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Bridging geography of the mind |
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Indian interests in post-Gaddafi Libya
On the record by
PROFILE
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Bridging geography of the mind The photo-op at the 5 th India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit in Pretoria of the leaders of the three countries had a common colour theme-blue. All three, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil sported blue in their attire. It could have been a coincidence or strategic colour coordination, but the common colour theme became a symbol of the commonality of interests and approach that the IBSA Forum, comprising three large democracies of three continents-Asia, Africa and South America stands for. While the Indian Prime Minister has attended all the IBSA summits, it was the first one for President Rousseff of Brazil, a former Marxist guerilla who succeeded President Lula, after a 8 year term. Rousseff is the first woman President of Brazil. President Zuma was elected in 2009 and represents the African National Congress (ANC), which was headed by the iconic Nelson Mandela till 1997. South Africa was notorious for its apartheid (separateness), a policy of racial segregation against the black people. This was dismantled in 1994 after a long struggle led by Mandela and the civil disobedience movement that was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, who also went through a life-changing experience due to his brush with apartheid. For a country that was completely ruled by the Whites, it was striking that hardly any Caucasian could be seen in Pretoria. The hotel had just one White employee and on the streets White people could not be easily spotted. Even in the sprawling Presidential Guest House, where the IBSA summit was held, they were conspicuous by their absence. The more knowledgeable ventured to suggest that the Whites are now concentrated in Cape Town and Durban, where they still have influence and which some say are better managed with lower crime rates. The crime rate in South Africa is very high and visitors are issued advisories not to walk out after 8 in the evening. Moving out in a vehicle was fine but walking on the street late in the evening was deemed unsafe. Unemployment is a huge problem in South Africa with the jobless rate at over 25 per cent. Income distribution, because of legacy issues, is one of the most unequal in the world with 35 per cent of the people very poor with 20 per cent of households having a monthly income of less than Rs 500. The South African economy thrives on minerals, mining and manufacturing and it had flourished since 2004 on a global commodities boom; but with the crash of 2009 it went into a recession. The economy has been growing at a little less than 3 per cent.
GDP: $285.4 billion Gross National Income Per
Capital: $5,760 South Africa is compatible to Europe’s time zone and boasts of a large number of IT, Communication, Telecom and Electronics experts and workforce. Although it suffered from recession, the World Cup Football in 2010 gave a fillip to construction activities. GDP: $1,573.4 billion Gross National Income Per
Capital: $8,040 Brazil
boasts of over 300,000 IT professionals and with minimal time difference with the United States, outsourcing is convenient for Americn companies. Brazil is the largest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas GDP: $1,310.2 billion Gross National Income Per
Capital: $1,180 IT and BPO industry employ 2.5 million people in the country. A large English-knowing population and a large technological and scientific base are driving the economy growing at around 8 per cent per annum.
Indian presence
Many Indian companies have made a beeline for South Africa, given the mineral resources there and also to take advantage of the potential in the African market. Investments by Indian companies in South Africa has been growing and has crossed $ 6.7 billion in sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and IT. Bharti’s acquisition of Zain telecom operations in Africa was a whopper of a deal at more than $ 10 billion. Other major investments in South Africa have been made by the Tatas, Ranbaxy, Marico, Godrej and Jindal Steel among others. Trade between India and South Africa has touched $ 7.5 billion and efforts are on to reach a preferential trade agreement. With Brazil, India’s trade has crossed $ 7 billion and a target of $ 10 billion has been set. At the IBSA Summit, with trade between the three countries having crossed $ 20 billion, a target of $ 25 billion has been set by year 2015. India ’s trade with its trade partners in IBSA accounts for a majority of this trade. The goal is to have a trilateral free trade agreement linking the three countries, which will be an ambitious symbol of growing south-south cooperation. To enhance trade ties, work has begun to look at issues relating to non-tariff barriers, maritime and air links and opportunities for investments. Direct air connectivity is being boosted which will also boost tourism and ways of relaxing business visas are also being looked at.
