Diplomacy extraordinary

MANDARIN MATTERS

fiji tp sreenivasan

 

Fiji marked a turning point in India’s policy towards overseas Indians as the developments there took place at a time when the government was in the process of rediscovering the potential of the Indian diaspora

 

The assignment to Fiji has been hazardous to Indian envoys at the best of times. For historical reasons, the envoys are looked upon by the Fiji Indians as their mentors. At the same time, the Indian envoys are expected to promote multiracialism and multiculturalism and maintain the delicate racial balance enshrined in the Fiji constitution. Any effort on their part, therefore, to strengthen the Indian community’s cultural links with India are seen with suspicion and they are often accused of interfering in the internal affairs of the country.

 

In my case, the problems were compounded by the fact that my arrival coincided with the emergence of the Labour Party......Read more