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Political Diary
Hospital Treatment Rates: SC BALM FOR COMMON MAN, By Dhurjati Mukherjee, 13 March 2024 |
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Open Forum
New Delhi, 13 March 2024
Hospital Treatment Rates
SC BALM FOR COMMON MAN
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
That health is a neglected
sector in India has been echoed by experts over the years, but the government
has not taken adequate measures to ensure that benefits reach all sections of
society. It is, in this connection, that the very recent Supreme Court order
merits special attention. The order directed “all
hospitals and clinical establishments must display rates charged for each type
of service provided and facilities available for the benefit of patients at a
conspicuous place in the vernacular as well as in the English language and
charge rates for each type of procedure and service within the range of rates
determined and issued by the Centre from time to time, in consultation with the
state government”.
The
bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, hearing a PIL by the NGO ‘Veterans
Forum for Transparency in Public Life,’ boldly stated, “If the Union government
fails to find a solution, then we will consider the petitioner’s plea for
implementing CGHS-prescribed standardised rates.” The PIL sought clarity on
medical expenses and urged the Centre to determine the fee chargeable to
patients based on Rule 9 of the Clinical Establishment Rules 2012 on which the
judgment would stand out to be a landmark order.
It is
indeed distressing to note that health has become big business in the country
and the private nursing homes charge rates that even the middle class finds
difficult to pay. There is no regulation by the state governments and the
Centre is totally indifferent to the continued fleecing of the population. The
political class has never said anything regarding the matter and there are
virtually no protests as the nursing homes owners are rich and powerful.
Though
some of the state governments have given land at subsidised rates to these
nursing homes – some also call them hospitals – they are supposed to reserve
some beds for the poor and the economically weaker sections, but this is not
done, and the state governments do not check whether these health centres actually
treat the poor. It has to be accepted that the ruling dispensation at the
Centre favours the rich, but this is also true of most state governments.
The
question that comes up is how will the poor get proper treatment? There is no
survey undertaken in the country to determine how many poor people are not
properly diagnosed and, as such, treatment is not received by them. Moreover,
costs of treatment in the private sector are quite high, specially of
life-threatening diseases. But though these are considered life-threatening in
the country, this is not so in the Western world as also in the emerging
economies.
It is a
well-known fact that the conditions of rural health centres and hospitals run
by the government are in a pitiable state of affairs with very few specialists
and even general doctors not being able to give proper attention to the huge
number of patients. Moreover,equipmentis lacking and specialised treatment, in
most cases, is not possible.
Some
experts question that there is no proper survey to find out how much people
from the lower segments of society have to spend to get proper treatment, how
many of them can really afford this treatment, how much they have to travel to
avail of this treatment? It has been found that poor people have been found to
sell their fixed assets like land, even part of building, apart from jewellery
etc. and taking huge loans at high rates of interest, mostly from moneylenders.
Though
such order for standardisation of rates should have been taken decades back to
prevent health being treated as a source business, the present order, if acted
on seriously, would greatly benefit the common man. One cannot deny that health
facilities must improve in all parts of the country, specially in the backward
districts, and this can only happen when facilities are available at affordable
rates.
It is
worth referring to a World Health Organization (WHO) report which rightly
highlighted the fact that with countries reducing investments in health after
the Covid outbreak does not augur well as health security is complementary to
economic security. To address gaps and prepare for the next pandemic, the
regional director of Southeast Asian region of WHO stressed on investments and
strengthening six pillars of health systems –service delivery, health
workforce, access to medical products, vaccines and technologies, health
information systems, and financing backed by political commitment.
The
government proposal of setting up hospitals in PPP mode in select underserved
districts has not been implemented as business houses are not interested to set
up such centres in remote rural areas. It was envisaged that medical colleges
would be attached to district hospitals in PPP mode to address shortage of
qualified medical doctors. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA)
expressed concerns by public health experts that inviting the private sector to
manage public hospitals was tantamount to backdoor corporatisation of civil
hospitals and this would not help the poor as the mass would not get benefits
at affordable rates.
A recent
development that should be welcomed is the initiative by the insurance
regulator to allow subscribers to avail cashless treatment at any private
hospital or nursing home, irrespective of whether it is part of an insurer’s
network or not. Earlier to get treated in such a nursing home, which was not
part of an insurer’s network of facilities, patients had to pay the full amount
and go through the cumbersome process to claim reimbursement. This would
undoubtedly help a major section of the middle class, specially the salaried
who have such insurance facilities.
