Reflections on India at 77
(This is a lightly edited version of the Indian Independence Day speech by India’s High Commissioner to Jamaica Masakui Rungsung to a large gathering at Little Theatre, on Tuesday, August 15)
I am delighted to welcome you all to India’s 77th Independence Day celebrations today at Little Theatre. I deeply appreciate you for taking out time from your busy schedules on a weekday and being present here with us. I assure you that the visual treat we have planned for you later in the evening will not let you go home disappointed.
Friends, the past 76 years since Independence for India has not been an easy ride. There have been disappointments, successes, tragedies, triumphs. There has never been a dull moment. As the British left India for good, after two centuries of exploitation, which some estimate goes into trillions of dollars, though I am a firm believer that there cannot be a price tag to the subjugation of the human spirit, India began its journey of rediscovery and rejuvenation.
It took time but we found our bearings. We fed our people, built schools and hospitals, raised industries, but most importantly set up a democratic system of governance resting upon the will of the people and the rule of law. In all of this, we were guided by the stalwarts of our independence movement, whose ideals are the beacon amidst the tempest, always keeping us on the right path. Whether it be Gandhi’s faith in non-violence or Ambedkar’s concern for the downtrodden; Nehru’s stress on welfarism or Aurobindo’s call for cultural revitalization, they have always helped India craft a unique path for its progress, suited to her own needs and aspirations.
Friends, the Indian struggle for independence was not happening in isolation. It was a part of the common wind blowing across the colonised nations, itching to break the bondages and realise their own destinies. In this, the Indian Independence movement was similar to the struggles of other countries against colonisation and was also constantly learning from them. Talking about Jamaica, it is you who showed the world that the British Empire capitulates, during the first Maroon War in the early 18th century.
For its part, Indians fought the British bravely during the first war of Independence in the 19th century. The exploits of Nanny of the Maroons appear similar to Rani Laxmi Bai of India, who was martyred while fighting the British. In the 20th century, as Marcus Garvey lit the flame of revolt against racism and white supremacism, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar fought for the rights of the downtrodden in India. This interaction among the freedom movements of countries produced a realisation of a common destiny for the global South and a spirit of cooperation.
This same urge is visible in the approach to our foreign policy. India has never looked at foreign policy in great power competition terms or as a zero-sum game but as a vehicle for improving the lives of our people. Over the years, we have also reached out to fellow countries from the South in a spirit of cooperation and brotherhood. Within less than two decades of our independence, India was training thousands of students from developing countries in Indian professional institutions under the Indian Technical Economic Cooperation Programme. This flagship programme, under which fifty Jamaicans join some of the top Indian institutions annually on an all-expenses paid tour, has trained hundreds of thousands of persons from the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, East Europe and Asia combined. India’s concessional lines of credits worth more than 30 billion US dollars have also been tailored to the demands of our partner countries.
Friends, India is also the first responder in times of crisis. Whether it was Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas or the recent earthquake in Türkiye, India has stood on the frontline with men, materials and money. During the COVID-19 crisis, India was the first to gift vaccines and medicines to more than 100 countries, including to Jamaica, not waiting for vaccinating our entire population first.
Friends, I began with telling you about the up and down journey of India for the past 77 years where we walked, scampered, fell down, got up, dusted ourselves, ran, fell again, but never stopped to rise again. Anyone who has visited India recently will tell you that something transformational is happening there. Since the last few years, India has entered the Amrit Kaal, the golden period of rapid development centred on high economic growth. India is now prepared to fly.
In the last nine years, India has moved from being the 10th largest economy to the fifth largest economy in the world. If the trends are to be believed, India will be the third largest economy in the world in the next five years. Our growth rates are the highest for any major economy. According to the recent United Nations Development Programme report, 230 million persons have been pulled out of poverty in India. You heard it right, two hundred and thirty million!
Friends, IT and IT-enabled services were always the strong suite of India. But in recent years, India has grown leaps and frogs in manufacturing too. More than US$10 billion worth of i-phones were manufactured in India last year. Tesla is in the process of setting up a manufacturing plant for its e-vehicles in the country. Companies like Foxconn and Micron are investing in the semiconductor ecosystem in India, thus integrating India in the global value supply chains for hi-tech electronic goods.
India’s unique approach to digital infrastructure is setting a trend in world today. This includes linking bank accounts of Indians to a unique ID card and a mobile device. This has revolutionised how India pays and does business. To give you a perspective, the number of digital transactions in India for 2022 were more than China, US and Brazil combined. This, coupled with other business friendly reforms, has propelled the ease of doing business in India.
In all of this, the role of the Indian diaspora is unprecedented. They are India’s true ambassadors abroad, presenting a microcosm of the country for the world to see. If India is a huge banyan tree, our diaspora are its branches, dropping its own roots into the ground as it grows beyond, but still intimately connected to the mother tree. Besides remitting over $100 billion annually back to India, the Indian diaspora also brings in expertise in science, engineering, medicine and other cutting-edge technological fields. Their success on the world stage propels India to do better, and India’s success drives them forward too.
