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Dushanbe. (NIAT «Khovar», Marziya Saidova).-15 august Pepublic India celebrate the independent Day. Due to the correspondent National information Agency «Khovar» Marziya Saidova had an interview with Amar Singh the Plenipotentianary Embassador of the Republic India in the Republic of Tajikistan.
Thank you for your greetings on India’s Independence Day on 15 August, 2009 when India marks 63 years as an Independent nation. It is a day of great joy and rejoicing and is celebrated by Indians all over the world with lots of enthusiasm. This day also provides us an opportunity to review our achievements, and also a time to ponder over what else needs to be done. I also take this opportunity to greet the Tajik people on their Independence Day which is marked on 9th September.
-Mr. Ambassador, as it is known 15 August is celebrated by the Indian people as India’s Independence Day. Will you tell what achievements did the Indian people gain within the years of Independence? And this year how are the Indian people going to celebrate Independence Day?
-In the 63 years as an independent nation, India has begun to change as a nation. We started with all the drawbacks of a post-colonial nation: poverty, lack of education, low agricultural production, lack of industrialization, and above all absence of sufficient number of well trained professionals and administrators. Successive Indian governments have addressed these challenges with great sagacity and vision and have with determination put India on the path of development and prosperity. 15 August is a national holiday and the towns and villages wear a festive look. The night before our President addresses the nation and extends her greetings. On 15th August morning, the Prime Minister also addresses the nation from the ramparts of the ‘Red Fort’. People around the country hoist the national flag, sing patriotic songs and meet with friends and relatives and recall the sacrifices of those who made India an independent nation.
The main achievements of independent India are in improving the socio-economic condition of our people, of improving health and sanitation, raising the standard of education and providing better infrastructure. India has also made rapid progress in agriculture, in food self-sufficiency, emerging as a net exporter of food grains. Application of science and technology in various areas has seen rapid growth and India has integrated with the global economy. All these developments, based on highly skilled and trained manpower, has leapfrogged India to a new economic threshold. It is no longer seen as a poor, developing nation but as one of the major economies which can positively contribute to solving many of the current global problems.
Indians are also proud at the consolidation of democracy that has taken place in our country. We are the largest democracy in which each individual has a vote and a voice. Only three months ago, on an unprecedented scale, nearly 670 million voters chose a new government and gave it a clear mandate for change and development.
On our Independence Day, we celebrate all of this and also our strong values of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and the pluralistic nature of our society.
- As we know for Tajikistan India is one of the most important partners in different fields. What is your appraisal of the present status of the diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and India?
On 28th August we also mark the 17th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Tajikistan. India and Tajikistan have worked to establish a deep, close and trusting relationship. We are close neighbours who face common challenges. We have worked closely together in addressing these issues so that our neighbourhood becomes peaceful and stable and our people have security and prosperity. India and Tajikistan share the common objective of living in a world without hatred and bigotry on the basis of religion and stand together in fighting the menace of drug trafficking, fundamentalism and related violence. Our political, cultural and defence relations are close and we have built on our historical ties. In short, I would say that the present diplomatic relations are in excellent shape, and with a high level visit scheduled from India in the very near future, these relations would improve qualitatively.
-Economy and trade play a significant role in the matter of development between countries and peoples. India is one of the great developed countries in production of different goods. At what level of development are the trade and economic relations between our two countries?
I agree that increasingly trade and economy play an ever important role. While there are obvious disadvantages due to lack of connectivity and direct air links, these have not hindered our bilateral trade from growing at 40.% last year. The direct turnover has reached US$29 million but this does not reflect the full picture as there are reasons to believe that substantial trade also happens through intermediate transit points. Indian meat products, pharmaceuticals, textiles and chemicals find ready acceptance in the Tajik market. Entrepreneurs are getting into better quality seeds for agriculture, and sourcing machinery and equipment from India. I am very hopeful that this area of our relations would grow even more in the future.
A number of Indian companies are already working in the energy, pharmaceutical and other sectors. Many have offices in Dushanbe. On 8th September we are also planning to have a high level Business Forum which would see participation from major Indian companies who would have a chance to interact with their Tajik counterparts and explore mutually beneficial commercial opportunities. The 5 star hotel project in Dushanbe is progressing well, and soon Indian companies would start working on the transmission lines that would connect Sangtuda to the Afghan border. We also hope to complete the modernization of Varzob-I hydro power plant, which is just outside the city limits of Dushanbe as per plan. This is being funded by Government of India through a grant of US$17 million. We also are ready to implement the modern Engineering Tool Room at the Tajik Technical University and we are awaiting the signature of the MOU by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan.