Still evolving
IBSA as a forum came into being in 2003 with the idea to promote common economic and political interests. However, IBSA as a concept is still evolving and the economic downturn of the last three years has slowed down its pace with each country having to focus on its own economy first. Brazil and South Africa have been affected as a result of the drop in commodity prices while India too has suffered the aftershocks of the global meltdown though it has weathered the storm somewhat better. The concern over another global meltdown and the impact on IBSA countries was among the main issues at the summit. The IBSA countries made a pitch that Europe should take steps to control debt crisis which is threatening to snowball and plunge the world into a recession. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the point that the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and recessionary trends in the rich blocs like United States, Europe and Japan are sending negative signals to world financial capital markets, which are showing signs of distress. This position is likely to be reiterated by the IBSA countries at the G20 Summit in Cannes next month. The Summit in Pretoria came at a time when all three countries are non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Their long-standing demand to become permament members found articulation at the Summit. The other two BRICS countries, China and Russia are already permanent members of the Security Council. The declaration issued after the Summit focused on reforms of global multilateral organisations including the UN Security Council, IMF and the World Bank to give greater voice to emerging countries on the global stage. The declaration underscored the need for urgent reform of the United Nations (UN) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), including an expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership, with increased participation of developing countries in both. IBSA has now completed 8 years of existence and an idea that grew from commonality of interests will be entering a crucial phase when the balance of power is shifting in favour of emerging countries like India with the advanced economies slowing down. When India hosts the next IBSA summit in 2013, the colour theme at the photo-op will be worth watching.
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Indian interests in post-Gaddafi Libya
It was a violent end for a violent life. Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was shot in the head during an exchange of gunfire between his supporters and revolutionaries as he was being whisked away from the tunnel in a truck and with that an era came to an end. The taking of Sirte and Gaddafi's death marked the climax of a war that was backed by an unprecedented NATO air campaign aimed at protecting civilians. The death of Gaddafi now finally clears the way for the appointment of a temporary government that is to steer the country toward elections. Gaddafi was the first leader to be killed in the Arab Spring uprisings, and photos of his blood-smeared face quickly spread across the region, sending a powerful message to both dictators and demonstrators elsewhere, much like photos of former Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak being hauled before a court. As his dominion over Libya crumbled with surprising speed, Colonel Gaddafi refused to countenance the fact that most Libyans despised him. He placed blame for the uprising on foreign intervention - a United Nations Security Council resolution intended to defend civilians became the contentious basis for NATO airstrikes on his troops. With the fall of the Gaddafi regime, Libya has become the first case of regime change since the start of the popular unrest that broke out in the Arab world this past January and February. Libya's regime has been led by the Gaddafi family. Despite the fact that Gaddafi took power via a military coup, he did not allow a robust and autonomous military institution that could pose a threat to his authority to develop. This practice, however, seems to have resulted in sizeable defections from the Libyan army, sparking a civil war that now appears close to consuming the regime. The elimination of Gaddafi reduces the chance of a prolonged insurgency against Libya's new authorities, who have pledged to create a liberal democracy and hold elections in eight months. But what remains is a shattered country piled high with dangerous weapons, lacking legitimate institutions or civil society, and vulnerable to tribal, regional, sectarian and even racial rivalries. After the American-led invasion of Iraq, Colonel Qaddafi announced that Libya was abandoning its pursuit of unconventional weapons, including a covert nascent nuclear program, ushering in a new era of relations with the West. But in Libya, he ruled through an ever smaller circle of advisers, including his sons, destroying any institution that might challenge him. By the time he was done, Libya had no parliament, no unified military command, no political parties, no unions, no civil society and no nongovernmental organisations. His ministries were hollow, with the notable exception of the state oil company. Encouraging beginning But on the positive side, the Libyan opposition