Tuesday, September 9, 2014

MODI’S EAST ASIA POLICY – A TIGHT SCHEDULE ON THE ANVIL

Smt.Sushma Swaraj, our Foreign Minister, is now all praises for Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister. During the time of electing Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, it was heard that she was  not on good terms with him, instead she was all for supporting L.K.Advani  who was supposed to have nursing an ambition to stand for the post of Prime Minister.
But the wind was blowing in favour of Mr.Modi as the Sangh Parivar strongly advocated for him. Sangh Parivar, like it or not, is the supreme authority and its decision is said to be final and binding for all in the BJP.
Smt.Sushma Swaraj along with the supporters of Mr.Advani had to bow down to the ultimate decision and as a disciplined and loyal member of the Parivar stood with majority albeit reluctantly.
That is now an old story. Upon the installation of Mr.Modi as Prime Minister after winning a massive mandate, Mrs.Sushma Swaraj was allocated the portfolio of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After assuming the charge she is on a hectic schedule like her boss, Prime Minister Mr.Modi.
She has already visited Singapore, Vietnam and Bangladesh, met the leaders of those countries discussed matters of importance to all countries mentioned above, discussed and deliberated upon the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) as per mutual understanding.
Mr.Modi too is having a tight schedule and as a man standing for maintaining warm relations with nations across the world especially South East Asian nations, he began his foreign jaunt from Bhutan, Nepal and Japan and is scheduled to fly to US, hold discussions with Barack Obama to improve bilateral relations, improve business and trade between both the nations on the sidelines of attending United Nations General Assembly meeting. The UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) meeting is likely to provide the spade work for establishing friendship with various nations, especially neighbouring nations like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar etc. Unlike his predecessor, Dr.ManMohan Singh, Modi’s foreign policy approach is ‘Look East-Asia’ first. That was visible even while he was sworn-in as Prime Minister. The leaders of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) nations were invited and they took great interest in attending the swearing-in ceremony and was the first of its kind  in the history of India. .
Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and Mr.Modi are for pushing for maintaining warm relations with South East Asian countries first and talks with these countries are expected to progress in the coming days.
A number of nations have already sent their leaders or representatives to India, like the visit of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abott and in the dialogue that followed, both chose the opportunity to ink the agreement of Uranium purchase by India from Australia, a long term approach for improving the education sector and other business agreements. US Secretary of State John Kerry, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmer are a few of them.

Going by the turn of events, neo-liberal policies ‘seem’ to be ‘irrevocable’ since the Left around the world especially those loyal to Marxism-Leninism have gone down with the flow of time. But we can’t say it for sure since with wheel turning full circle, changes can’t be wished away.            

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