UK’s ‘logical next step’: Swire meets Modi,discusses trade,human rights

Accompanied by British High Commissioner to India James Bevan,Swire met press briefly afterwards. Tweeting about an “upbeat” meeting with the Gujarat CM,Swire added that the discussion revolved around trade,human rights and closer cooperation. “We discussed human rights and our continuing interest in protection of minorities and I recounted the recent incident of gangrape of a Swiss national as well. He (the CM) agreed and listened carefully. He assured us that the court case is coming to an end and is in the right direction. He spoke of how Gujarat accepts people from Jewish and Christian communities into their fold regardless of their faith. I will be meeting with the family of the two victims of the British nationals who died in the riots in the coming week,” said Hugo Swire,who is the Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and a Conservative MP from east Devon.

Swire parried questions on the possibility of Modi becoming prime minister and if an invitation for Modi to visit the UK was underway.

A release sent by his office said,“My visit today has been the logical next step since our decision to re-engage with the democratically elected leadership of this important state. I am confident that active engagement is the best way to pursue British interests in Gujarat. This includes support for the British nationals in Gujarat,for the large Gujarati community in the UK,for human rights and good governance. I hope we can forge a closer partnership in areas where the UK and Gujarat are world leaders such as education,science and technical innovation.

Referring to the recent visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to India in February,Swire who was part of the delegation reiterated Britain’s current mandate to double bilateral trade with India by 2015. The minister described Gujarat as one of the economically advanced states that it wanted to engage with and said,“Gujarat is an extraordinary,exciting state with an enviable growth. The state administration has delivered on growth and there are many good companies in Britain that can be well-positioned to invest here in the field of education,training,skill development,infrastructure and energy. There are around 600,000 Gujaratis with Gujarati ancestry based in the UK and so there is a natural empathy between large parts of Gujarat and England.”

Further,touching upon the multi-million dollar deal that BG Group had entered with GSPC on Wednesday,he said,“We hope that this is the beginning of many more such deals. 60 per cent of renewable energy investment comes from Gujarat,which is a business opportunity for British companies that are operating in the sector.

Swire added that apart from NGOs that work in the field of human rights in the city and a few businessmen,he will be also meeting with leaders from the Gujarat’s Congress party before heading to Delhi where he will conclude his India visit.

Surviving British family members of 2002 riots,to meet Swire

Swire said his government was concerned about the safety of British nationals in India and mentioned that the families of Shakeel and Saeed Dawood (who were killed on February 28,2002 in the post-Godhra riots in Prantij),would be meeting him “in a week’s time”. He told mediapersons that he discussed the case with Modi. Two former UK envoys Ian Reakes and Howard Parkinson,have testified as witnesses in this case,whose arguments are still on in a special court in Sabarkantha.

In 2002,Imran Dawood,a British national,visited India for the first time with his UK-based uncles – Saeed Dawood,Shakeel Dawood and Mohammed Aswat. On February 28,when the four were returning to their native village Lajpur near Navsari after visiting Agra and Jaipur,a mob attacked them near Prantij. Shakeel and Saeed were killed in the massacre while one of them went missing,who is now presumed dead. This was one of the cases investigated by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT).