 12 million people bothfor plantation and running of the extraction plants. This is a sus-tainable development process leading to large scale employ-ment of rural manpower. Also, it will reduce the foreignexchange outflow paid for importing crude oil, the cost ofwhich is continuously rising in the international market.Moreover, use of bio-fuel is CO2 emission free. This oil canalso be used for soap and candle industries. De-oiled cake is araw material for composting. Also jatropha plantation providesa good environment for honey production. We should absorbthe best of technologies available worldwide and start com-mercial operation soon. I would request the banking com-munity assembled here to take the initiative, generate a detailed


75 November 2005

project report on this project and promote entrepreneurs withfinancial support from the banks in rural areas who can under-take the plantation and commissioning of extraction plant lead-ing to production of cost-effective bio-fuel. I am sure the bio-fuel plants can grown in many parts of Africa.

HIV/AIDSIt is reported that, in India, the number of HIV-infected

people is on the increase. It is critical that the transmission ofHIV infection is prevented. An effective vaccine that can pre-vent this disease will be a cost effective tool for control of infec-tious diseases. There are three sub-types of viruses classified asA, B and C. I understand that the Indian population is largelyaffected by sub-type C virus.

There are two candidate vaccines presently considered foruse against sub-type C virus in our country. In view of theurgency of finding a cost effective vaccine, the expert groupreviewed the vaccine candidate for HIV sub-type C in thepipeline. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vaccine withHIV-1 sub-type C (African strain) developed by TargettedGenetics Corp, USA, was found to be in advanced stage of testin different parts of the world. This HIV vaccine (tgAAC09) isnow undergoing Phase-I trial for safety and immunogenicityassessment in healthy HIV uninfected volunteers at NationalAIDS Research Institute, Pune.

The Indian vaccine has been developed by scientists fromthe National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in col-laboration with National Aids Research Institute, Pune andTherion Biologics, USA. This is a recombinant vaccine con-taining six genes from HIV 1-C strain. This vaccine was devel-oped from the virus isolated from National Aids ResearchInstitute, Pune. This will go into Phase-I trial in healthy unin-fected adults at Tuberculosis Research Centre, Chennai dur-ing this year. Both these programmes are being progressed asa joint venture between ICMR, National Aids ControlOrganisation (NACO) and International Aids VaccineInitiative. In addition to these two vaccines, a DNA-basedvaccine and SFV vaccine are also under development.

Time has now arrived to take up this development in a mis-sion mode so that an effective vaccine will be available for ourcountries within the next two years. Simultaneously, I wouldsuggest that the medical community must start working on thedevelopment of anti-vaccines for sub-type A and B also. Indiaand Africa can definitely work together in this programme.

Electronic Connectivity and GRIDsThe electronic connectivity for one billion people must

transform into a network and provide a seamless accessbetween knowledge creator, converter of knowledgeable prod-ucts and the knowledge consumers. This can be achievedthrough the creation of knowledge grid, health grid, gover-nance grid and PURA grid.

To maximize the synergy between the grids, leading tomaximization of GDP and productivity, there is a need forinter-grid connectivities, which may be called as societal grid.Knowledge sharing, knowledge utilization and knowledge re-use is very vital by all constituents of the society for promot-ing non-linear growth. Societal grid consists of:

1. Knowledge GRID: Inter-connecting universities with

socio-economic institutions, industries and R&D organiza-tions.

2.. Health Care GRID: Inter-connecting the healthcareinstitutions of government, corporate and super-specialty hos-pitals, research institutions, educational institutions and ulti-mately, pharma, R & D institutions.

3. E-governance GRID: Inter-connecting the central gov-ernment and state governments and district and block-leveloffices for G2G and G2C connectivity.

4. PURA Knowledge GRID: Connecting the PURA nodalcentres with the village knowledge centres and domain serviceproviders. Since this is the backbone for rural development,all other GRIDs will infuse the knowledge into this GRID forsustainable development, healthcare and good governance. Forexample, five of the Periyar PURA villages have now con-nected using Wi-MAX connectivity.

Integrated village knowledge centres will act as an inter-con-nected delivery mechanism for tele-education tele-medicineand e-governance services apart from individual access by thepeople, within and between the village knowledge centresthrough the PURA grid.

