Egypt and India: common challenges and ambitions   *

 

By Dr. Fathi Abdel-Fatah

 

Not only do the Indo-Egyptian relations scent with the odour of a common modern history, but also their contemporary relations reflect the cooperation existing between two great countries each having its regional influence - foundation of these relations being the mutual aspirations and challenges faced by both countries.

 

They had the common dream of attaining independence and then of building a modern state, that is the formation of a modern society with the capability to flourish and develop in all domains. This was the basic goal of their relations and the events of contemporary history are ample with examples for the strong and interrelated relations between them.

 

Politically, Egypt and India represent the prime mover of the Non-Alignment Movement. They also represent the core of the Group of 15 (G-15), the group of countries which decided to expand the scope of economic and technological cooperation between them.

The Non-Aligned countries have decided in their recent conference in Colombia to submit proposals for restructuring the United Nations and especially the Security Council so that they can be more open and representative of the international reality. The aim is to  warrant the international democratic order of  the U.N. It is natural that these states should elect Egypt and India for the permanent membership of the Security Council in view of their regional weight in Asia and Africa.

These special and distinguished relations which bind between Egypt and India are reflected in a number of joint agreements in the economic and social fields as well as the political and cultural aspects.

There are many cooperation agreements in the area of technology and information and also in the areas of manufacturing pharmaceuticals, auto- spare-parts-assembly industry and  producing and manufacturing carbon black.

There are also protocols of cooperation in the field of space exploration, population and family planning.

It was natural ,in view of the similarity of their problems, that this cooperation should extend to the cultural and artistic aspects. An agreement was reached between the Ministers of Education in both countries to establish a specialized centre for Egyptology studies in the Indian universities and another specialized centre  for Indian studies in the Egyptian universities.

In addition to the wide-ranging agreements in cultural and technical aspects, the citizens of both countries share a common cultural link. The proof of this is that the Indian music and films have a great appeal in Egypt so much that the Egyptian citizen almost knows the great Indian artists, musicians and writers the same way that he knows their Egyptian counterparts. I realized during my visit to India that this is not a one-way attitude, but it is rather a reciprocal attitude; The Indians likewise, admire the Egyptian art and culture.

During my visit to India, I have travelled to many Indian cities; I drove my car through different places and I went across the Indian countryside. I realized how much commonality between the two peoples share in their social attitudes.

The duo - Nehru and Nasser -  is not the model of friendship and extensive cooperation between the two countries. This friendship rather sprang from the common grounds between two friendly peoples bound together by a common struggle and aspirations.

The great poet Tagore, the first man of letters from this Asian country was to win the Noble prize after it had been monopolized by European and American men of letters for a long time.

Likewise, Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arab novelist to win this international prize.

Between Tagore’s poems in which he elevates man, his great status and freedom and  Mahfouz’s novels expressing the aspirations of the simple people and the oppressed for justice and liberty, lies the eternal task thrown on the shoulders of the two friendly countries.