has already created a Transitional National Council recognised by around 80 governments and it has prepared an ambitious but reasonable transition plan. Its leaders have now pledged to form a new administration after Mr. Gaddafi's downfall and not to serve in the future. The US President was quick to take credit. "Without putting a single U.S. service member on the ground, we achieved our objectives," Obama suggested. After months of Republican criticism that his leadership has been limp and late in Libya and in the other uprisings of the Arab Spring, Obama has asserted that Gaddafi's demise "comes at a time when we see the strength of American leadership across the world." "We've taken out al-Qaeda leaders, and we've put them on the path to defeat," he said. "We're winding down the war in Iraq and have begun a transition in Afghanistan. And now, working in Libya with friends and allies, we've demonstrated what collective action can achieve in the 21st century." Global oil companies had already started operating in Libya even before Gaddafi's death. They have been getting acquainted with his successors and figuring out how to reboot the North African nation's oil sector. The country is already producing about 400,000 barrels a day, though most of that is going to domestic use. About 130,000 barrels a day of refining capacity is back on line, and could expand to 300,000 barrels a day by the end of the year. How long it will take to get production back up to pre-civil war levels of about 1.5 million barrels a day remains uncertain. While the western countries are likely to benefit the most, China has some catching up to do. China's relations with the NTC were strained when it emerged that Chinese firms had talked to Muammar Gaddafi's representatives about weapons sales. Libya's interim council has promised rewards for those who took a leading role in backing the revolt against Gaddafi, raising concern that China could be disadvantaged in the key energy sector. China is the world's second-biggest oil consumer and last year obtained 3 percent of its imported crude from Libya. But Beijing has worked hard to bring its ties with the new Libyan government on an even keel. India also needs some diplomatic agility and use its old ties with Libya to renew a relationship with the new government. It was only in September that India decided to formally recognise the National Transitional Council and offered $1 million in aid through the United Nations. Indian oil companies would be major beneficiaries if the oil sector in Africa's largest oil producer is liberalised. Major companies of India including ONGC Videsh, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Punj Lloyd, D.S Construction, and Unitech all have operated in Libya before the war started. New opportunities await them in the new Libya. It's time New Delhi gives some clarity to its Libya policy so as to secure its energy and business interests. India should seize this opportunity post Gaddafi by making a generous offer to assist the new Libyan government with its post-Gaddafi reconstruction and rehabilitation. |
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On the record by
Leslie
Udwin, one of the pioneers of cross-over cinema, who produced 'East is East' in 1999 went on to make a sequel, 'West Is West', after a gap of ten years, which too caught people's imagination. Udwin chose female directors for both these films. Producer of films like 'Mrs Redcliff's Revolution', 'The One And Only', 'Who Bombed Birmingham' and 'Forgotten Prisoners- The Amnesty Files', she talks about the challenges involved in producing socially relevant and sensitive films, especially in English. You are hailed as a pioneer of cross-over cinema. Did you anticipate that this genre will become a major trend- setter? I did not know that I was making cross-over cinema. I did not choose it consciously. For me cross- over means - from the art house to the mainstream cinema. And, my films have been able to accomplish this journey. Because George Khan, the tyrannical father caught between Islamic values and the compromises of London life, the protagonist of these films, could be found anywhere. He could be a Jewish father, like my father was, or an Asian father or an African father; he is universal and so are his cultural dilemmas. What is the need for alternative cinema, when films worth a billion dollars are already being produced ? I produce sensible cinema because I do not want my children to see something in the name of reality, which is far removed from the truth of life. There is such dearth of good cinema - all over the world. And people like me are in this battle across the world. In UK the film industry is dominated by Hollywood, like in India the entire film making is dominated by Bollywood. They are not contributing meaningfully to life, as life is. Look at the reality shows, look at the soap operas; do you come across such relationships in your life, ever? We need the kind of cinema that helps make sense of the thing called life. Something that helps us unravel human relationships. Secondly, making a good film in English is a double edged sword, it has to compete with the domestic market and then the giant called Hollywood. What makes good cinema suffer - commercially? Sensitive films