Goodwill Hunting

Once upon a time a couple of decades ago, Hu was the head of the India-China Friendship Association, so he must hopefully remain something of an India hand. New Delhi is certain to revive the association, especially since Hu is all set to become China’s Great Leader after Jiang likely gives over his present post in March.

Still, Joshi must surely be considered a harmless sort by the MEA, for having made the grade. Defence Minister George Fernandes’s trip is still pending—his invitation was issued as early as April last year when the then Foreign minister Jaswant Singh went to Beijing—but the Foreign Office shows no signs of relenting.

All eyes are now on PM Vajpayee’s visit, scheduled for spring, which the Chinese are said to be really keen about. Hopefully, the MEA’s strategy of cultivated languor—also known as ‘‘preventive diplomacy’’ by the opposing camp—will finally pay off.

Our Lanka Breakthrough

Very slowly but surely, India is backtracking on its hands-off policy on Sri Lanka, realising that the disastrous IPKF experience belonged to another era as well as another set of political leaders. New Delhi now seems ready to much more closely assist Colombo in its fight against terrorism (read, the LTTE) and it helps that Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe is a friend. The quiet policy change has enormous implications for the region. For soon after the BJP came to power, much to Sri Lanka’s horror, previous decisions on pursuing LTTE ships in international waters were overturned. Some ten days ago, then, Sri Lanka’s navy commander Sandagiri was in the Capital to speak to his counterpart about reversing that order.

Clearly a political decision, New Delhi has now decided that it will offer ‘‘much closer cooperation’’ to Sri Lanka on LTTE ships in international waters. That includes more than offering information on maritime location. Colombo will also buy armed equipment, including gunnery for the patrol vessel it bought earlier from New Delhi.

EPG Spells Out To Trouble

Of course, India and Japan must be fast friends, of course they have so much more in common than differences, and of course Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi will be received with large dollops of warmth in New Delhi… The story, unfortunately, is somewhat different, with both nations continuing to pass each other by, speaking in different tongues.

Witness the fate of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) between India and Japan. Set up in August 2000, the EPG met a couple of times to discuss the wide gamut of bilateral relations, bit it was quickly wound up. The Japanese say that New Delhi was only interested in focussing on soil techniques and seed yields, since former Agriculture minister Som Pal headed it from the Indian side.

The Indian side dismisses the accusations, pointing out that all Tokyo wanted was to selectively push its point of view on certain strategic issues. Since both couldn’t even agree to disagree, the EPG presented its report a year later and was given a quiet burial.

Write to jyotimalhotra@expressindia.com