India Africa Relations

"India and Ethiopia are no strangers to each other. Many millennia ago, Africa and India were joined as one landmass. Today we are separated by the waters of the Indian Ocean but our connections are deep… I am conscious that when one visits Ethiopia one visits the cradle of humankind... it is a land of great natural beauty which was home to the most ancient kingdom in Africa...The sight of women with heads covered and men wearing turbans is strikingly common in [both] Ethiopian and Indian villages. Hospitality in humble village homes begins with simple offerings and guests are treated as incarnations of gods." These are the words uttered by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26th May, 2011 at the joint session of two houses of the Parliament of Ethiopia. In the backdrop of the recent bilateral visits by the Indian team to Tanzania and Ethiopia, the Indian ties with Africa are being built afresh to continue the 150 year old shared history of both the nations. The Indian-African tie-up is a multidimensional partnership programme objected to bring about mutual empowerment and development to both the nations. In the 21st century world, if the India-Africa commitment visions are achieved, then both the nations will mutually benefit; Africa by rising to become one among the world's developed nations and India, by extending activities worldwide and dominating over the world's superpowers. In all contexts, the Indian-African relationship is one alliance which can take India and Africa along with their huge abundance of resources, into greater and higher dimensions.
Africa: resource-overviewThe African continent which covers almost six percentage of the earth's total land area is potentially the richest of all continents. The resource-overview of Africa indicates that at the global scene, Africa is indeed the 'Mother continent', with a resource-potential which outshines all the economies of the world. The following is a short description of the resource-potential which Africa possesses:•Africa comprises of 54 countries, soon to be 55, and is the world's second largest continent both in terms of land area and population.•A huge array of natural resources indicates Africa's potential to develop socially as well as economically. •Africa is a land rich for its mineral resources and luxuriant forests. •Minerals like gold, silver, platinum, cobalt, chromium; tantalite, manganese and uranium lie beneath the African sands and potentially form the base for a healthy and rich mineral economy. •Africa is also the world greatest oil hub. The states of Angola, Libya, Mauritania and Sudan are a few among the greatest oil producers of the world. •Despite innumerable number of social, economic and political issues like poverty, illiteracy, apartheid in the past, consequences of colonial rule, diseases and ailments, political wars, underdevelopment and violence, the African nations are modernizing and participating in the global scene thus empowering itself to become one of the fast-developing countries of the world.
Africa: past and presentDespite the various cultures and practices which make Africa the potentially richest country in the world, a spate of formidable problems has limited the development of this continent since the period when colonialism prevailed. Tracing the history, the major issue which Africa faced in the olden times was Apartheid. Apartheid persisted in South Africa till it was abolished finally in 1994. At the time when Apartheid, or the practice of discriminating people on the basis of color and race, persisted in South Africa, the African continent was considered as the evilest of places. With this, highly dreadful and infectious diseases like Malaria and AIDS had fatal effects on the human populations of South Africa. Different researches and surveys conducted showed that Africa was a nation which was greatly influenced by the threats related to poverty. In fact, even as the world rose to development, poverty levels in African states soared high with time. Poor administration and corruption was coupled with the already pathetic state of affair in Africa which further added up to the slow-down of African development. High illiteracy rate and population also increased and the African economy continuously and constantly declined. These were the main reasons why Africa remained underdeveloped in the past, even when it was blessed with a plethora of natural resources.Far away from those dark time-periods, today Africa is developing. Various global nations and economies have inclinations towards this continent owing to the huge resource-potential it possesses and this has helped a great deal in allowing the flow of economic resources in and out of Africa. The African countries depend on other nations for economic and political help and empowerment. In the past decades, Africa has greatly focused on and enhanced infrastructure facilities, thereby creating new possibilities for development. Africa, as already said, is rich in mineral resources and oil reserves. The African nations have researched on and learned ways to use these mineral-resources effectively and wisely. Africa's economic growth has greatly increased as some of the African countries expanded the possibilities of petroleum extraction. In short, presently Africa is the synonym of fast-paced development and it is worth the notice of global powers that the people of Africa, even while facing problems like illiteracy, overpopulation, violence, diseases and underdevelopment, never allowed these afflictions to crumble their march towards a bright and better future.