It goes
without saying that health is critical to human well-being and, as such, there
is need to look into the whole issue and evolve an effective solution in the
matter. The judiciary has done the right intervention though this was needed
much earlier. Now it is the prerogative of the Centre to direct the states to
check the functioning of private nursing homes and hospitals and ensure not
just standardisation of rates but see to it that at least 20 percent of beds
are reserved for the poor from whom just the actual costs of surgery and
minimum doctor’s fees are recovered.
Only
talking of ‘health for all’ has no meaning unless effective steps are taken by
the Centre and the states. Maybe some time, the judiciary will also intervene
and direct the states to ensure that the poor citizens of the country are not
deprived of basic health facilities. As socio-economic development is
intrinsically linked to better health, the present landmark order, if adhered
to, will bring about a drastic change in the functioning of private health
centres.---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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From Your Lordship to Jan Sevak:CONSTITUTIONALLY JUST NOT DONE!, By Poonam I Kaushish,12 March 2024 |
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Political Diary
New Delhi, 12 March 2024
From Your Lordship to Jan Sevak
CONSTITUTIONALLY JUST
NOT DONE!
By Poonam I Kaushish
Now days when you see someone holding his nose you don’t
know whether it’s pollution or politics. Either way the net result is the same.
Increasing political pollution replete with contaminated smog and toxic waste.
But the latest in an ever-growing series of political skullduggery was an
unimaginable onslaught which threatens to undermine the independence and
impartiality of a Constitutional body: Judiciary.
Who could imagine that the man flashing the Constitution,
cracking the judicial whip and doling out unpalatable orders to culprits would
one day succumb to political temptation himself? How else does on describe
Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay somersault from the high
judicial Bench to the rough and tumble of politics by joining BJP last week.
All, for name and fame in the political sun. Never mind if he knocked a big blow
to the judiciary, thumped people’s faith in courts, rapped our moral conscience
and smacked our last resort for justice.
And, this after
accusing a brother judge of “working for a political Party” which marked a low
for the judiciary and relationship between Government and Court in West Bengal
24 January.
Importantly, the
judge’s decision to join politics and manner and context in which it was taken
raises questions of judicial propriety and impartiality. But it also stands out
for three reasons. One, his record in court was full of controversy. Two, for
over two years these controversies showcased an unseemly spectacle of a sitting
judge at loggerheads with an elected Government in a manner that invited
questions of partisanship.
Three, his political
foray will have a bearing on dispensation of justice. Could not millions of
litigants think that a judge was harsh on the Administration on the eve of his
resignation in the hope of reward from BJP?
Take the job scam case
September 2022. While hearing the matter, Gangopadhyay
all but accused Mamta’s nephew and TMC leader Abhishek Bannerjee of “amassing
wealth” to a TV channel. This lack of “judicial propriety” led Supreme Court to
order Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to assign the case to a different
Bench. In January he again overruled a larger Bench in a case regarding
admissions to State medical colleges and made irresponsible remarks against a
colleague.
What Gangopadhyay doesn’t seem to realize is that by
joining BJP he has inflicted an avoidable hurt to an important Constitutional
pillar. A body blow that would not be easy to recover from. Once the
“Conscience Keeper” of democracy falls prey to political sharks, there is no
salvation but a steady slide downhill.
His political foray now casts a shadow over decisions he made on the
Bench. His justification for his political turn to BJP ---- insults and barbs
of TMC leaders holds little water. Even as the Party accuses him of being a
“BJP political worker.”
Arguably, by offering Gangopadhyay a political lollipop,
BJP has violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Future judges might
well be more than willing to bend rules in favour of a particular Party in hope
and expectation of reaping political rewards post retirement.
Undoubtedly, it has
divided public opinion and is deeply troubling that an institution that plays
guardian and watchdog of freedoms and routinely sets the agenda for
institutional propriety and probity should be seen to play political
favourites. While supporters say Gangopadhyay has shown courage, critics aver
this is inappropriate while netas
derisively assert the judge has behaved like “a politician.”
Certainly, Gangopadhyay
is not the first judge of a Constitutional court to resign and join politics.
