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Figured this deserved its' own thread, due to intriguing irony of contrast between Canada's and India's relative status on the world stage ... due to "clout" (... would love to be a fly on the wall in the Liberal caucus when the party's anti-military psycophants try to explain away the corelation between India's "clout" ... as compared to Canada's ... ha!)
India struggles to carve out new U.N. role
Martin Regg Cohn, Asia Bureau (Toronto Star)
Jan. 18, 2005. 06:39 AM
NEW DELHIâ â€India's self-reliance in the tsunami disaster has shown the new face of an emerging regional power that wants to punch its weight in the United Nations â †with help from Canada â †says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In an exclusive interview in the historic prime ministerial office here, Singh said the rapid response at home and unprecedented generosity toward hard-hit neighbouring countries showcased Indian expertise in disaster relief â †and the new resources at its command.
On the eve of his meeting today with visiting Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Indian leader said he is seeking Canadian support for a permanent Indian seat on the U.N. Security Council in keeping with his nation's growing clout.
"We very much hope that Canada will back us up in our quest for a more balanced composition of the Security Council," Singh said pointedly.
Looking relaxed and confident during a broad discussion of India's place in the world â †and the world's place in India â †Singh sounded very much like the man in charge of the world's biggest democracy.
He used the occasion to send a clear message that his country's newly assertive posture should not be misread as "chauvinism or isolationism," because Indians are "not turning our back on the world."
Flanked by a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian independence, Singh rhapsodized about his personal mission to lift rural India out of poverty.
But he also talked about his ambitions to re-energize peace talks with neighbouring Pakistan and to bring stability to restive Kashmir after his recent visit to the Himalayan border area.
Clad in a grey Nehru vest, traditional kurta pyjama garb and his trademark powder blue turban, Singh heralded last year's election victory by his Congress Party as a sign India is turning the page on communal strife that culminated with riots and massacres in Gujarat state three years ago. Singling out India's 150 million Muslims as role models for the world, he said India must return to its roots of tolerance.
And he reached out to Canadians of Indian descent, citing his proposals earlier this month to make dual citizenship a reality and inviting Indo-Canadians to strengthen their cultural and investment links to their ancestral homeland.
But the Indian prime minister used yesterday's interview to put forward his case that the U.N.'s top decision-making body â †now dominated by the five World War II victors, namely the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia â †has been overtaken by the resurgence of developing countries like India.
Canada's influence abroad and historic ties to the U.N. place it in a unique position to assist India's cause, Singh asserted.
Senior Canadian officials travelling with Martin said last night that Canada would be supportive of India's quest for a permanent seat at the Security Council table, but that the question of extending the veto to New Delhi â †now held only by the five current members â †remains unresolved.
Singh stressed India's rapid response to the tsunami, and its reluctance to let foreign dignitaries such as Martin make inspection tours of devastated areas, were not motivated by image-making concerns. India's actions were dictated by humanitarian considerations and a desire to avoid disarray on the ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"By saying we would like to make the maximum possible use of our own resources we were not turning our back on the world," Singh said. "We felt that involving too many (foreign) agencies could become counterproductive."
Now that the emergency phase is winding down â †more than 10,700 people died and some 6,000 are missing, mostly from Tamil Nadu state and the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands â †India remains open to outside investment for rebuilding infrastructure in the devastated areas.
Even as the government focuses on rebuilding, Singh remains preoccupied by his larger strategy for re-energizing the economy â †India's last hope for lifting hundreds of millions of farmers out of poverty.
Sitting back in the historic South Block offices of India's government secretariat, a red sandstone building of vaulted ceilings and high arches, the prime minister stressed that most of India's people desperately need jobs and decent health care that others take for granted.
"Problems of mass poverty cannot be solved overnight. I think what we need to ensure is that the direction is right, that we are sincere," said Singh, a distinguished economist, who is considered the father of India's modern economic reforms.