Root causes for African underdevelopmentAfrica is a land of contrasts, the cradle of humankind and the myriad of myths and cultures. The high resource-potential of Africa can in no way be matched with the poor development-trend that has been prevailing in this country. In spite of a great abundance of natural resources, African economy still remains underdeveloped. Since centuries, the African continent had been under the influence of factors like slave trade, apartheid, colonialism, population-explosion, fallout of diseases, high mortality rate, social violence and so on. Even while being the world's second-largest continent in terms of both land and human-resources, the African lands and its people could never receive its share in globalization and development. How have the trends in the global scene affected Africa? Why is the African population not fortunate enough to properly utilize their resources for their own development? Why is the African continent underdeveloped even in the 21st century? The root causes for African underdevelopment are briefly described below:
1.Apartheid: Apartheid existed in Africa since the periods when it was under the colonial rule of the European powers. Apartheid or the practice of racial segregation was formally imposed on the African countries between 1948 and 1994, though it informally prevailed even from the colonial times. "Black", "white", "Indian" and "colored" were the four categories of races into which the people were grouped. While the "white" exercised a minority rule in the administration and social lives in Africa, the other categories of people were often refused and deprived of their social rights in the African society. This institutionalized racism has left Africa in its underdeveloped states.
2.Prevailence of colonial rule: In the 1880s, European colonial powers had set out to conquer the world's underdeveloped economies to loot their resources and exploit the people of these economies. Africa, being rich in resources, attracted the European colonialists' attention and soon, Africa too came under the list of continents which were under European control. The period of colonialism was the evilest in Africa's history and it was during this period, that the Africans were deprived of their moral and social rights and that the global superpowers of that time looted the African nations of their wealth and pride. By the time colonial rule had ended, Africa had very little resources, people were affected by contagious diseases like malaria and the scope for development had completely declined.
3.Slave trade: Slavery and servitude prevailed in Africa since colonial times. Though the practices of slave-trade were condemned by the governments, Europeans and Arabs continued to market slaves and captives to the foreign slave systems. Slave trade had detrimental impacts on the social and economic development of Africa as most of the farmers and workmen of the African nations were shipped overseas as part of slave-trade. Mental health and development of the African economy was curbed by slave-trade.
4.High population and low life-expectancy: Rapidly expanding population of Africa had a direct influence on the economic development and well-being of the country. Owing to the poor infrastructural development and medical facilities, the African population showed a poor life-expectancy, of below 50 years. This population-explosion which took place in Africa in the past decades is one major cause as to why thirty-four out of fifty-four African countries had been included in the list of world's least developed countries.
5.Illiteracy and poor management of resources: African economy is deprived of the basic requisites for development and education is one among such requisites. Illiteracy has resulted in the huge expansion of population which has made it all the more impossible for the country to share its limited economic resources with the people. With this, poor management of resources has also resulted in the underdevelopment of Africa.
6.Poor governance: A proper and effective political system is what it takes for the development of an underdeveloped country. The governments in Africa had been mostly corrupt and ineffective in the past. Corruption is prominent in all spheres of administration and government and this has added to poor development statistics in Africa.
Shared history of India and AfricaIndia's engagement with the 'Mother Continent', Africa, is 150 years old. After the end of apartheid in 1994, the Indian-African relations have taken a diplomatic turn. South Africa presently has a large population of people of the Indian descent. It can be said that Gandhiji, the father of our nation, had a great role to play in bringing the Indian and African history under one roof. While he spent twenty formative years in Africa, Gandhiji researched upon ways to end the evil of apartheid from the African society. Sathyagraha, which Gandhiji formulated as en effective tool against colonialism came alive in the African society and was later used against the European super powers by Nelson Mandela. African history has milestones of Indian legends like Gandhiji's and Jawaharlal Nehru's reform measures with regard to racial discrimination and equality. The recent bilateral visits by the Indian representatives to the African countries are aimed at continuing the legacy of those great leaders in lending a helping hand for Africa's development.Today, 150 years after the blooming of relations between India and Africa, India is strengthening afresh the ties with Africa with the aim of mutually empowering and developing the economies of both the nations. Apart from the cricket-relations that visibly prevail between the Indian cricket team and South African cricket-team, both these nations have entered into a new phase of economic and political commitment in the past few decades. Over three years, India has pledged a $5 billion credit line for developmental activities of Africa.
India-Africa bilateral relations in the pastIn the 21st century context, India-Africa bilateral relations are booming high. But before coming to the present day commitments taken by both the nations on mutual development, we need to identify the happenings in the past which strengthened the India-Africa relations and effectively led way for the 2011 India-Africa forum summit, which Africanists in India claim to be a high water-mark in the history of both the nations. The India-Africa commitment activities can be traced through the following time-line:•In late 2006, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh traveled to South Africa to strengthen the India-Africa relationship as part of the inauguration of the centenary celebrations of Sathyagraha in Africa.•In 2007, the Prime Ministers continued to represent the nation in the African partnership programme by visiting Nigeria. •In 2007 itself, South Africa hosted the IBSA summit which involved the nations of India, Brazil and South Africa and the Indian prime minister had attended the summit thus deepening the bilateral relations between India and Africa.•In November, 2007, the Prime Minister visited Kampala, in the African continent, to represent the country at the Commonwealth summit.•The historic event in India-Africa shared history, the first ever India-Africa forum Summit was hosted in New Delhi in April, 2008. The IAFS-I instilled new momentum in the already existing relationship between India and Africa while simultaneously encouraging the India-Africa interaction.•Since the first India-Africa forum Summit, India hosted several African dignitaries and policy-makers from Africa.•The state capital, Delhi, hosted the Ministerial conference of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in February, 2011.•Before the 2011 Addis Ababa summit held in May, 2011, a group of six ministers of India were despatched to Africa as the Prime Minister's special envoys. •In May, 2011, the second India-Africa forum Summit was held in Addis Ababa and this was followed by the Prime Minister's bilateral visits to the countries of Ethiopia and Tanzania.From these happenings which strengthened the India-Africa commitments, the African nation has indicated that they are keen to deepen cooperation with India so that they can benefit from India's success and join in India's endeavors thereby developing its own economy.