In 1967, former Chief Justice of India Subba Rao venerated for his famous
Golaknath and Kharak Singh judgments resigned three months before retirement to
contest the Presidential election as Opposition candidate. And India’s first
Attorney General Setalvad castigated famed jurist Chagla for accepting Nehru’s
offer of ambassadorship. In 1983 Supreme Court Justice Bahural Islam resigned
six weeks before retirement to contest Lok Sabha polls.
Rajiv Gandhi too
nominated ex Chief Justice India M.H. Beg for Rajya Sabha which threatened to
besmirch judiciary’s fair name was averted when Justice Beg died a few days
before formalities were completed. Prime Minister Modi too followed in his
footsteps by nominating Justice Gogoi to Rajya Sabha in March 2020, snidely
described by Opposition as his reward for Ayodhya judgment.
What to speak of ex-CJI Ranganath Mishra who was Congress’s
Rajya Sabha nominee and Justice Baharul Islam-turned-Congress Lok Sabha MP. Or
Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Rama Jois turned-Governor- BJP
Rajya Sabha MP and Supreme Court Judge-turned Congress Rajya Sabha MP-turned
Janata Party Lok Sabha MP-turned-Speaker KS Hegde.
Yet again, the country’s first woman Supreme Court judge
Justice Fatima Beevi was appointed member of National Human Rights Commission
post retirement 1992. In 1997, Beevi was appointed Tamil Nadu Governor where
she was in the eye of a political storm over her decision to ignore established
Constitutional norms and anoint AlADMK supremo Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister
2001, notwithstanding she could not contest Assembly poll due to her conviction
in a corruption case
Or ex Chief Election Commissioner Gill to the Rajya Sabha.
I recall, when late Punjab CM Badal remarked that those who held such august
offices should not contest on Party tickets, Gill retorted: “Maine koi theka liya sau saal da”. And
as mithai was distributed he had
conveniently forgotten his halla bol
against the political cesspool and his repeated emphasis on values and
integrity.
Alas, over the years our leaders have eroded judiciary’s
impartiality without outwardly violating the Constitution’s letter. Trust them
to find a lacuna and brazenly exploit it. They merrily take advantage of absence
of “silence” of our Constitution framers, Constitutional or legal bar on those
holding high Constitutional posts from joining politics, fighting elections,
holding office or taking a Government appointment.
This is not all. Post retirement judges have become
Governors. Recall, the appointment of former Chief Justice of India S
Sathasivam as Kerala Governor 2014. India’s second CEC, KVK Sundaram was made
the Chairman of the Law Commission on retirement. Yet again in 1986, the CEC,
R.K. Trivedi, was rewarded with the Governorship of Gujarat within months of
retirement.
Clearly, the BJP does not appear to have been well-advised
in admitting Gagopadhyay. This unfortunate decision can only snowball causing
grave injury to the system unless the statute is changed to bar Chiefs of
Constitutional Offices like CJI, Judges, CECs, and CAG etc from either joining
a Party, accepting further appointment by Government on retirement.
Plainly, such a step is needed to preserve and protect
independence of judiciary since nobody seems to care a damn for healthy and
time-honoured conventions. This is all the more necessary in view of the
“aberration nee pattern” that is slowly but surely seeping into the body
politic --- and is certain to receive encouragement from the Gangopadhyay
episode.
Undeniably, the arms-length distance between Executive and
Judiciary along-with mutual respect needs to remain intact even after demitting
office. If arms length is swapped by a warm embrace, it warns of grave danger.
The moot point is: Can India afford to allow persons
holding Constitutional offices to accept “rewards” from Parties after
retirement? One hopes that
Gangopadhyay case does not became the norm and judges desist from rising to
the bait. This does not auger well for the future of India’s democracy. ------
INFA.
(Copyright India News & Feature
Alliance)
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Inflated Bills Main Vote Plank: LAWS DON’T CUT DOWN GRAFT, By Shivaji Sarkar, 11 March 2024 |
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Economic Highlights
New Delhi, 11 March 2024
Inflated
Bills Main Vote Plank
LAWS
DON’T CUT DOWN GRAFT
By
Shivaji Sarkar
Two landmark judgments, one on the
electoral bonds scheme and the other JMM - Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case,
should call for an introspection into the myriad ways of graft. The nation
despite vociferously discussing it for decades has not found a way out. No
wonder India has the onerous ranking of 93 out of 180 on the global corruption
index in 2023.