-As it is known for the last years the world community has been taking important steps in the struggle against terrorism, extremism, separatism, and other undesirable phenomena. What measures does the Indian government take to struggle against terrorism?
As you know India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now. The recent incidents have been very widely reported and involved bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul and multiple attacks on landmarks of Mumbai. Around the globe there is an emerging consensus that such policies and acts of violence can no longer be tolerated as it strikes at the very root of civilization. Indian Government takes all appropriate measures to protect its citizens and property and has invested sizeable resources in strengthening intelligence, border management and investigating reaction capabilities. We are also working with the international community in containing and eliminating this threat. For obvious reasons, Tajikistan is our major partner in this endeavour. We have also proposed at the UN a global convention against international terrorism and we hope all nations would support this initiative.
- As it is known Tajik and Indian people have got common cultural and historical ties and traditions. How could you characterize the development of scientific and cultural relations between Tajikistan and India
You are correct in saying that we have common cultural and historical ties. I would add that we are two branches of the same tree. Our history has many commonalities, and our geography binds us together. We live in a common cultural space. We are building on these strengths through education, through the TV and media and films, through our Cultural Center, and through scholarships for higher education in India for Tajik scholars. We send nearly 70 Tajik experts to India each year for specialized training in English, in computers, finance and banking and other scientific and technical areas. It is a very successful programme and we hope the Tajik experts benefit from this exposure and training. We are also proud of the nearly 300 Indian students who are enrolled at the Tajik State Medical University. The Embassy, with the assistance of Indian Council for Cultural Relations continues to bring cultural troupes to Dushanbe and other cities in Tajikistan. This year too we have already organized two very popular cultural events and hope to bring in a few more before the end of this year.
I take this opportunity to thank the Government of Republic of Tajikistan and its wonderful people for their friendship and hospitality that they extend to the Embassy and to the Indians living in Dushanbe. On this day, as Ambassador of India to Tajikistan, I only pray that our strong bonds of friendship continue to grow stronger over the years.
Thank you for the Interview
Thank you for your greetings on India’s Independence Day on 15 August, 2009 when India marks 63 years as an Independent nation. It is a day of great joy and rejoicing and is celebrated by Indians all over the world with lots of enthusiasm. This day also provides us an opportunity to review our achievements, and also a time to ponder over what else needs to be done. I also take this opportunity to greet the Tajik people on their Independence Day which is marked on 9th September.
-Mr. Ambassador, as it is known 15 August is celebrated by the Indian people as India’s Independence Day. Will you tell what achievements did the Indian people gain within the years of Independence? And this year how are the Indian people going to celebrate Independence Day?
-In the 63 years as an independent nation, India has begun to change as a nation. We started with all the drawbacks of a post-colonial nation: poverty, lack of education, low agricultural production, lack of industrialization, and above all absence of sufficient number of well trained professionals and administrators. Successive Indian governments have addressed these challenges with great sagacity and vision and have with determination put India on the path of development and prosperity. 15 August is a national holiday and the towns and villages wear a festive look. The night before our President addresses the nation and extends her greetings. On 15th August morning, the Prime Minister also addresses the nation from the ramparts of the ‘Red Fort’. People around the country hoist the national flag, sing patriotic songs and meet with friends and relatives and recall the sacrifices of those who made India an independent nation.
The main achievements of independent India are in improving the socio-economic condition of our people, of improving health and sanitation, raising the standard of education and providing better infrastructure. India has also made rapid progress in agriculture, in food self-sufficiency, emerging as a net exporter of food grains. Application of science and technology in various areas has seen rapid growth and India has integrated with the global economy. All these developments, based on highly skilled and trained manpower, has leapfrogged India to a new economic threshold. It is no longer seen as a poor, developing nation but as one of the major economies which can positively contribute to solving many of the current global problems.
Indians are also proud at the consolidation of democracy that has taken place in our country. We are the largest democracy in which each individual has a vote and a voice. Only three months ago, on an unprecedented scale, nearly 670 million voters chose a new government and gave it a clear mandate for change and development.