As finance minister in the early 1990s, he rescued the country from the brink of bankruptcy with pioneering deregulation measures that shook up an ossified economic structure built on protectionism.
Today, nearly 15 years later, Singh believes more than ever that unshackling the economy is the key â †and that rural masses "in the bottom rung of the social and economic ladder" who make up two-thirds of India's population, cannot be left behind.
He said the country needs to foster a rapidly expanding economy, with robust growth rates of 6 to 8 per cent a year. If not, tensions between rich and poor will become unmanageable.
"We recognize that we are an unequal society. But we also recognize for a functioning democracy we cannot live with these inequalities, and therefore the first and foremost task is that the economy should grow." Barely eight months after his dramatic rise to power â †when victorious Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi suddenly turned down the prime ministership and handed it to Singh, her trusted adviser â †the soft-spoken technocrat mused aloud about the delicate political dance he must perform in steering the economy. A scholar who has never won an election, he is now at the helm of an unruly coalition government drawn from 15 parties â †heavily reliant on Communist ideologues and bare-knuckled regional power brokers â †that makes Canada's minority Parliament look calm by comparison.
"We need to spend a lot more time in discussion," Singh said philosophically of his mercurial coalition allies.
"Coalition politics is essentially an essay in mutual comprehension."
What keeps the partnership together is a shared distrust of the government they defeated, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, now sitting in opposition.
The BJP's agenda of "Hindutva," or Hindu-ness, stoked fundamentalist passions in this majority Hindu nation, unnerving Muslims and other religious minorities.
Singh said the BJP's defeat marked the end of an ugly era of communalism that stoked bloody riots in western Gujarat state in early 2002 that claimed more than 1,000 lives.
"They tried to distort the essence of our civilization and cultural heritage," said Singh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What happened in Gujarat was a big shock to our people. I think it's not wrong to say that the May, 2004, elections were a reaffirmation of the hearts and minds of the people of India."
In an era of increasing religious fundamentalism, India's Islamic minority is a model of moderation and integration, he argued.
"We have probably one of the largest Muslim communities in the world and we take pride in the fact that these 150 million Muslims live as peaceful citizens of our country, that there is not a single incident of their being involved in Al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups," he said.
As a practising Sikh, Singh cited his presence in India's highest government office as proof of growing pluralism in the land. India's head of government, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is also a Muslim, he noted.
"I am proud to be an Indian and proud to be a Sikh. And the fact that a person of any religion can rise to the highest office ... well that is one indication of the India that we want to build."
Born 72 years ago in pre-partition India â †in a small, poor, predominantly Sikh village called Gah that is now part of Pakistan â †Singh said he is hopeful about revitalizing diplomatic negotiations with Islamabad. But the prerequisite to stable relations is an end to cross-border terrorism he blames on Pakistan in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, claimed by both countries but largely controlled by India.
"We are very sincere, very keen that India-Pakistan relations should make a new beginning," said Singh, whose lack of extensive foreign policy experience has brought his pronouncements on Kashmir under close scrutiny.
But he cautioned that a bilateral dialogue "can proceed only if Pakistan remains firm in its commitment ... that Pakistan territory would not be used to promote terrorism directed against us."
He added, "Let me say there has been some progress, but the overall infrastructure of terrorism has not been dismantled."
Still, Singh said he believes he formed a constructive relationship with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after their first meeting in New York late last year, and he expects to see him again on the sidelines of a conference of South Asian nations scheduled for next month in Bangladesh.
The prime minister also said he hopes Indo-Canadians will rekindle their links with India by applying for overseas citizenship under a new, streamlined policy he announced this month.
Expanding on a policy introduced by the previous BJP government, Singh has promised a more "user friendly" application process that might use "smart cards" to allow non-resident Indians who migrated after 1950 to reclaim dual citizenship.
"We have a large community of Canadian citizens who are of Indian origin.
"In an increasingly interdependent world that we live in, I think all these Canadian citizens can become major instruments of promoting cordial relations between our two countries," said Singh.