Bandwidth as an Infrastructure In order to make the country the most advanced knowledge

society, we should aim at making the bandwidth available with-out hindrance and at no cost. Making the bandwidth availableis like the government laying roads. Movement of materialsthrough these roads creates wealth in the industrial economyand the government recovers more than the investment on theroads by way of taxes and enhanced prosperity of its people. Inthe modern digital economy, driven by knowledge products,bits and bytes traverse the network and create wealth and thiswill recover the cost of investments in the bandwidth. Cost-effective creation of the four grids and inter-connectivitybetween grids is the profound platform for collaborativeresearch, development and deployment.

ConclusionI have shared with you certain thoughts on development

and also certain key accomplishments which have been real-ized so far. There is substantial scope for co-operation betweenAfrica and India which can provide a better quality of life forthe people of both nations. Both the countries have a large bio-diversity, substantial amount of natural resources and hardworking human resources. Also, Africa and India are aspiringto become developed countries. What we need is to identifythe core competence of each one of us and match the core com-petence with the economic and societal needs of a particularnation. Connectivity is the key for marching towards our goalof development in a faster pace than what we have been doingso far. Knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and knowl-edge dissemination is the vital component for our growth. Iam sure that the future conclaves will provide focussed oppor-tunity for both the countries to move towards the developmentgoals in a coherent manner.

My best wishes to the members of this conclave in theirmission of expanding the partnership horizons of India andAfrica for their mutual benefits.

May God bless you.

SSiituated some 3,000 to 6,000 metres above sealevel are the twin valleys of Lahaul and Spiti inthe remote and frozen heights of HimachalPradesh along the Indo-Tibet border. The lushgreen ambience of Kullu is replaced by an awe-

some vista of bare, brown mountains, hanging glaciers andsnowfields in Lahaul and Spiti district, making it an ideal des-tination for climbers and trekkers. The region also aboundsin fascinating Buddhist art and culture, and its well-pre-served monasteries hold rich repositories of ancient murals,thankas, woodcarvings and golden images ofPadmasambhava.

The district is named after its two subdivisions, Lahaul andSpiti, with their headquarters at Keylong, which is located 115km from Manali. The Spiti valley is connected to Lahaulthrough the 4,500 metre Kunzam Pass.

Spiti Valley has around 30 monasteries and is often referredto as “Little Tibet” owing to its physical similarities with Tibet.Spiti means “Middle Country”, as it lies between Tibet,Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Kullu.

ATTRACTIONS

Gondla: Located 18 km from Keylong, this village holdsroyal houses and a monastery, which is famous for its fair inJuly when Lamas dance with abandon. The residence of theThakur of Gondla, the local chieftain, is an eight-storey build-ing that was built in 1700 A.D.

Tandi: Situated at the confluence of Chandra and Bhagarivers and just 8 km from Keylong, Tandi has mythical sig-nificance as it is believed that Chandra, the daughter of the

Moon, and Bhaga, the son of the Sun god, were married here.Guru Ghantal Monastery: Located above Tandi, this is

believed to be the oldest gompa of Lahaul. This wooden struc-ture has pyramidal roofs, wood carvings and idols ofPadmasambhava and Brajeshwari Devi. The Ghantal festivalis held here in mid-June.

Keylong: It is an oasis of green fields and willow trees,

LAHAUL-SPITI

NATURE at its

76 November 2005

The twin valleys of Lahaul andSpiti in the frozen heights of the

Himalayas in the state ofHimachal Pradesh is a

magnificent moonscape that will take your breath away

Dhankar Monastery

I N C R E D I B L E I N D I A

streams surrounded by brown hills and snow-capped peaks. Kardang Monastery: Believed to have been built in the

12th century, this monastery, located 5 km from Keylong, hasa large library of Kangyur and Tangyur — Buddhist scripturesin Bhoti. Kardang village was once the capital of Lahaul.

Other important monasteries in Lahaul are the ShashurMonastery and Tayul Gompa, which houses a five-metre-tallstatue of Guru Padmasamhava and a library that has 101Kangyur volumes.

Among other attractions around Keylong are Koksar (21km), the coldest place in Lahaul; Jispa (20 km), ideal for troutfishing; Darcha (24 km), the starting point for the trek toPadem; Baralacha La (73 km), the point of origin of Chandra,Bhaga and Yunam rivers.

Some of the important monasteries in Spiti Valleyare:

Kye Monastery: Situated 12 km from Kaza, this is the old-est and the biggest monastery in Spiti and holds beautifulscriptures and paintings of Buddha and other gods and god-desses. Many Lamas receive religious training here.

