India–Africa Relations: Changing Horizons

244 Pages·2021·4.199 MB·English

by  Rajiv Bhatia

INDIA–AFRICA RELATIONS
This book explores the emergence and assertion of Africa as a significant
actor and stakeholder in global affairs and the transformation of the India-
Africa relationship.
Beginning from this strategic perspective, the book presents an in-depth
exploration of the India-Africa partnership in all its critical dimensions. It
delineates the historical backdrop and shared colonial past to focus on and
contextualise the evolution of the India-Africa engagement in the first two
decades of the 21st century. The book scrutinises the unfolding international
competition in Africa in depth, which includes global actors such as the EU,
the US and Japan, among others, focusing especially on China’s growing
influence in the region. Further, it dissects objectively the continental,
regional and bilateral facets of India-Africa relations and offers a roadmap
to strengthen and deepen the relationship in the coming decade.
This volume will be very useful for students and researchers working in
the field of international relations, foreign policy, governance, geopolitics
and diplomacy.
Rajiv Bhatia is Distinguished Fellow, Gateway House, Mumbai, India. He
served as India’s High Commissioner to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho
and as Ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico. He was Director General of
the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from 2012–15 and Visiting
Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) from 2011–13.
He is an illustrious scholar-diplomat, an active figure in India’s strategic
community and a prolific commentator on foreign policy. His previous two
books, India in Global Affairs: Perspectives from Sapru House (2015) and
India-Myanmar Relations: Changing contours (2016), drew critical acclaim.
“Rajiv Bhatia offers, in a capsule, the Afro-Indian fusion that has
evolved over millennium, which is undoubtedly shaping future global
dynamics. A must read for any scholar, policymaker and strategist keen
on trends that will define our tomorrow.”
Ambassador Dr. Monica Juma, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Defence,
Republic of Kenya
“Diplomat-scholar Rajiv Bhatia presents a masterly dissertation on the
past, present and future of the India-Africa relationship. His passion
for Africa is transparent. Bhatia offers thoughtful strategic choices for
India as it confronts the multiple challenges and opportunities of the
21st century.”
Lalit Mansingh, former Foreign Secretary, Government of India
“In this eminently readable study, Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia has cap-
tured the essence of multilayered and multi-dimensional nature of
complex ties between India and Africa since the past two decades. As
a scholar-diplomat, the author’s passionate and praxiological commit-
ment to promote Indo-African ties has incontestably made this exer-
cise uniquely worthy of consideration by scholars, policy makers and
graduate students.”
Rajen Harshé, leading Indian scholar in African and international
relations studies and former Vice Chancellor of the Central University
of Allahabad
“This beautifully written account of relations between two increasingly
important actors – Africa and India – captures both Bhatia’s passion for
Africa and his deep knowledge of a continent he experienced firsthand.
His sharp and frank analysis scrutinises not only the relationship but
also how it plays out in the context of the growing interest of other
actors in Africa, not least China.”
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Chief Executive, The South African Institute
of International Affairs (SAIIA)
INDIA–AFRICA
RELATIONS
Changing Horizons
Rajiv Bhatia
First published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2022 Rajiv Bhatia
The right of Rajiv Bhatia to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-48970-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-07672-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-04455-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003044550
Typeset in Sabon
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
Dedicated
To Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations whose visionary
leaders and scholars were my inspiration,
and
To our grandchildren – Tavishi, Saisha and Kairav

CONTENTS
List of tables viii
Foreword by Krishnan Srinivasan ix
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xvi
List of abbreviations xviii
1 Africa in transition 1
2 India-Africa relations in 20th century 14
3 Africa, dancing with global actors 29
4 Africa-China tango 57
5 India-Africa engagement in 21st century 71
6 Continental dimensions 88
7 Regional dimensions 107
8 Bilateral aspects 125
9 Sociocultural and people-related bonds 162
10 Africa 2020, an assessment 181
11 The next decade 195
Bibliography 206
Index 211
vii
TABLES
5.1 Visits by Indian VVIPs to Africa – 2015–19 81
9.1 Population of Overseas Indians in Africa 164
viii
FOREWORD
Rajiv Bhatia calls India and Africa ‘two soulmates, friends and partners,’
but a book dealing with India-Africa relations is a rare occurrence, which in
itself states an obvious truth, that this is an understudied and undervalued
aspect of India’s foreign relations. Bhatia’s book is therefore especially
welcome.
Should Africa be treated as a choate entity? As a continent, its 54 mem-
bers are not only land-based but stretch far East into the Indian Ocean –
Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles – and West into the
Atlantic with Cabo Verde. And can India as a single country be compared
in any sense to the vast continent of Africa? Bhatia makes the relevant point
that the populations are roughly similar, but is there not a degree of
presumption in comparing any single country, however big and important,
with an entire continent? Many African countries, though grouped in a
‘Union,’ are as distinct from each other in race, customs, religion, language,
attire and economic development as any two countries in Asia. An obvious
four-way split is Arabic-speaking Africa, English-speaking Africa, French-
speaking Africa and Lusophone Africa, besides which Bhatia identifies eight
regional economic communities. And yet, the author would legitimately
argue, to break down India’s relations with Africa sector-wise, subject-wise
or region-wise, despite the availability of material, would necessitate several
volumes which would defeat his purpose of coherently presenting the
relevant history and his broad conclusions.
The Indian independence movement held great attractions for African
leadership striving for freedom; Congress was thus a name adopted into the
nomenclature of many African political parties, though Gandhian non-
violence, despite lip service, was never the favoured method of struggle for
any liberation movement even in South Africa. Consistent Indian support
for racial equality and freedom movements, culminating in the AFRICA
Fund, left little downstream impact and has been consigned to archival
memory.
The Indian community in Africa is not uniform in history, closeness to the
‘mother’ country or current occupation. This community was initially
brought to Africa by the British Empire which moved large masses of
ix