On our Independence Day, we celebrate all of this and also our strong values of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and the pluralistic nature of our society.
- As we know for Tajikistan India is one of the most important partners in different fields. What is your appraisal of the present status of the diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and India?
On 28th August we also mark the 17th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Tajikistan. India and Tajikistan have worked to establish a deep, close and trusting relationship. We are close neighbours who face common challenges. We have worked closely together in addressing these issues so that our neighbourhood becomes peaceful and stable and our people have security and prosperity. India and Tajikistan share the common objective of living in a world without hatred and bigotry on the basis of religion and stand together in fighting the menace of drug trafficking, fundamentalism and related violence. Our political, cultural and defence relations are close and we have built on our historical ties. In short, I would say that the present diplomatic relations are in excellent shape, and with a high level visit scheduled from India in the very near future, these relations would improve qualitatively.
-Economy and trade play a significant role in the matter of development between countries and peoples. India is one of the great developed countries in production of different goods. At what level of development are the trade and economic relations between our two countries?
I agree that increasingly trade and economy play an ever important role. While there are obvious disadvantages due to lack of connectivity and direct air links, these have not hindered our bilateral trade from growing at 40.% last year. The direct turnover has reached US$29 million but this does not reflect the full picture as there are reasons to believe that substantial trade also happens through intermediate transit points. Indian meat products, pharmaceuticals, textiles and chemicals find ready acceptance in the Tajik market. Entrepreneurs are getting into better quality seeds for agriculture, and sourcing machinery and equipment from India. I am very hopeful that this area of our relations would grow even more in the future.
A number of Indian companies are already working in the energy, pharmaceutical and other sectors. Many have offices in Dushanbe. On 8th September we are also planning to have a high level Business Forum which would see participation from major Indian companies who would have a chance to interact with their Tajik counterparts and explore mutually beneficial commercial opportunities. The 5 star hotel project in Dushanbe is progressing well, and soon Indian companies would start working on the transmission lines that would connect Sangtuda to the Afghan border. We also hope to complete the modernization of Varzob-I hydro power plant, which is just outside the city limits of Dushanbe as per plan. This is being funded by Government of India through a grant of US$17 million. We also are ready to implement the modern Engineering Tool Room at the Tajik Technical University and we are awaiting the signature of the MOU by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan.
-As it is known for the last years the world community has been taking important steps in the struggle against terrorism, extremism, separatism, and other undesirable phenomena. What measures does the Indian government take to struggle against terrorism?
As you know India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now. The recent incidents have been very widely reported and involved bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul and multiple attacks on landmarks of Mumbai. Around the globe there is an emerging consensus that such policies and acts of violence can no longer be tolerated as it strikes at the very root of civilization. Indian Government takes all appropriate measures to protect its citizens and property and has invested sizeable resources in strengthening intelligence, border management and investigating reaction capabilities. We are also working with the international community in containing and eliminating this threat. For obvious reasons, Tajikistan is our major partner in this endeavour. We have also proposed at the UN a global convention against international terrorism and we hope all nations would support this initiative.
- As it is known Tajik and Indian people have got common cultural and historical ties and traditions. How could you characterize the development of scientific and cultural relations between Tajikistan and India
You are correct in saying that we have common cultural and historical ties. I would add that we are two branches of the same tree. Our history has many commonalities, and our geography binds us together. We live in a common cultural space. We are building on these strengths through education, through the TV and media and films, through our Cultural Center, and through scholarships for higher education in India for Tajik scholars. We send nearly 70 Tajik experts to India each year for specialized training in English, in computers, finance and banking and other scientific and technical areas. It is a very successful programme and we hope the Tajik experts benefit from this exposure and training. We are also proud of the nearly 300 Indian students who are enrolled at the Tajik State Medical University. The Embassy, with the assistance of Indian Council for Cultural Relations continues to bring cultural troupes to Dushanbe and other cities in Tajikistan. This year too we have already organized two very popular cultural events and hope to bring in a few more before the end of this year.
I take this opportunity to thank the Government of Republic of Tajikistan and its wonderful people for their friendship and hospitality that they extend to the Embassy and to the Indians living in Dushanbe. On this day, as Ambassador of India to Tajikistan, I only pray that our strong bonds of friendship continue to grow stronger over the years.
Thank you for the Interview
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