Cameron visit to strengthen Indo-Britain relations

Anil Narendra        

British Prime Minister, David Cameron came to India on a three day visit. It was his second visit to India. Expressing his wish to expand Indo-Britain trade relations, besides announcing simplification of visa process for Indian businessmen and students, the British Premier also said that Indian students residing in Britain would also be given more concessions. He also expressed his desire to forge special relations with India that should not be guided by the past, not by future. All this, also shows Britain’s growing interest in trade. French President Francois Hollande also visited India last week, with such interest. In fact, Europe is passing through an economic crisis and as such the European countries consider India and other emerging economies as potential markets and see in them hope to mitigate their economic problems. European Union has been a main trade partner for India, but with Britain, India has traditionally been trading more. Britain has been the biggest inverter in India and more than half of Indian investment in European countries, is in Britain. When Cameron came to India in 2010, the economic crisis in Britain was more serious. He had openly expressed his desire to create maximum employment opportunities with India’s help. During this visit also, he praised the economic progress that India has made. Britain, today is not that super power that it used to be during 19th century and first half of the 20^th century. But it has a profound presence in the history of India and it would continue to be of importance for the time to come. The visit of the Prime Minister of Great Britain to Jallianwala Bagh, underlines the common history of both the countries. Though Cameron visited Jallianwala Bagh and termed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as a deeply shameful chapter in British history, but he did not tender apology over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by General Dyer on 13 April 1919. Cameron is the first democratically elected first British Premier to visit the Jallianwala Bagh massacre site. Cameron paid homage to martyrs and observed one minute silence with folded hands in honour of the martyrs. He wrote on the Visitors’ Book at Jallianwala Bagh that it was the deeply shameful act in the British history. One, that had been described by Winston Churchil as monstrous act. Whatever happened here is unforgettable for us. We will ensure that Britain stands for the right of peaceful demonstration throughout the world. Some organizations pressurized the British Premier to apologize at the site, but he did not do it. All told, this visit of David Cameron proved fruitful and we hope the relations between India and Britain would prosper in the time to come.