Germany warms up to India.com

Fischer reiterated the same view in New Delhi on Thursday, calling Germany and India “natural partners” in an agenda for the 21st century. Except that German Chancellor Schroeder’s grand “IT Green Card” scheme seems to be already biting the dust, as Indian geeks reject comparatively lowly Deutsche Mark salaries, in preference for the bouncing dollar. At a press conference here on Thursday evening, Fischer said his government was “very impressed with India’s information technology professionals,” adding, “though I’ve not come here to hire anyone.”

India’s rejection, analysts admit, may in fact partly account for the recent admiration of India. Used to holding their `gastarbeiter’ or foreign workers in relative low esteem, Germans are now said to be dumbstruck by the fact that there are those who live abroad who are actually refusing to come over and work.

It’s a far cry from the bad days of a couple of years ago, when Germany was amongst those that roundly knocked India for going nuclear. New Delhi was further accused of abandoning its minorities when the BJP-led government was unable to stop the rioting against Christians. Both sides steadily grew far apart.

Interestingly, the Indian IT rejection also appears to have helped turn the mirror inwards, and forced a rethink of Germany’s own place in the world of knowledge. Two months after Schroeder announced that 20,000 software professionals “foreigners all” would be allowed in under the `Green Card’ scheme, it is believed that only 1,000-odd applications have been received in Berlin. Of these, 200-odd are from Bulgaria, while India accounts for second place with some 100 applications.

Indian IT-wallahs, in a rare bout of collective self-assertion, have in a deluge of articles in the run up to Fischer’s visit, given clear-cut reasons why they prefer the US over Germany: Salaries are much lower, the visa is limited to five years only, immigration is practically impossible, and, families are not encouraged to travel with the worker.

Fischer may or may not aim at changing some of the conditions at home, but in Delhi he was eloquent about the “basic common interests and shared democratic values as well as the trust (that has) developed through good relations over a long period of time (which) constitutes a sound basis for a joint approach to the challenges of the future.” After a dialogue with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and a call on Prime Minister Vajpayee, it was agreed that both governments would accord the “highest priority” to exchanging high-level visits for intensifying the dialogue.

Nevertheless, both sides were frank enough to admit that “despite differing opinions,” both nations were committed to the aim of global disarmament. “India is a force for regional stability and we will be happy if it supports the CTBT,” Fischer said at the press conference, adding that the international community was at a “crossroads” on nuclear arms control.

At the bilateral dialogue with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, both sides exchanged “concerns” on disarmament-related issues. Clearly, keeping its own historical experience in mind, Germany would like India to rollback its nuclear and missile programme. New Delhi, on the other hand, has made it clear that it is determined to carry these programmes forward.