ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
ENHANCING INDIA-AFRICA DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION IN HEALTHCARE AND PHARMACEUTICALS
By Neeta Baporikar *
Milieu of the India – Africa Bond
At the outset, it must be noted that India is not a newcomer to Africa. On the contrary, India and Africa enjoy a long-standing historical relationship. It is also worth noting that contacts and trade between the two sides extend beyond the confines of British colonialism. In the year 1900, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, apart from beginning his professional career as a lawyer in Africa, debuted as an anti-colonialist nationalist campaigner for equality and justice in the continent. Gandhi once said that " the commerce between India and Africa will be of ideas and services, not of manufactured goods against raw materials after the fashion of Western exploiters "( Serpa, 1994). Following independence, India adopted a powerful voice for justice in the international system, championing the fight against anti-colonialism and anti-racism. India played a critical role in the Bandung Conference of 1955 which led to the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement, and used the occasion to promote and strengthen Asian – African solidarity. However, it was during the Cold War that both sides deepened their political solidarity with one another. Africa played a significant role in Prime Minister Nehru’ s vision of creating a just international order.
With India pushing for the independence of African states from colonial domination, India and Africa seemed likely to become strategic allies during the Cold War years; this was further supported by the existence of a large Indian diaspora in Africa. Yet, India’ s role on the African continent remained marginal. India’ s engagement with Africa at the time was also motivated by Cold War polemics and the border dispute with China in 1962. Confronted with Africa’ s mixed reaction to the conflict, New Delhi was forced to realise that it " did not have the strong ally it had hoped for in Africa and therefore actively worked towards countering Chinese penetration in Africa "( Serpa 1994: 187). This led to the launch of the
42 • Africa Day Special • 2018