Al Ahram, P.10 (27-9-2008)
60th anniversary of the Indo-Egyptian relations
By: Dr. Ali El Din Helal
The Embassy of India has chosen a unique and innovative way for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and India, as it organized a photo exhibition that records the most remarkable moments in the history of the relations between the two countries in the 20th century. The photos on display cover different stages starting from the visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Port Said in 1931 in his way from South Africa to London to attend the Round Table Conference to a number of recent visits by Indian ministers to Egypt in 2008.
The photos also highlight very significant moments in the Indo-Egyptian relations, such as the visit of the Indian PM Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and the Egyptian PM Mostafa Al Nahas to the tomb of Saad Zaghlol in 1939. Other important photos include: Nehru with President Mohamed Nagib in 1953 in Egypt, Nehru with PM Gamal Abdel Nasser (dressed in the military uniform) in 1955 in their way to attend the Bandung Conference, Nehru's arrival to Egypt in 1960 and his visits with Gamal Abdel Nasser to several places in Egypt, including Anshas Air Base, Mohamed Ali Mosque and Qaitbai Citadel in Alexandria. In fact, the collections of photos in that exhibition clearly reflect the depth of relations and close cooperation between the two countries in all walks of life.
I believe that this is the most appropriate occasion to contemplate into the progress achieved by the two countries over the past 60 years and to know how India managed to develop its economy until it has become one of the most prominent emerging powers in the 21st century. The impression, which we used to take about India from the Egyptian saying " Do you think I am an Indian" or from the image of the Indian labour in Gulf countries, has been totally changed, as India has become a symbol of professionalism, dedication, persistence, technological innovation and creation. So, how has India managed to do this?
It was not easy for India to reach this status, as it has faced difficult conditions. Domestically, India had to deal with several problems, including the massive increase of population (more than 1 billion persons), the establishment of a balanced socio-political system, which can handle any differences or tension among various religious and linguist communities living all over the country. It is worth mentioning that there are 17 languages and more than 2000 dialects in India. India faced the challenge of poverty, whose scope was expanding in the country, especially in Bombay. Externally, India engaged in armed conflicts with both Pakistan and China and it has also to deal with the chronic problem of Kashmir.
Thus, it was incumbent upon India to deal carefully with these internal and external challenges. India is not rich in raw materials. So, it was necessary for its political leadership to adopt a certain strategy for development through which it can peacefully deal with all these problems and follow the federal system in government in order to accommodate the social diversity and ensure smooth rotation of power among political parties.
Human resources development is the key reason behind India's progress, as India has realized that the promotion of the skills and capabilities of its people is only means to achieve development. Accordingly, India focused on education, especially the subjects of mathematics and science. In this context, the government organized regular competitions on mathematical skills and offered scholarships for excellent students. The massive educational rise, which India witnessed, has ensured equality between the rich and the poor in terms of having access to education and contribution to the knowledge-based economy. India has wide-scale investments in the field of IT and the Indian IT companies have reached a leading status in this domain.
In light of this policy, services sector has the largest share in the Indian GNP as it accounts for 52.9% and it is followed by industry and agriculture with 29.4% and 17% respectively. India's focus on services sector did not mean that India neglected other economic sectors, as both agriculture and industry are growing at 11% and 9% respectively. This resulted in a regular growth of the Indian economy over a 10-year period at a rate of 7% and this percentage increased during the year 2006-2007 to 8.5%. In the same year, those living under the poverty line in India fell to 25% and life expectancy rose to 69.2 years. The Indian success story is similar to that of China and one can feel that the leaderships in both countries are characterized with modesty. The two sides always say that they still have long way to go.
For all nations, the real assets are their human resources, knowledge and power of thinking, which are renewable sources of wealth, because they entirely count on human smartness and mental capabilities.
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