The recent Rajya Sabha
cross-voting in Himachal Padesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are blatant
instances that money or other quid pro quo is routine. This has been happening
in the Rajya Sabha elections for quite some time causing some change of rules,
including open ballot system making it mandatory for the MLAs to exhibit how
they voted. Still, it is happening.
Would it stop parliamentary
malpractices? Apparently not. The BJP in September 2015 suspended six MPs seen
to give king bribes on videotaped broadcast by a TV channel. It has not come to
an end. TMC MP Mohua Moitra was expelled in 2023 for alleged links with a
businessman, who was reportedly allowed to use her official email. The new SC
verdict now does away with the immunity to MPs granted by a judgement in 1998
under Article 105.
The common man can hardly escape
this. Power corporations, be these under government or private, do it openly to
harass consumers. In some states, people are getting five to ten times inflated
bills not for the purpose of realisation but for seeking high rents from the
gullible. The current elections may see some regime changes because of the
electricity bills alone in some northern states. Many find the AAP model in
Delhi imitable. It gives succour to the people apart from reducing corruption.
Even driving licences being
centralised have a cost. Four times the actuals are charged by the regional
transport authority agents to have smooth renewals, which could otherwise be an
automatic process.
Roads are supposed to be an
indicator of progress, but the CAG flags off a road in Delhi’s Dwaraka. As per
approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) the 28 km Dwarka
expressway was sanctioned Rs 18.2 a km but Rs 250.77 a km was the actual
expense, 13 times higher.
Since the bogey of Bofors bribery,
there would be hardly a deal which might not have seen the “cut money”
phenomenon from an innocuous object to the purchases of arms, aircraft, drones
or contracts for constructions.
Sadly, corruption is built into
the system. Even currency note exchange during the demonetisation had built
into it. It is difficult to quantify but Transparency International (TI) had
indicated in 2005, truckers paid Rs 222 crore ($28 billion) in bribes. Both
government regulators and police share bribe money to the tune of 43 percent
and 45 percent each, respectively. The volume must have increased though the
formula may remain valid now.
Notably, the 2005 TI report states
that over 62 percent of Indians confirmed that they had to bribe a public
official at some point to get something done or enjoy services provided by them
(public officials). In 2019, the Corruption Perceptions Index ranked India at
40-49 percent and in 2021, India was at 85 out of 180 in the CPI grading. It
slid to 93 in 2023.
As of December 2009, 120 of
India’s 542 Parliament members have accusations of partaking in
corruption-related crimes like bribing under First Information Report (FIR).
Many of the biggest scandals since 2010 have involved high-level government
officials, including Cabinet ministers and chief ministers, such as the 2010
Commonwealth Games Scam (₹70,000 crores (US$8.8 billion)),
the Adarsh Housing Society Scam, the Mining Scandal in Karnataka and
the cash for vote scams.
In 2019, an online petition
exposed the ineffectiveness of the country’s top anti-corruption authority,
Lokpal, which is supposed to stop corruption in the country. The petition
addressed to the Chairperson of Lokpal asserts that the Lokpal officials are
squandering enormous amounts of public money without accountability.
Professor BibekDebroy and Laveesh
Bhandari claim in their book Corruption in India: The DNA and RNA, in 2010,
that public officials in India may be cornering as much as Rs 921 billion ($12
billion), or 1.26 per cent of the GDP, through corruption.
Corruption also results in lower
economic growth for a given level of income. With the reduction in corruption
level in India the growth rate of GDP might increase by 5 to 7 percent. As per
an estimate, corruption in India causes a loss of growth in terms of investment
and employment to the tune of Rs 25000 crores.
The report said as the Asia
Pacific region faces a 2024 election year, with people coming out to vote in
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Solomon Islands, South Korea and
Taiwan, the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reveals another year of
little to no meaningful progress towards curbing corruption.
The government has been pursuing
zero tolerance against corruption and has taken several measures. There are
3745 cases of corruption lodged in 2021, according to the National Crime
Records Bureau Report (NCRB). In addition, 457 cases are there against 549
public servants. A series of raids were conducted by Enforcement Directorate on
a series of politicians, businessmen and other across the country.
