Kevin Rudd On Indian-Australian Passion & Relationship
Nov 13th, 2009 | Comments
Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd batted spiritedly during his recent India visit and delivered a googly to bypass ticklish issues and move on to substantive bilateral economic and strategic issues that would help strengthen ties between India and Australia.
Rudd squarely faced the contentious issues of racial violence against Indian students in Australia, as also the continuing ban on the supply of uranium because India has not signed the non-proliferation treaty.
“Kevin Rudd says he takes responsibility for law and order but can’t guarantee there will be no more attacks against Indian students studying in Australia,” reports ABC. “Despite the controversy, India and Australia’s relationship appears to be on firm ground as Rudd makes his first prime ministerial visit to the Indian capital.
While Manmohan Singh said the two countries have decided to “upgrade our relations to the level of a strategic partnership”, Kevin Rudd announced Australian Federal Government will be sending at least an extra 14 Australian diplomats to India “representing the largest single expansion of Australia’s diplomatic and consular representation in India ever.”
Australia has long ignored its economic and strategic relationship with India and Mr Rudd’s visit should be focused on that, says Rory Medcalf, a security expert at Australia’s Lowy Institute. “Canberra has neglected the subcontinent but the feeling has been mutual…India has tended to see Australia through a couple of very outdated lenses. It has seen Australia as eventually an appendage of the United States or it has seen Australia as some sort of afterthought in Asia.
“I think for a long time India has just simply not understood and has not appreciated how much Australia has to offer.”
But, Mr Medcalf says, Australia has one big drawcard for India. “Uranium exports to India for civil purposes from Australia really would be a magic bullet to change the relationship, especially symbolically. India would finally think Australia was serious about a strategic partnership.
“If Rudd can’t deliver on uranium, and I’m fairly sure he can’t, at least a set of substitute gestures has to be found in the short-term… I think he has to find something that signals that we recognise that India matters.
“I think India is on the radar… I think several senior ministers in the Government have essentially said so. And I think there is a public opinion element of this. In the past 18 months we’ve seen this rocky relationship with China developing over issues essentially to do with different values and security interests.
“We haven’t had that challenge with India. I don’t think we’re going to have anywhere near that sort of a problem with India in the decades to come.
“So I think Australia is beginning to look more to India as a key player in the constellation of powers in Asia – that we will need as a security partner, an economic partner and indeed as part of the social fabric of Australian society in the future.”
More here…
In the wake of attacks on Indian students, several Australian ministers have visited India to assure the government and Indian parents that the safety of the Indian students is a top concern of the Australian government.
In September, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, as also Prof Pal Ahluwalia (pro-Vice Chancellor of University of South Australia) visited India. (Please click here to read my earlier post…)
While Prime Minister Rudd was concluding his secret visit to Afghanistan for Remembrance Day before arriving in Delhi, his wife Therese Rein visited India’s largest slum in Mumbai, home to more than 1 million people (wonderfully captured in Oscar Award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire). Read about her visit here…
Prime Minister Rudd delighted the audience at the India business lunch (where I was also invited), by his reference to cricket. “India shares many passions with Australia, one of them being our collective celebration of cricket. We share a passion for the game.
” But in my case, there has never been a correlation between passion on the one hand and ability on the other. You will be surprised to learn however that I have played against India before.
“At least as a member of the Australian embassy team in Peking against the Indian embassy team. My highest score was 11 not out.
“We Australians always feared the Indian quicks and we feared that the reason India regularly beat us at the Temple of Heaven Ground was out belief that on the eve of each of the games, Indian MEA would fly in its best talent from Delhi.
“At least that’s my excuse for failure on the field – 11 not out….
“Of course there is more to life than cricket. Another of our shared passions is exploring new opportunities for business collaboration.
“Looking out to this diverse audience – business leaders, senior officials and commentators from all corners of the private and public sectors – I am struck by the extent of common Australian and Indian commercial interests.
“I am also reminded of the central role business will play in elevating our countries’ bilateral partnership….That’s why I’m delighted that our Trade and Commerce Ministers have agreed to establish a CEO forum to bring together the business elites of our two countries to discuss opportunities and impediments to greater economic cooperation.
“And I look forward to reading their recommendations in 2010 on what governments can do. After all, enhancing commercial cooperation between our two countries is a central pillar of the Australia-India strategic partnership and an opportunity to bring our countries closer together.
“This is an opportunity we just can’t pass up.”
It remains to be seen how China, a close business partner of Australia, reacts to this cosying up between India and Australia.