"I very much hope that some of them would find India a very desirable, profitable investment destination.
" But we would like our relations to have a multi-faceted character, and that cultural link should also have a prominent place."
India struggles to carve out new U.N. role
Martin Regg Cohn, Asia Bureau (Toronto Star)
Jan. 18, 2005. 06:39 AM
NEW DELHIâ â€India's self-reliance in the tsunami disaster has shown the new face of an emerging regional power that wants to punch its weight in the United Nations â †with help from Canada â †says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In an exclusive interview in the historic prime ministerial office here, Singh said the rapid response at home and unprecedented generosity toward hard-hit neighbouring countries showcased Indian expertise in disaster relief â †and the new resources at its command.
On the eve of his meeting today with visiting Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Indian leader said he is seeking Canadian support for a permanent Indian seat on the U.N. Security Council in keeping with his nation's growing clout.
"We very much hope that Canada will back us up in our quest for a more balanced composition of the Security Council," Singh said pointedly.
Looking relaxed and confident during a broad discussion of India's place in the world â †and the world's place in India â †Singh sounded very much like the man in charge of the world's biggest democracy.
He used the occasion to send a clear message that his country's newly assertive posture should not be misread as "chauvinism or isolationism," because Indians are "not turning our back on the world."
Flanked by a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian independence, Singh rhapsodized about his personal mission to lift rural India out of poverty.
But he also talked about his ambitions to re-energize peace talks with neighbouring Pakistan and to bring stability to restive Kashmir after his recent visit to the Himalayan border area.
Clad in a grey Nehru vest, traditional kurta pyjama garb and his trademark powder blue turban, Singh heralded last year's election victory by his Congress Party as a sign India is turning the page on communal strife that culminated with riots and massacres in Gujarat state three years ago. Singling out India's 150 million Muslims as role models for the world, he said India must return to its roots of tolerance.
And he reached out to Canadians of Indian descent, citing his proposals earlier this month to make dual citizenship a reality and inviting Indo-Canadians to strengthen their cultural and investment links to their ancestral homeland.
But the Indian prime minister used yesterday's interview to put forward his case that the U.N.'s top decision-making body â †now dominated by the five World War II victors, namely the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia â †has been overtaken by the resurgence of developing countries like India.
Canada's influence abroad and historic ties to the U.N. place it in a unique position to assist India's cause, Singh asserted.
Senior Canadian officials travelling with Martin said last night that Canada would be supportive of India's quest for a permanent seat at the Security Council table, but that the question of extending the veto to New Delhi â †now held only by the five current members â †remains unresolved.
Singh stressed India's rapid response to the tsunami, and its reluctance to let foreign dignitaries such as Martin make inspection tours of devastated areas, were not motivated by image-making concerns. India's actions were dictated by humanitarian considerations and a desire to avoid disarray on the ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"By saying we would like to make the maximum possible use of our own resources we were not turning our back on the world," Singh said. "We felt that involving too many (foreign) agencies could become counterproductive."
Now that the emergency phase is winding down â †more than 10,700 people died and some 6,000 are missing, mostly from Tamil Nadu state and the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands â †India remains open to outside investment for rebuilding infrastructure in the devastated areas.
Even as the government focuses on rebuilding, Singh remains preoccupied by his larger strategy for re-energizing the economy â †India's last hope for lifting hundreds of millions of farmers out of poverty.
Sitting back in the historic South Block offices of India's government secretariat, a red sandstone building of vaulted ceilings and high arches, the prime minister stressed that most of India's people desperately need jobs and decent health care that others take for granted.
"Problems of mass poverty cannot be solved overnight. I think what we need to ensure is that the direction is right, that we are sincere," said Singh, a distinguished economist, who is considered the father of India's modern economic reforms.
As finance minister in the early 1990s, he rescued the country from the brink of bankruptcy with pioneering deregulation measures that shook up an ossified economic structure built on protectionism.