Another factor for increasing
graft is the rising numbers of multinational corporations’ involvement. The
Bribe Payers Index record their engagements. It is a myriad way they function.
Offences under the Prevention of
Corruption Act are also predicate offences for proceedings under the money
laundering act. In addition, these offences could also entail criminal
consequences under the Benami Act and the Black Money Act. Individuals or
corporations charged with corruption also face possible prosecution under PMLA,
Benami Act and Black Money Act, and, upon conviction, may be subjected to
further imprisonment and, or, fines for offences therein.
However, the level of graft is not
coming down. Despite digitising, the rent seeking has not come to an end. It
calls for an effort across social boundaries. The elections might see more of
it in different forms and the colour may change but not the graft.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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India-France Dialogues: BOLSTERING THE PARTNERSHIP, By (Prof.) Dr. D.K. Giri, 8 March, 2024 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 8 March 2024
India-France Dialogues
BOLSTERING THE PARTNERSHIP
By (Prof.) Dr. D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn for
Democratic Socialism)
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Anne-Marie
Descotes, Secretary General of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign
Affairs on Tuesday last to review the strategic partnership between the two
countries. The meeting took place under the mechanism of Foreign Office
Consultation (FOC) that has been taking place between India and France. The
outcome of the meeting, according to Jaishankar is that “Strategic partnership
between two nations is growing from strength to strength.”
During the meeting, both countries took stock of a various
aspects of bilateralism which was initiated in the strategic partnership
between the two launched on 26 January 1998. This was the first strategic
partnership India had with any country. It embodies the core vision of both
India and France of maintaining their respective strategic autonomies by
drawing on a strong bilateral cooperation. The pillars of this partnership are
sectors like defence and security, civil-nuclear matters, space, maritime
security, digitalisation, cyber security, advance computing, counter terrorism,
climate change, renewable energies, sustainable growth and development. It also
has a strong India-Pacific component.
The other instrument which outlined the contours of
bilateralism is the India-France Horizon 2047 Roadmap devised on 14 July 2023
when Prime Minister Modi visited Paris as a Guest of Honour on their National
Day. This was when the strategic partnership completed 25 years. Now the Roadmap
extends this partnership for another 25 years. The end of this period
interestingly will mark the centenaries of India’s independence and diplomatic
relations between both countries.
Just before the Prime Minister’s visit from 6-9 July, a
four-day festival of India called ‘Namaste France’ was organised. The festival
drew a lot of renowned Indian performing and visual artists – classical, modern
and contemporary for live performances and exhibitions showcasing India’s
diversity and culture and cuisine to over 2,000 visitors. The festival
underlined the interest of people-to-people ties, and cultural exchanges.France
has a centre for language and culture in New Delhi called Alliance Francaise in
New Delhi.
On the recent dialogue, the FOC is the central mechanism
between two countries that deals with all aspects of India-France exchanges. It
offers a platform for both nations to align their priorities and cooperate
effectively on shared challenges. Overall, the FOC consultations are indicative
of strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
On 4 March, two other bilateral dialogues took place: India
and France Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue. The two sides discussed
developments relating to nuclear, chemical and biological domains. It also
covered conventional weapons including AI in the military domain and lethal
autonomous weapon systems and multilateral export control regimes. India has
been committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable
nuclear disarmament. Furthermore, as a responsible nuclear-weapon state, India
is committed to maintaining a minimum deterrence with the position of no-first
use and no use against non-nuclear states.
The other meeting that took place on 5 March was the
Strategic Space Dialogue, the second in the series. Under this, both sides
reviewed the progress since the first dialogue and the bilateral engagement in
the space sector. They also talked about possibility of cooperation in the G2G
and commercial segments. The inaugural India-France Strategic Space Dialogue
was held in Paris on 26 June 2023. There was also discussion on the implementation
of the Letter of Intent recently signed on Defence Space Cooperation – capacity
building, training and space exchanges and Defence Space Industrial
Cooperation.
The India-French space partnership is nearly six decades
old; it dates back to 1964 when India’s space programme was inchoate as it was
experimenting with sounding rockets for Thumba in Kerala. The partnership that
evolved covered collaborations in technologies for satellite launches,
research, operational applications, innovation and NewSpace partnerships for
Deep Space Exploration. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the
French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) have been partnering closely in
the fields of space medicine, astronaut health monitoring, life support,
radiation protection, space debris protection and personal hygiene systems.