All the changes mentioned above have two things in common. Firstly, these reforms have not been thrust on people in a top-down manner. Rather, they have grown organically in a bottom-up way according to the needs of the people. Secondly, they have been achieved in a democratic polity with the participation of the people, unlike in autocratic political systems where the voice of the people goes unheard.
Friends, these winds of change are also visible in India and Jamaica bilateral relations. Our bilateral trade is on the upswing having achieved the highest in 2022-23 in the last five years. As recently as last month, a business delegation from India visited Jamaica to explore the sectors for investments and partnership. Businesses from Jamaica participated in the recently concluded CII-Latin America and Caribbean Conclave. India’s then President, HE Ram Nath Kovind visited Jamaica in May last year to mark the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. This was the first ever visit by an Indian Head of State to Jamaica and shows the importance India attaches to our bilateral relations. Since his visit, more than 35 Jamaicans have attended professional courses in different institutes of excellence in India. Two candidates from the Jamaican Defence Force are under training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun as we speak. Besides these, there has been an increased inflow of Jamaican parliamentarians and academics to India too.
Cultural exchanges and people-to-people relationship have been one of the fulcrums of India-Jamaica relationship. We have undertaken community outreach programmes in the form of medical camps with the theme ‘reaching the unreached and touching the untouched, serving the unserved’. In the last two and half years, we have conducted 28 camps the last being just two days ago. These camps have served more than 9,000 people. High Commission of India also hosted the first ever Diaspora Conference that brought together more than 500 people of Indian origin under one platform. We have commissioned a documentary film on Indian arrival in Jamaica titled ‘Courage and Purpose from the mainland to the diaspora and back’. We celebrate holi festival, Diwali, Onam, Durga puja, Garba where the best of India local talents is showcased. We have hosted Manipuri martial dance from my own State in India in the month of June this year.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you this. When our cultural taste buds are so spoiled, we cannot relish or appreciate anything that is less than what is original and best. It is, therefore, fitting that we celebrate our National Day with the best that we have – ‘Bollywood extravaganza’. This show is also a perfect example of cultural exchange and collaboration. Pairing up Indian girls with Jamaican boys is a planned and conscious decision. It is not a matter of chance, ladies and gentlemen.
Friends, on a personal note, this will be my last National Day celebration in Jamaica as the Indian High Commissioner. No, I am not retiring! I will be moving to Vancouver for my next diplomatic assignment. But make no mistake. You will continue to see me in this beautiful country more often than you like, bathing in the sunshine on the Negril, Ocho Rios beaches or climbing Mountain Spring through to Skyline.
My first encounter, when I first arrived almost three years ago, with Jamaica was a sort of ‘Love at first sight’ experience. Unlike in a romantic setting though, mine was against the backdrop of harsh reality of COVID pandemic in November 2020. Since then, however, I have not looked back. I have traversed the hills of Jamaica, cooled myself by plunging in the crytal clear healing pools of waterfalls. enjoyed the beaches, hiked numerous trails including through coffee and banana farms, skinning my knees and elbows, got lost on trails as they have been rendered disused for a long time, ran into cobwebs and wondered among jackfruit and mango-laden trees. At such times, I remember the dark green hill forest of my province in India. I know then why I love Jamaica so much. Blue Mountain Peak, Chincona Park, Cockpit Country several times have I scaled. And I know that after we move on to the other side of the horizon, we will look back and say, perhaps, with a smile appearing and disappearing on the conners of my mouth, ‘I have been there’. Jamaica, like the subtle scent of an expensive perfume, will linger for a long time in the memory of my family
On a serious note, the potential I have seen in this country in the last few years is tremendous. Economically, it has displayed unprecedented resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. Culturally, Jamaica is one of the richest countries in the world with Dancehall and Reggae taking over the world. Socially, it is one of the most diverse countries living true to its motto of ‘Out of Many, One People’. This is best reflected in the integration of the Indian community in Jamaica so seamlessly. I, therefore, see great potential for cooperation between India and Jamaica in times to come. I am certain that the next decade will be a transformational decade in our ties bringing both our governments, businesses and people closer.
I would like to thank the Government of Jamaica particularly, foreign office, ministries and departments, agencies, business houses for extending an unstinting cooperation and support. To the Indian community and friends who have made my family’s life very comfortable, I say thank you.
When three major events take place back-to-back, stress is a natural uninvited guest. I de-stress myself by passing down some of it to my colleagues because I strongly believe in ‘sharing is caring’. I say thank you to my colleagues and staff at the High Commission for your support. And last but not the least, I say thank you to my one and only lovely wife for her unfailing support.
I thank sponsors without whose support this event would not have been possible. Mega Mart, Chandolu Global, Guardsman, Laser Institute, Sagility, Amber, Black Point, Thakurani Brothers, 0ur FNB partners – Pegasus, Jamaica Producers and Safron.