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Journalism of Courage
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today proposed a mammoth project to e-connect 53 nations of the African continent via satellite and fibre optic network to support tele-education, tele-medicine, e-governance, e-commerce, infotainment and meteorological services in an effort to fight poverty and disease, the ‘‘common enemies’’ stalking Africa and India.
In his address to the Pan African Parliament — the first by a non-African head of state — President Kalam said the project would connect five universities, 53 learning centres, 10 super-speciality hospitals and 53 patient-end locations in rural areas. Installation, initial operation and maintenance for the first three years would cost around $50 million.
‘‘It will be in position within the next three years’ time, and all the African nations participating in this network would be able to reap full benefits. An Indo-Pan African team can make a comprehensive proposal and prepare a roadmap,’’ he said in the address that was telecast live throughout Africa.
In a sense, President Kalam’s declaration, made after discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sets the agenda for the Focus Africa programme that has been launched by the Government of India as a means to leverage traditional ties with the African continent and partner with friendly countries to promote business, commerce and of course the social sector.
Elaborating on Focus Africa, President Kalam said: ‘‘My government has taken a special initiative, pledging $200 million in the form of credit line as part of the New Partnership For African Development (NEPAD) Scheme.’’
This apart, another scheme for long-term economic development of certain African countries, TEAM 9, has an outlay of $500 million.
Yesterday, in an address to the South African Parliament in Durban — interspersed by standing ovations and spontaneous applause, the President highlighted the need for converting human capital (over 50 per cent of the population in India and South Africa are below the age of 25) into knowledge capital to ‘‘harness their energy for transforming our nations into developed nations’’.
Signing off on a note that summed up the spirit of partnership that forms the basis of India-South Africa relations, President Kalam said: ‘‘We, the people of India, are willing to walk with you — a long walk to freedom from poverty’’.