The dialogue on Monday emphasised the importance of
fostering a favourable environment for commercial space activities. Both the
countries acknowledged the potential for growth and innovation in the
commercial space segment and therefore expressed their commitment for building
partnerships and facilitating investments to harness this potential. India and
France seek to explore new horizons in space exploration while strengthening
their long-standing partnership in science and technology.
The dialogues covered a wide range of issues and multiple
sectors: science and technology, blue economy, institutional dialogue
mechanism, cooperation in Indo-Pacific region, climate action, energy
transition, health, trilateral and plurilateral cooperation. On political
front, it covered UNSC reforms, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the tension in Red
Sea and Russia-Ukraine conflict.
India-France bilateral relations go back to the 17th
century when trade exchanges started between two countries. Until 1954, France
maintained a colonial presence in the Indian Sub-Continent. In particular, a
former French territory, Puducherry is a popular tourism destination of
numerous French travellers to India. After the signing of strategic partnership
in 1998, the progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation has been
significant. There have been regular high-level exchanges. The commercial
exchanges also have grown in areas like defence, nuclear energy and space.
In fact, France was the first country with which India
entered into a Nuclear Energy Agreement following the waiver given by IAEA –
International Autonomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Supplier Group. The waiver
enabled India to begin full civil nuclear cooperation with the international
community.
The dialogues on 4 and 5 March foster the relationship
between France and India in terms of collaboration with deeper understanding on
shared priorities and challenges. The relationship is built on shared interests
on several areas in Indian Pacific region and other global issues. Prime
Minister Modi and President Macron share a strong bond. In August 2019, France
has been called “India’s new best friend” by the Hudson Institute, an American
think tank based in Washington.
France is inviting Indian students in a big way to study in
French institutions. As many as 1700 courses are taught in English language in
French institutions. There are upto 400000 Indians working in French companies
in India. To bolster India’s defence, 36 Rafael Aircrafts have been delivered.
All in all, France is considered to be a steady and
reliable partner. As India wishes to see and seeks to build a multipolar world,
France will be a big ally. France has been opposed to the hegemony of either
United States or former Soviet Union. Hence it reconciles to and collaborated
with Germany in constructing the European Union as a new pole of influence in
the world politics. EU has not become so is another discussion. In any case,
the India-France relation is good for both countries and may contribute to
shaping a new world order. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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Greek PM in India: DRAWING NEW DELHI IN, By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri, 26 February, 2024 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 26 February 2024
Greek PM in India
DRAWING NEW DELHI IN
By Prof.
(Dr.) D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn for
Democratic Socialism)
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recent visit to New Delhi was significant as it underlined the critical need for both
countries to come together. Besides, the visit came after 15 years by a head of the state or head of government of Greece. The last Greek prime minister visit occurred in 2008. Also, during this visit,
India and Greece initiated or renewed ground-breaking partnerships and projects.
The process of deepening
the bilateralism had begun last year in August when Prime Minister Modi had
visited Greece. That visit was equally or more significant as any Indian Prime Minister had been
to Athens 40 years ago. During Modi’s
visit, India-Greece relations were upgraded to a strategic partnership. It was also
decided that the bilateral trade will be doubled by 2030. Thus, Modi’s visit marked a
historic occasion when he was conferred the highest civilian award of Greece,
Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
Mitsotakis who was on a two-day official visit and was the chief guest and keynote speaker at the
Raisina Dialogue, 2024, said, “PM Modi’s historic visit to Athens created a
momentum which will be accelerated by his visit to India”. He was emphatic and optimistic about India and
Greece relations. He
said to a Greek journalist Alexis Papahalas on the eve of his departure to India, “India will find no
better gateway to Europe than my country and for Greece, there is no better
gateway to Asia than a close strategic relationship with India”.
Mitsotakis made a
forceful plea for proceeding with India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC)
despite the continuing conflict in Gaza. This corridor was conceived as a counterweight to
Beijing’s BRI which made the participating countries debt-prone and impaired
their sovereignty. The founding members of IMEC could not meet due
to the war in Gaza. Also, Israel’s Haifa port owned by Indian Adani Group was expected to be a key point for the ship-and-rail route proposed under
IMEC. It would start from India’s West Coast through UAE through Saudi Arabia to Jordan and Israel before reaching Greek’s Piraeus port and to the rest of Europe.