Dhankar Monastery: Dhankar, situated about 25 km

from Kaza, was the erstwhile capital ofSpiti kingdom. The monastery holdsBuddhist scriptures in Bhoti language, astatue of Dhayan Buddha consisting offour complete figures seated back toback, as well as paintings and sculptures.

Tabo Monastery: Located 50 kmfrom Kaza, this gompa is home to 60lamas besides a large collection of scrip-tures, wall paintings and murals, whichbear a great similarity to the Ajanta paint-ings.

Kunzum Pass: Gateway to Spitifrom Kullu, this pass offers a panoramicview of the Bara-Sigri glacier (the sec-ond-longest glacier in the world). Thetop of the pass has a temple of goddessDurga.

Kaza: Located 224 km from Manali,197 km from Keylong and 412 km fromShimla, Kaza is the sub-divisional head-quarters of Spiti Valley. It has all modernfacilities and is connected by road withManali and Shimla, except in the wintermonths.

Kibber: Locally known as Khyipur,it is one of the highest human habitats inthe world (4,205m) and is surrounded bymountains on all sides. Gette, at a shortdistance from Khyipur, is said to be thehighest human habitat in the world(4,270 m). ■■

starkest

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November 2005

How to Get ThereBY AIR: The nearest airport is atChandigarh. Kullu has an all-weath-er small airport.BY RAIL: Main railhead is atChandigarh.BY ROAD: Well connected byroad from Delhi, Chandigarh andShimla (only in summer months).CLIMATE:Winter: Temperature ranges from6 degrees Celsius to minus 19degrees Celsius.Summer: 26 degrees Celsius to 1.4degrees Celsius.BEST TIME TO VISIT:May to mid-October.WHERE TO STAY:Hotel Gangstang, KeylongHotel Moonlight, KazaTourist Complex, KeylongTourist Bungalow, Keylong

T O U R I S T I N F O R M A T I O N Icicles in Spiti

78 November 2005


■■ TALMIZ AHMAD is presently Additional Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Petroleum and NaturalGas, New Delhi. Ahmad has also served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Oman in a diplomatic career spanning three decades.He served as the official spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs in 1997. During the last three decades, he has acquireda special interest in the countries of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, having been posted early in his career in Kuwait, Baghdadand Sana’a, and later as Consul General in Jeddah. Ahmad has written ‘Reform in the Arab World’ which provides “an accountof this extraordinary intellectual ferment in the Arab world” after the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.. He hasalso published a monograph titled ‘An Introduction to Contemporary Islamic Groups and Movements in India’.

■■ ABDALMAHMOOD ABDALHALEEM MOHAMMAD is Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to India and theDean of African Diplomatic Corps. A graduate in B.Sc (Hons) from the Department of Political Science at the University ofKhartoum and a holder of an M.Sc degree in International Relations from Ohio University, he has to his credit a United NationsFellowship on Disarmament. In a long diplomatic career, he has also served in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. The Ambassadoracted as an envoy from the President to Somalia during the civil war in that country in 1994. He has attended many GeneralAssembly sessions of the U.N. and summits of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

■■ GIRIJESH PANT is Professor in the Centre of West Asian and African Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),New Delhi. He has authored and edited eight books and published more than 50 articles in various journals. He has travelledextensively and attended many national and international seminars. His specialisation includes political economy of develop-ment, hydrocarbon economics and India’s energy security. He has also been Vice Chancellor, GGD University, Bilaspur, andvice president of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences. Currently, he is chairperson of the Centre of West Asian and AfricanStudies at JNU.

■■ MANISH CHAND is an assistant editor with Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). He writes on foreign policy, politics, cul-ture and books. He has also worked with The Times of India, The Asian Age and tehelka.com. His articles have been published inleading national and international dailies.

■■ APARAJITA BISWAS is professor in the Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai. A post-graduate in InternationalRelations from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, she completed her Ph.D. in African Studies at the Centre for African Studies,University of Mumbai. She was awarded a Visiting Fellowship by the International Development Centre, Queen ElizabethHouse, University of Oxford, U.K., in 2002. She was also associated with the Unesco project on ‘European Slave Route in theIndian Ocean’ at Maputo, Mozambique. Dr. Biswas has written extensively in various leading journals, including Africa Quarterlyand Economic & Political Weekly, on Africa, the Indian Ocean Region and contemporary international relations.

■■ DR. RASHMI KAPOOR is a lecturer in Swahili in the Department of African Studies, University of Delhi. Her field ofspecialisation is African Sociology in general and Swahili language in particular. She has recently visited Mauritius for her fieldwork. She has extensively written on the Indian Diaspora in Africa. She is a member of Sudan Study Unit in the Departmentof African Studies in the University of Delhi.

■■ CLAUDIA BELL is professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She has doneextensive work in the field of leisure and tourism.

■■ FAKIR HASSEN is the South Africa correspondent for the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). He also writes for all leadingpublications on the South African Indian community. He has been involved in education, broadcasting and journalism for morethan three decades and has written extensively on the Indian diaspora.

■■ DR. SURESH KUMAR is a senior lecturer in the Department of African Studies, University of Delhi. He did his Ph.D.from the University of Delhi. His field of specialisation is African politics and political economy. He has published one bookand contributed 30 research papers to various journals. He has travelled to African countries to have first-hand information onpolitical developments. He is also Associate Editor, African Digest.

■■ Contributors

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November 2005

Africa Quarterly, published since 1961, is devoted to the study and objective analyses of African affairs andissues related to India-Africa relations. Contributions are invited from outstanding writers, experts and spe-cialists in India, Africa and other countries on various political, economic, social-cultural, literary, philo-sophical and other themes pertaining to African affairs and India-Africa relations. Preference will be givento those articles which deal succinctly with issues that are both important and clearly defined. Articles whichare purely narrative and descriptive and lacking in analytical content are not likely to be accepted.Contributions should be in a clear, concise, readable style and written in English.

Articles submitted to Africa Quarterly should be original contributions and should not be under consid-eration by any other publication at the same time. The Editor is responsible for the selection and acceptanceof articles, but responsibility for errors of facts and opinions expressed in them rests with authors. Manuscriptssubmitted should be accompanied with a statement that the same has not been submitted/accepted for pub-lication elsewhere. Copyright of articles published in the Africa Quarterly will be retained by the IndianCouncil for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Manuscripts submitted to Africa Quarterly should be typed double space on one side of the paper and twocopies should be sent. A diskette (3 ½” ) MS-Dos compatible, and e-mail as an attachment should be sentalong with the two hard copies. Authors should clearly indicate their full name, address, e-mail, academicstatus and current institutional affiliation. A brief biographical note (one paragraph) about the writer mayalso be sent.

The length of the article should not normally exceed 7,000 to 8,000 words, or 20 to 25 ( A-4 size) typedpages in manuscript. Titles should be kept as brief as possible.

Footnote numbering should be clearly marked and consecutively numbered in the text and notes placedat the end of the article and not at the bottom of the relevant page. Tables (including graphs, maps, figures)must be submitted in a form suitable for reproduction on a separate sheet of paper and not within the text.Each table should have a clear descriptive title and mention where it is to be placed in the article. Place allfootnotes in a table at the end of the article. Reference numbers within the text should be placed after thepunctuation mark.

Footnote style: In the case of books, the author, title of the book, place of publication, publisher, dateof publication and page numbers should be given in that order, e.g. Basil Davidson, ‘The Blackman’sBurden: Africa and the Curse of the Nation State’, London, James Curry, 1992, pp. 15-22.

In the case of articles, the author, title of article, name of the journal, volume and issue number in brack-ets, the year and the page numbers should be given in that order.

In addition to major articles and research papers, Africa Quarterly also publishes short articles in the sec-tion titled News & Events. They may not exceed 2,000 words in length. Contributions of short stories andpoems are also welcome.

Contributors to Africa Quarterly are entitled to two copies of the issue in which their article appears inaddition to a modest honorarium. Contributors of major articles accepted for publication will receive up toa maximum of Rs. 4,000.

Contributions may be sent by post to:The Editor

Africa QuarterlyIndian Council for Cultural Relations

Azad BhavanIndraprastha EstateNew Delhi-110 002

Contributions may be e-mailed to:

[email protected]

Note to Contributors

africaVolume 45, No. 1

Special Edition

November 2005

I N D I A N C O U N C I L F O R C U L T U R A L R E L A T I O N S

Q U A R T E R L Y

Doing Business With Africa

Imparting Energy toIndia-Africa Ties

Delhi-Khartoum: TheNew Silk Route

The East AfricanDiaspora

In Conversation: KheirEl Din Abdel Latif

Swahili: Language forAfrica’s Renaissance?

Creating a Brave NewKnowledge Society



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