Dr Sudhanshu Tripathi
Mr Modi will have to see that all bureaucratic hurdles and procedural wrangles prevailing during tenures of previous Governments in India are removed to the maximum level possible so that Japanese investment may easily flow into the country to blossom the hitherto not so well doing Indian economy and consequent demoralised society and polity.
The Indian Prime Minister Mr.NarendraModi’s current visit to Japan has proved to be very successful in many ways. While it has brought two Asian giants on fruitful cooperation in different sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, transport and clean energy, and on smart cities besides much talked about bullet trains technology, it has forcefully highlighted the importance of resurgent Asia in the global affairs, as 21st century has already been declared in intellectual circles to be that of East.With the massive Japanese investment to the tune of 3.5 trillion yen ($ 33.5 billion) into India in the abovementioned sectors in the next five years India will certainly flourish in no ambiguous terms, the cumulative benefit for Japan will be even higher with India providing a huge marketfor Japanese businesses looking to diversify their enterprise. As already mentioned, the new projects such as those for high speed bullet trains and smart cities with ultra-modern facilities are the ideal destinations for the Japanese investments and expanding cooperation. In fact, this is not the first time that both the Asian giants have approached to each other for improving mutual trade and investment, it began- although almost unsuccessfully- ever since Indiamoved towards liberalisation in early 1990’s. But due to prevailing red tapism and cumbersome legal processes in India, the entire spirit and consequent Japanese endeavour was supposedly lost and that availed options in China and South Korea instead of struggling with India’s corrupt and slow moving bureaucracy and such political leaderships of the past decades. But, fortunately due to Mr.Modi’s strong will and firm commitment, that has now vigorously regained in Japan with PM Modi’s promises of “red carpet, not red tape.”
Another very important aspect of this visit has been to counter the rising Chinese imperialist-militarist assertions in the entire East including India-pacific region up to Indian Ocean. During recent past, China has resorted to aggressive expansion in all directions causing territorial disputes with all the littoral countries of Southeast Asia besides India, Russia and Far East. Further, China established its ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) last year declaring its claim over overlapping areas of Japanese and South Korea’s islands. Considering these facts as sinister designs of China to assume a role not only of the regional hegemon but that of a global one, the USAhas already concluded a military treaty with Australia in not so distant past to counter the rising expansionism of China. It is against this backdrop,the present expanding economic cooperation between India and Japan will definitely balance the Chinese posture towards India as well as the other Asian countries. The overall scenario may further improve considerably if the present India-Japan cooperation expands to include the USA and Australia in its ambit with thrust on security and stability of the Asia in particular and the East in general, besides economic cooperation including fight against terrorism and all forms of religious fundamentalism and protection of environment etc..
Now, much depends upon India as Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe has played his role very well by extending maximum to India. Mr Modi will have to see that all bureaucratic hurdles and procedural wrangles prevailing during tenures of previous governments in India are removed to the maximum level possible so that Japanese investment may easily flow intothe country to blossom the hitherto not so well doing Indian economy and consequent demoralised society and polity.
(The author is teacher political Science at MDPG College (UP)
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