African Students in India Should Have No Reason to Fear for Their Safety and Security,
ANDALIB AKHTER / NEW DELHI
President of India Pranab Mukherjee today said that recent attacks on Africans were ‘extremely painful’ and asked people not to create an impression that is not in line with ethos or core values of Indian ‘ancient civilization’
Speaking to participants of the Seventh Annual Heads of Missions Conference who called on him at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, President said: “The recent attacks on African students were extremely painful to him personally because he as a student, political activist and MP has seen first-hand how India and Africa have always been close partners”.
“It would be most unfortunate if the people of India were to dilute our long tradition of friendship with the people of Africa and the welcome we have always extended to them in our country” he said, adding African students in India should have no reason to fear for their safety and security.
He expressed appreciation that the Ministry of External Affairs in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs is pro-actively following up on the few isolated incidents that have occurred and working closely with authorities to ensure the safety of African students in India.
The President said the bonds between the people of India and the people of Africa have been forged since time immemorial. Rabindranath Tagore wrote a poem in great anguish about how evil was apartheid. Leaders like Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana stood shoulder to shoulder with Jawaharlal Nehru at the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung in 1955 and in founding the Non-aligned Movement in Belgrade in 1961.
“Nelson Mandela was an embodiment of Gandhian principles. India led the long international struggle for the end of colonialism and apartheid in Africa. India under Nehru had no hesitation in breaking trade relations with South Africa in 1946 even though it constituted nearly 5% of our global trade”, president said.
It was only in 1994 after the end of apartheid that he as Commerce Minister restored normal trade relations. Whole of India stood in support of African leaders like Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda during this freedom struggle. India has had trading relations with African countries for centuries and every one of the 54 countries of Africa has a thriving Indian community doing business, industry etc.
The President said the most well known Non-Resident Indian was Mahatma Gandhi who made his first experiments with Satyagraha in South Africa. Gandhiji was presented to India by South Africa. India’s relations with Africa should not be jeopardised in any way.