By Dawood Auleear
Our country is receiving the second visit of a seasoned diplomat on his first bilateral engagement after the new government of India was sworn in, a country that benefits from the favours of being part of the ”Neighbouhood First” and SAGAR policies of the giant of the sub-continent. Indian credit lines of about one billion dollars and assistance of $400 million have helped us keep the wolves at bay and have allowed us to build our infrastructures.
As islanders, we would like to believe that we are the centre of the world and Jayshankar’s visit will give credence to our fantasy of, shall I say, happy savages. The flip side is that, apart from India, we have other all-weather friends among the countries of origin of our population who deserve our gratitude for their generosity. It is an open secret that donor countries expect loyalty from the recipients of their aid. India would like rightly to increase its capital of friendship and number of friends and is on the path to recruit and enlarge its circles of friends at a time when it is surrounded by less friendly neighbours.
Unfortunately, India is on a collision course with China, our other all-weather friend. The seed of the dispute was sown by McMahon who drew a line to separate the India-China borders. The LAC between India and China and the LOC between India and Pakistan were so subtly and masterly crafted that they have become bones of lasting contention. The British have succeeded in creating hostility between India and China, a hostility that keeps simmering and erupting off and on. The two Asian giants have known better days popularly known as Chini-Hindi Bhai Bhai. They have more similarities than differences… They are no invaders and occupiers of foreign land. They are both vying for a premier place in the club of the most developed nations and are succeeding to our pleasure and to that of the Third World who can rightly expect more from them.
It is a pity that both India and China have played roles of peace brokers and are among the most influential members of BRICS and its founders and they cannot see eye to eye. [The latest historic achievement is by China who brought together two belligerents of the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and today Saudi Arabia is taking an olive branch to Iran wishing it well on the election of its new President and pledging unconditional co-operation to bring about prosperity to their region]. Besides it is in the interest of those who like the status quo and oppose BRICS that China and India should keep on fighting each other. They do at times make offers to one party, more often to India, that would keep the pot boiling. If India succumbs to the attraction of those who want to contain China, the world, and especially the Indian Ocean, would no longer be a region of peace. Within BRICS, there are hopefully, brilliant heads that are working to avoid Armageddon. It is our most ardent wish that India and China find a modus vivendi.
I hope we would not be pushed into a situation where we have to choose between friends. Our mantra should be Friends of All and Enemies of None. Gone are the days when diplomacy meant talking of meat to the butcher, of bread to the baker when we would meet them separately and of sandwich when we would meet them together. To assume this role, we need to be real ‘equilibrists’ with all the skills of a tightrope walker keeping our balance. Vikram Dass, newly appointed Foreign Secretary, former Private Secretary to former PMs Gujral and Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, will have plenty on his plate as a ropewalker. We have no reason to fail. Otherwise, the abyss is too deep and it could be fatal. Long live India-Mauritius friendship.