According to a promising statement made by the Greek
Prime Minister, “IMEC holds great promise to supercharge connectivity
between India and the
growth of economies in the Middle-East and Europe. IMEC will be good for the entire world in the long run. Mitsotakis economic reforms in last five years are
leading to stability. Greece remains a solid member on Eastern flank of the European Union and in the Eastern Mediterranean. So, IMEC
becomes important for Greece.
India-Greece relations go
back to 326 BC when the Greek hero Alexander came up to North-West of Indian
Sub-Continent up to Beas River where he fought a battle
with Raja Puru of
Paurav dynasty. As
per the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 518 identified soldiers of
undivided India defending Southern Europe in World War-I were buried in Greece.
A Greek national
Dimitrios Galanos born in Athens
spent 47 years in India. He translated Indians scriptures into Greek language. He also produced a
Sanskrit-English-Greek dictionary containing 9000 words. He died on 3 May, 1833 in Varanasi. A Dimitrios
Galanos chair of Hellenic studies was set up in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2000. The famous Gandhara art is believed is to be a
fusion of India and Greek art traditions.
Diplomatic relations began in May 1950 with the
setting up of Greek Embassy in New Delhi. India opened its Embassy in Athens in
1978. The bilateral relations
have been conducted through two instruments: one, Joint Economic Community (JEC) and the other Foreign Office
Consultation (FOC). The latter meets alternatively in Delhi and Athens.
Both the countries have
decided to celebrate next year the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. To mark
the occasion, it was decided to, “Prepare an action plan that will enable both
the countries to showcase their common heritage, science and technology,
innovation, sports and other areas on the global stage.
Both countries are
‘prisoners’ of geography. But their strategic locations are important to the
global system and geo-political prosperity. Recent events at Red Sea have
demonstrated that the security of East Mediterranean region where Greece is located virtually depends upon the stability of the
Indian Ocean region. That is why perhaps Greece decided to join the
Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiatives launched by India during its G-20 chairmanship.
Greece has the world’s biggest merchant fleet, and its geographical
position makes it an obvious partner for the project.
On trade and commerce, India exports aluminium,
organic chemicals, fish and crustaceans, plastics, textile articles, chemicals,
iron and steel. It imports from Greece minerals, mineral fuels, oil, sulphur, aluminium
foil, mineral oils, lime and cement, products for their distillation,
electrical machinery equipment and building stones.
During the visit of the
Greek Prime Minister, who was accompanied by senior officials and business executives, several
agreements were signed. These related to collaboration on start-ups,
cooperation in shipping and connectivity, collaboration in higher education, support in defence, cyber security,
maritime security and counter terrorism.
In a joint press conference with his
counterpart, the Greek
Prime Minister said, “We are deepening the strategic cooperation in all spheres
from defence to education, culture, tourism, agriculture, trade and investment”. One important agreement was
the finalising of a mobility
and migration pact to regulate legal migration. This will enable skilled
workforce from India to migrate to Greece and contribute to its economy. Another significant
agreement was the co-production and co-development of military hardware.
Already Indian Navy and Air
force are conducting joint exercises with Greek Armed Forces. An Indian company
is building a new airport on the Island of Crete. An Indian business family has
invested in food business in Greece. A shipping company from India is in brokerage
firm in Athens, and it looks to be a major player in the Trans-Atlantic
shipping market. A Greek bank has joined up with Indian financial institutions
to sell mutual funds products globally. But such transactions do not seem to be good enough. More needs to
be done.
Mitsotakis said India should be a corner stone of Europe’s foreign policy. In any
case, this is certainly the case for Greece. The leadership in Greece has been
pushing for a closer India and EU relations. In particular, Athens is nudging the EU to sign the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement between EU and
India. The year 2024 is crucial for Europe and the world, and so is for Greece
and India.
One hopes that the
diplomatic niceties are backed by sincere efforts on both sides. Prime Minister
Modi is reaching out
to new partners and building fresh contacts. Although India and Greece have
been connected since long, it is time they make the partnership robust in their mutual interests.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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