are like sensitive children; they need protection and nurturing. All over the world the film distribution system works on one premise - the film is released on Friday and its fate depends on how it fares through the first weekend. If it doesn't do well in the first weekend, it is removed. It is not given time to be nurtured, to be liked by word of mouth. Some films need time to sink in, they grow slowly on the viewer, but by the time the viewer gets to know about them, they are removed. What could help? The viewer needs to be educated. Media too associates film industry with the stars, their interviews are carried before the release of the film. But they know little about the nitty-gritty of making a film, about the complexities of its commerce and its core value. Apart from an art form, film making is a challenging trade. Coming back to West is West, why did you take so long to make the sequel? I did not plan to cash on the success of East is East, swift on the heels. I wanted it to be a stand-alone film. I wanted the characters to grow, and I grew along with them. Ayub Khan Din, the brilliant writer, who wrote East is East had to be ready for it, with his brilliance once again. It just so happens that it is a sequel, in the sense that it chronicles the continuing journey of the Khan family. Sajid, the youngest of the Khans is 13- years -old now, with the onset of puberty he adopts a harsh line against his father's tyrannical insistence on Pakistani traditions, as well as the troubles caused by racist bullies at school. In between the two films 9/11 happened and the narrative acquired a perspective which was already building up in East is East. Then George Khan's meeting with his wife he had left behind in Pakistan, leads to his coming of age as well as his son's coming of age. The film emerged with the love and the nurturing, and also the time, which all really heartfelt films demand. And it took that long, quite simply. How did you discover Om Puri ? Oh! I had seen him in The City of Joy and just fell in love with his performance. What about Sain Zahoor, who sings the soul stirring Punjabi sufi qalam in the sequel, how did you come across him ? And, do you understand what he sings? I don't understand a word of what he sings, nor does he understand a word of English. I heard him in London and knew my film wouldn't do without his music. Whenever we meet, we hold hands and cry like long-lost friends, there is perfect communion, which does not beg for words. I feel, films work the same way, if they touch your heart, it doesn't matter which language they are made in.
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PROFILE A disillusioned Dharia deliberately walked away from politics in 1980, deciding against contesting the election at what some believed to be the pinnacle of his political career. In his book, " Fumes and Fury", he provides some insight into the twists and turns of politics. But he decided to devote the rest of his life to development with social justice and to champion environmental causes. It took three years for him to set up a charitable organisation which became popular as " Vanrai". The organisation aims at maximum use of natural resources to ensure that each village becomes self-reliant. From micro-level watershed development and afforestation to turning drought-prone areas around, from trying to eradicate illiteracy to wasteland development, Vanrai is striving to raise the standard of life in villages. Dharia also formed the "Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Mission" with the avowed objective of bringing under one umbrella wasteland projects. His latest passion is to stop migration of villagers to big cities. Vanrai in fact has been working in over 200 villages to reverse the trend and already five or six have seen villagers returning from Mumbai. Vanrai sponsored "Vanrai Bunds" are also now famous. They are erected at virtually no cost by using empty cement bags across nullahs and rivulets, and have proved most effective in watershed management. About 36,000 such bunds have been constructed in Maharashtra by local communities, the administration and students since the monsoons of 2002. This has helped in solving the problem of drinking water, brought some land under cultivation and generated employment opportunities. In view of the scarcity of water faced by villages and drought conditions in several parts of the country, a programme to conserve water with low-cost technology is unavoidable, says Dharia. When state governments do not have adequate funds, emphasis should be laid on low-cost indigenous technologies, available in the country for centuries, he points out. He is of the firm view that development should be coupled with due concern for environment. Instead of focusing on construction of mega cities and high-rise buildings, efforts should be made to decentralise cities by making provision for curtailing population growth, avoiding traffic congestions , ensuring adequate supply of water and efficiently collecting municipal garbage. Villages, he believes, should be made self-reliant and exodus of people to urban areas should be reversed. "What is needed today is not only deliberation but determination", stresses
Dharia.
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