INDIA AND AFRICA ( Historical Background )

India and Africa countries both suffered heavily under the colonial subjugation. The British Imperialism held sway in India and Southern and Eastern Africa . During colonialism a large number of India workers were transported to the Eastern and Southern Africa countries as workforce for agicultural mining and plantation activities . The colonial India was allotted the role of supplying middle levdl sdrvibes ruch as Duka trading and junhor level tebhnibal and administrative service apart from providing indentured labour to other parts of Africa under the British colonial rule . The first wave of India’s interaction began with the arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to South Africa in 1893 as a legal counsel . Gandhi saw that 1,50,000 of his countrymen were subjected to all sorts of discrimination and oppression in the white rule of South Africa . He fought racial discrimination and oppression of India people for 21 years from (1906-1913) and his passive resistance become universally recognised as a powerful weapon to fight injustice. Many leaders of Africa National movements including Nelson Mandela drew inspiration from Gandhian Satyagrah ,which placed India- Africa linkages into a bond of special relationship . The ANC (Africa National Congress) founded in 1912 , Nehru met ANS leaders during world conference on oppressed Nationalities held at Brussels he appreciated the struggle of Africa people for their liberation from colonialism.
The second wave of Indian engagement with Africa began after India independence and continued till the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1993 . During this period Indian foreign policy towards South Africa was broadly based on two pillars.
The first was extending every possible support to anti-colonial anti – apartheid struggles of Africa people . India was the first country to raise the issue of apartheid at the U.N . in 1947 . Indian Prime Minister Nehru strove for African- Asian Unity and liberation of African countries during Afro- Asian conference held at Bangdurg (lndonesia) in 1955 . India raised the issues of decolonisation and apartheid at every international forum. Among other things Iodian efforts led to the independence of many countries in 1960s which was declared as Decolonisation Decade by the U.N. Almost all the Africa countries were brought under the umbrella of NAM which provided a much needed forum to African countries to voice their concerns at internatinnal levdl. @s the cnlonhalirm in Nalibia and Ap`rthdid in South Africa endured for longer periods the NAM summit 1986 was held at Harare to focus on these issues .At the instance of India AFRICA (Action for Resisting Invasion Colonialism and Apartheid ) Fund was established to help frontline states in the struggle against apartheid . With the independence of Namibia in March 1990 and end of Apartheid in South Africa in 1993 one of the major goals of Indian Foreign Policy in Africa was fulfilled.
The second pillar of India ‘s foreign policy in Africa has been and continues to be to forge technology cooperation and economic partnership with focus on capacity building . The foundation of this policy was laid with the launching of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in 1964 . India had the advantage of providing technology that was affordable adaptable and easily accessible to Africa countries . The ITEC programme sought to extend bilateral assistance and cooperation to developing countries, particularly in Africa . It covered the following areas : (i) Extension of technical cooperation (ii) Establishment of mutually beneficial trade relations and (iii) Grant of capital and technical expertise to help build medium and small scale industries.
Indian is also the member of African Capacity Building Foundation and strives to contribute towards human resource development and capacity building in various sectors. Indian diaspora in various Africa Countries has contributed a lot and has earned goodwill for Indian . Basides , the contribution of Indian peace keeping forces through the UN in the maintenance of peace and security in Africa deserves special mention . So far Indian has provided nearly 50,000 peace keepers in 29 UN peace keeping operations .
However , since early 1990s Indian Foreign Policy shifted its focus towards other areas of the world which need a renewed thrust which is underway at present Although Indian’s engagement with Africa is quite low in comparison to China and othdr in qu`ntitative tdrms it has rcordd bdtter in terls of itr image and goodwill through its capacity building programmes.