Today, nearly 15 years later, Singh believes more than ever that unshackling the economy is the key â †and that rural masses "in the bottom rung of the social and economic ladder" who make up two-thirds of India's population, cannot be left behind.
He said the country needs to foster a rapidly expanding economy, with robust growth rates of 6 to 8 per cent a year. If not, tensions between rich and poor will become unmanageable.
"We recognize that we are an unequal society. But we also recognize for a functioning democracy we cannot live with these inequalities, and therefore the first and foremost task is that the economy should grow." Barely eight months after his dramatic rise to power â †when victorious Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi suddenly turned down the prime ministership and handed it to Singh, her trusted adviser â †the soft-spoken technocrat mused aloud about the delicate political dance he must perform in steering the economy. A scholar who has never won an election, he is now at the helm of an unruly coalition government drawn from 15 parties â †heavily reliant on Communist ideologues and bare-knuckled regional power brokers â †that makes Canada's minority Parliament look calm by comparison.
"We need to spend a lot more time in discussion," Singh said philosophically of his mercurial coalition allies.
"Coalition politics is essentially an essay in mutual comprehension."
What keeps the partnership together is a shared distrust of the government they defeated, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, now sitting in opposition.
The BJP's agenda of "Hindutva," or Hindu-ness, stoked fundamentalist passions in this majority Hindu nation, unnerving Muslims and other religious minorities.
Singh said the BJP's defeat marked the end of an ugly era of communalism that stoked bloody riots in western Gujarat state in early 2002 that claimed more than 1,000 lives.
"They tried to distort the essence of our civilization and cultural heritage," said Singh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What happened in Gujarat was a big shock to our people. I think it's not wrong to say that the May, 2004, elections were a reaffirmation of the hearts and minds of the people of India."
In an era of increasing religious fundamentalism, India's Islamic minority is a model of moderation and integration, he argued.
"We have probably one of the largest Muslim communities in the world and we take pride in the fact that these 150 million Muslims live as peaceful citizens of our country, that there is not a single incident of their being involved in Al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups," he said.
As a practising Sikh, Singh cited his presence in India's highest government office as proof of growing pluralism in the land. India's head of government, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is also a Muslim, he noted.
"I am proud to be an Indian and proud to be a Sikh. And the fact that a person of any religion can rise to the highest office ... well that is one indication of the India that we want to build."
Born 72 years ago in pre-partition India â †in a small, poor, predominantly Sikh village called Gah that is now part of Pakistan â †Singh said he is hopeful about revitalizing diplomatic negotiations with Islamabad. But the prerequisite to stable relations is an end to cross-border terrorism he blames on Pakistan in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, claimed by both countries but largely controlled by India.
"We are very sincere, very keen that India-Pakistan relations should make a new beginning," said Singh, whose lack of extensive foreign policy experience has brought his pronouncements on Kashmir under close scrutiny.
But he cautioned that a bilateral dialogue "can proceed only if Pakistan remains firm in its commitment ... that Pakistan territory would not be used to promote terrorism directed against us."
He added, "Let me say there has been some progress, but the overall infrastructure of terrorism has not been dismantled."
Still, Singh said he believes he formed a constructive relationship with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after their first meeting in New York late last year, and he expects to see him again on the sidelines of a conference of South Asian nations scheduled for next month in Bangladesh.
The prime minister also said he hopes Indo-Canadians will rekindle their links with India by applying for overseas citizenship under a new, streamlined policy he announced this month.
Expanding on a policy introduced by the previous BJP government, Singh has promised a more "user friendly" application process that might use "smart cards" to allow non-resident Indians who migrated after 1950 to reclaim dual citizenship.
"We have a large community of Canadian citizens who are of Indian origin.
"In an increasingly interdependent world that we live in, I think all these Canadian citizens can become major instruments of promoting cordial relations between our two countries," said Singh.
"I very much hope that some of them would find India a very desirable, profitable investment destination.
" But we would like our relations to have a multi-faceted character, and that cultural link should also have a prominent place."