India-Africa forum summitsThe greatest milestones which mark the role of India in African development are the India-Africa forum summits, which were held in the years 2008, 2011 and the thirds summit, which is proposed to be held in 2014.
India-Africa Forum Summit-I at New-Delhi"Dynamic Partnership; Shared vision" was the caption which declared the India-Africa forum summit-I or the IAFS-I which was held on 8th and 9th April, 2008 at New Delhi. The 2008 summit highlighted the various perceptions of both the nations on a wide range of affairs. Both the nations convened a "Framework for enhanced cooperation" and after duration of two years from the summit, the Joint action plan was formed. The IAFS-I was focused on combined efforts from both the nations to plan a multi-layered relationship which would involve development of major sectors like agriculture, trade and industry, peace and security, governance and Information technology. The major achievements of the 2008 India-Africa forum summit were the following:•Both the nations consented to be part of an extensive trade-relations programme which would mutually benefit the countries' trade, industry, foreign direct investment (FDI), and development of small and large scale enterprises and so on.•The agricultural sector of Africa received strengthening from India through ensuring food security, capacity-building, joined partnership against agro-based diseases, enhancing markets etc.•Trade and industry was focused as part of economic development by stressing the need for two-way trade, enhancement of markets, expanding benefits of trade-liberalization etc.•Further cooperation in the fields of peace and security, science, technology, political cooperation, information technology, social development, health, culture and sports, finance, tourism, media and communication were established through the Joint action plan.
India-Africa Forum Summit-II at Addis-AbabaThe 2011 Addis Ababa IAFS-II was aimed at broadening the Indo-African partnership programme. The summit was attended by 14 leaders from Africa and India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Targets were objected to be set at $100 billion for investment until 2014, when the third IAFS would be held. India's products and services were to be facilitated with easier entry into those regions of Africa which demanded them more. Information and communication technologies were also objected to be given greater importance in expanding the human-resource development of Africa. The set of seven fields declared at the 2008 summit, where India and Africa would extend partnership programmes were transformed slightly at the Addis Ababa summit. The funding measures which the Indian government offered to Africa at the Addis Ababa summit are:•$5 billion for lines of credit to Africa.•$700 million for new institutions and training programmes•$300 million for Ethiopia-Djibouti railway lines.At the Addis Ababa declaration, India stressed that capacity-building would be the highest-priority in the India-Africa relationship and that infrastructure development and trade and investment would receive secondary preference.
India-China competition in Africa's developmentThough, views regarding the India-China competition in Africa's development exists, the African government has made it clear that they would work with both the nations and use the competition to benefit in development. When compared to China's $126 billion trade with Africa, India stands way behind with the $46 billion trades with Africa. A healthy competition between the two nations will definitely benefit Africa socially as well as economically. Owing to Africa's huge appetite of almost 493 billion a year to cope up with the infrastructural gap, all the economies of the world, including India and China should actively invest economically in Africa, to uplift it from the status of a third world country.
Future prospects of the Indo-African relationshipsThe two India-Africa Forum Summits have held before the Indian government huge tasks to do, by achieving the nineteen institutions mentioned in the 2008 New Delhi Summit as well as by expanding further declarations announced at the 2011 Addis Ababa summit. Before the 2014 India-Africa Forum Summit, both Indian and African economies need to rise up and enhance cooperation as a shared dream. The India-Africa relations can indeed be fruitful if the following points regarding the measures offered are achieved:•In the past decade, the Indian representatives in African partnership have managed to visit only a few of the African nations. Many more of the African lands need to be visited by Indian presidents and prime ministers to deepen the bond.•Invitations and treaties long pending from the African-governments should be respected and considered by our policy makers.•Indian commitment to Africa should not be a mere effort to exploit the African countries' resources but it should be aimed at mutual benefits and more, at African upliftment.•The promises given need to be kept and Indian agreements to Africa should be soon materialized.•Without rivalry with any of the world's nations, India should extend hands to help Africa and act effectively to develop the African continent