India A Global Power Has No Time For London Merchants
British Parliamentarians Need To Get This Into Their Brains
Dated : 12 Dec 2020 (IST)
Some British Parliamentarians keep urging their Government to pass strictures against Indian internal affairs. A few days back their Prime Minister too confused himself on matters Indian and displayed his great ignorance instead of helping his MPs in playing the GREAT GAME, that they are no longer capable of playing……at least not against India.
The “greatness” of Great Britain comprising England, Occupied Scotland, Occupied Northern Ireland and Occupied Overseas Territories exists no longer. In India it has been replaced by the crispness of biscuits of Britannia.
The CEO of Britannia Biscuit now has more clout than PM of the “ Not so United” United Kingdom. No wonder leading newspapers in India generally ignore the visits of British Ministers and even their PM. During such visits nothing of importance is discussed or decided.
Thanks to Nehru neither the british were thrown out of the country nor the two countries had parted on a bitter note, in spite of several “ back stabbings” like Kashmir etc.
Instead Commonwealth was formed and most Indians retained a warm nostalgia for Vilayat. Nonetheless UK never gave up its Great Game to reduce Indian clout if not size, even all the while getting reduced in its own size and clout.
Though now things have changed completely. Mentally Indians consider England a “ Colony “ of India if not Punjab. Thus the matter of importance between the two countries remains mostly focused on the increasingly tight UK visa rules for the people of Punjab state, work permits for our IT personnel, students – and tourists. This visa tightening over the years has already seen Indian student numbers to the UK drop by 50 per cent.
Australia has long overtaken the UK as the most preferred destination with the US slightly higher. Due to a very large Indian population and the Tea Drinking, UK still remains an ok market for Indian exports but the country is no longer a major source of imports.
India buys more from Belgium and probably Lichtenstein and Ireland too than from the UK. Last year the UK ranked only 15th in the value of two-way trade between India and the other countries.
India always retained some soft corner for the poor British. Though their government and politicians never give up on their tricks. Periodic comments on Kashmir, Punjab, Human Rights, Nuclear Weapons, asylum to Mallya etc and now even comments on farmers agitation are directed towards India by British Govt and MPs.
These are akin to mosquito bites and no more. In the past one British MP chap, in the most clownish manner, had even suggested that the size of the Indian Navy and the Indian Space programme had grown all thanks to the british “aid” to India.
In Spite of all this when in 2014 a referendum took place in occupied Scotland, it was watched with lot of interest in India. All Indians know that the Pakistan sponsored Hurriyat Separatists in Kashmir have nearly been wiped out but We wonder how England would react and handle the separation of occupied Scotland.
Nowadays even a India Bangladesh cricket match has more takers than India England match. Though UK has tried to carve itself a new role in the post-Brexit, it does not have the same standing for the government of India as do countries such as Russia, China, Japan and US and even Australia.
This is not at all surprising in spite of the traditionally close economic and social relations between UK and India. The UK is still home to a large proportion of the Indian diaspora. Indian companies remain invested in the UK. For the wealthy Indian tourist, the UK remains one of the first countries to visit.
However now Indian interests are focused on SAARC, Mauritius, Russia, South East Asia, Japan, China, Central Asia, Iran,Middle East, Africa, Australia, USA etc. Hanoi, Kabul, Dubai, Singapore, Colombo, Dacca and Kathmandu have more importance than London bridge…….now actually falling down …….falling down.
Hence stronger ties with Russia on sound partnership, a shift to closer relations with the US based on equality, a similar cultivation of Vietnam, Singapore, Japan and Australia is of more importance. The UK lacks the necessary economic, political and has hardly any military clout left to play a relevant part in India’s strategic scheme.
Now the European Union holds more attraction. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has visited Germany twice in the past two years, a reflection of the importance India now gives to relations with the power-centre of the EU.
People to people connections still remain as strong as ever and probably growing. However the all round weakening of UK and its pound and the Indian stance of India First now means that the UK is not a focus for India’s foreign policy. Indians do not bother for the merchants of East India Company any more which is probably now owned by an Indian.
