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Great Scope for Interaction with Latin America
by Nandkumar Kamat
(courtesy:-Glimpses, The Navhind times, Monday, September 12, 2005)
THE DIE-HARD crusader of democracy and civil liberties, ex-MP from South
Goa, Mr Erasmo Sequeira, may be known for his robust personality in the
political circles of New Delhi. But very few people knew about the role
which late Erasmobab played to bring India closer to latin America. Erasmo
belonged to a famous trading family in Panaji. He knew about Goa’s
maritime trade contacts with Brazil. He had understood the economic,
geopolitical, trade and commercial importance of the latin American
countries. There was a small circle of MPs in New Delhi in the 1970s who
were advocating strong relationship with the latin American nations.
Erasmo guided this group.
India had neglected development of close economic and political ties with
the latin American countries after establishing diplomatic relations with
Brazil in 1949. The visit of Prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1968 helped
to bring Brazil, the fifth largest nation by area in the world closer to
India. But that was not adequate. Before the Portuguese colonial rule
ended in Brazil, Goa had enjoyed excellent trade relations with that
country. The period 1783 to 1820 is considered the golden age of Goa’s
trade with Brazil. Many Hindu trading families in Goa had made their
fortunes in tobacco, textiles and bullion trade. Somehow the diplomats in
New Delhi had forgotten the Goa-Brazil connections. Influenced by
Socialist ideology, Erasmo was a strong champion of the liberation
movements in the latin American countries. He had stood against the US
capitalist hegemony.
Today, India has realised the importance of strengthening ties with the
latin American countries. Mexico, Cuba and Brazil have stood by the side
of India on most of the international platforms. Indian business community
has now entered Brazil. Many IT and Pharma companies have got a foothold
in latin America. This is a belated beginning. India has formed a
strategic trans-oceanic, trans-continental axis with the republic of South
Africa and Brazil. Latin American countries offer a huge market for Indian
commodities, goods and services. India’s scientific and technological
expertise would help countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile,
Argentina and Brazil. India’s needs for strategic metals, minerals and
bullion can be met by these countries endowed with rich mineral deposits.
In Pharma and medical biotechnology and especially in vaccine development,
Cuba has made tremendous progress. Technology transfer from Cuba to India
would benefit our Pharma and Biotech sectors. In oceanographic research
and Fisheries development a tremendous scope exists for co-operation
between India, Brazil, Peru, Chile and Argentina. In agro-horticultural
and food processing sector, Indo-Brazilian long term co-operation would be
able to dominate the world trade in food commodities. India owes a lot to
latin America in terms of the enrichment of plant gene pool. Without latin
American crops such as tobacco, tomato, peanut, pineapple, capsicum,
cashew, guava, sapota, cucurbits, sweet potato, Vanilla — Indian
horticulture would have remained very poor. In all these imports the
Goa-Malabar region has played a catalytic role through the Portuguese.
Unfortunately India ignored this horticultural connection with
neo-tropical latin America after independence. It was the “Mexican dwarf”
variety of wheat which launched the “green revolution” in India. Today
Indian plant and agricultural biotechnologists have developed the
expertise to produce better varieties of the cultivars which had
originally come from Brazil. But co-operation with the latin American crop
scientists would certainly boost their research and benefit many
countries. Brazil and India are not self reliant in meeting their energy
needs. But Brazil has developed the technology of “Gasshol” or
bioethanolic fuel blends which is in the interest of India because both
the countries have vast Sugarcane plantations. The Brazilian “Gasshol”
model can reduce India’s oil import bill. The President of Venezuela had
even made an offer to supply crude oil at cheaper prices to countries
which can not afford to foot their rising oil import bills.
India has a definite stake in Venezuela if the energy security of our
country has to be in place. India’s import-export trade with the latin
American countries is just a fraction of that with China and USA. In
tourism sector, India has not developed concrete links with Mexico,
Brazil, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela or Argentina. The
perception of these countries as foreign exchange contributors is very
poor in India. This is a strategic error. People to people contact always
begin with tourism. This leads to better interaction and understanding. A
certain valley near Anjuna beach has been named by rave party loving
Israeli tourists as “Tel aviv valley”. But as compared to Israel, Brazil,
Cuba, Mexico and Chile are closer to the culture and heart of Goa. Pablo
Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, George Amado, Isabelle
Allende are easily understood and absorbed by the cultured Goan society.
Latin American arts, crafts, literature, music, films are much popular in
Goa as compared to any other part in India. This gives our state an unique
advantage to emerge as the nerve centre of India’s efforts to develop
tangible relationship with latin American countries.
The University grants Commission graciously gifted a Centre for Latin
American studies (CLAS) in 1986-7 to Goa University. Its full potential
has not been tapped by the Goan society or the commercial, industrial
sector. Almost all the ambassadors of latin American countries have
visited this centre. It is the dream of the director of the CLAS, Prof
Shivakumar that in the 21st century the efforts to build strong bridges of
friendship and co-operation with latin American countries could be
promoted by developing Goa as the natural headquarters. It is the
Brazilian Cashew which sustains a part of the economy and employment in
Goa and Kerala. But India has not been able to penetrate latin American
markets with export of Indian cashewnuts and Feni. The Directorate of Goa
archives and the history department of Goa University had organised a
symposium in February 1990 on India-Brazil connection. Much water has
flowed down Amazon, Ganges and Mandovi rivers since then.
Diplomatic efforts have to be followed by expansion of trade, investment
proposals, transfer of technologies and growth of tourism. Inter-exchange
of trade delegations, scientists, professionals, academicians, artists,
film producers, musicians, sportsmen is essential. The universities in
India and in latin American countries need to move closer. Latin America
offers a huge market for the pharma and food processing sector in Goa.
Using Goa’s historical and cordial ties with Brazil, the Goan companies
have to make a beginning in Brazil. The government of Goa needs to deeply
explore co-operation with Brazil in several fields where joint projects
could be undertaken. India must not ignore friendly nations in latin
America.
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