Shiban Khaibri
Travesty of priorities can we safely term in respect of the Indian Governments for having ignored a country like Australia for as many as 28 long years till the current visit of the Prime Minister Narindra Modi. We are importing crude oil to the extent of 72% of our requirements from the Gulf countries but have never explored the possibilities of getting most of our energy requirements from Australia. The country “ruled” by an Economist Prime Minister for 10 long years could not fix attention on this viable alternative at comparative costs to ease our current account deficit. It is only now that we come to fairly know about it that Australia is an energy giant quite rich in LPG and uranium including fossil fuel and that we have so far not explored our options to have our fuel needs largely met from this rich source. China, on the other hand, as always, is ahead of us and in trade relations with Australia; it is more than 10 years ahead of us and as many times more in volume of trade with that country. The relations between China and Australia are very deep and varied. Why not India? What prevented us from doing at least part of what Modi is doing currently with Australia and other countries where he visited after assuming office as Prime Minister? The fact remains that we have missed the bus and not reached the destination where we should have by now reached to take small but tangible leaps in economic development. Australia is a producing country, producing more than its comparatively less population consumes. Besides agricultural, mining and industrial production, it has superb services and Banking sectors. Agreed, we cannot export more to that country but we can export expertise and human capital and can have mutual economic cooperation to our benefit in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. PM modi during his visit developed close rapport and relationship with that country showcasing India as a destination for Australian investment so as to create job opportunities for our teeming millions of youth. A common factor binding both countries is the political aspect of a thriving democracy which Modi highlighted accounting for his reaching the coveted position as he puts it, to the post of the Prime Minister.
Australia is a member of the important club of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and sends 70% of its net energy production to other countries. Australia rich in mineral resources is World’s second largest exporter of coal and the third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Australia is blessed with largest recoverable reserves of uranium, the third largest producer and exporter of uranium for nuclear powered run electricity. In the coming years, that country is poised to become as one of the largest producer and exporter of energy requirements of those countries deficient in producing but with good demand for energy. The Prime Minister’s insistence that India was poised for much less regulatory practices or any red tapes conducive for investments is an open invitation to not only big business houses and investors but also the Indian diaspora. They live in Australian cities and an invite by Modi to look to their roots for safer investments met with a positive response. It is the mastery skills of Modi in oratory and beautiful presentation of his case which has the definite potential of breaking the ice which the Prime Ministers all these 28 years in India could not achieve. It is the intrinsic desire in Modi to steer India towards a transformation and that speaks as to why he shies not in admitting certain basic areas of needs of the public having been given less attention or priority to the extent of the level of niggardliness. That even after 67 years of our independence, all Indians are not in possession of proper hygienic needs like lavatories or a proper and foolproof methods and culture of “Swashhta” or cleanliness is rue – able and vindicates the words of Nehru that “political democracy has no meaning without economic democracy.”
The over possessiveness of and spreading of the slogans of “Gariboon kay sath” by feeding the poor by means of cheap subsidized food, water , electricity and even (for name sake) medical and education facilities has made larger sections slip into the hard core poverty line than liberating them there from. Subsidies and largesse oriented economic policies to “cure” or “sustain ” the poor have made things no better. This trend needs to be reversed and calls for massive capital formation or investments on a massive scale hence Modi’s passionate invite to investors to go in for “make in India”. The India diaspora extending so massive a rousing emotional reception to Modi in Australian cities to the extent of “rock staring” gets praises from him as also an invite to come out and help, in whatever way, their native villages much to their applause, speaks how much is the gigantic work of basic transformation of India important. How long can Indians be charmed into by the mere slogans of secularism and socialism and no ground work seemingly undertaken to better their lot. Even those sponsored schemes for them are mired in the cobweb of corruption and political expediency.
This country has also to share with Australia and adopt technological advancement of how could we conserve energy and adopt energy efficiency measures. Australia has shifted from more heavy industries using more energy to services sector and also has considerably reduced its coal in its power plants to set aside for more exports. Cleaner fuels are used in power plants. It is worth noting that a country very rich in uranium wealth has no nuclear power plants and exports the rich uranium to other countries. India could profit from the expertise of Australia in areas of renewable energy, solar energy, windmill energy and biomass energy. India can benefit from Australia in areas of oil exploration and production as that country is having technical expertise and management in the field .
Make in India is not merely a slogan but a means to an end, a strategy to realize the mission of manufacturing in India even to transform India into a manufacturing hub. Waste management systems to be developed side by side by means of starting 50 projects is a step towards taking care of environmental problems besides projecting India as a neat and clean country. Good governance and hassle free procedures have been the dream of the countrymen and that alone stands as a testimony to move towards economic turnaround. Oil imports do eat our major resources in meeting the expenses for which we have to usher in a massive policy paradigm and find ways to explore any means to cut on cost and partnering in trade with Australia is paramount. That country has huge resources of oil and natural gas and let this country maintain good economic relations with it even after losing opportunities for 28 long years.
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