By Inder Jit
(Released on 8 April 1975)
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed‘s quiet initiative in attending King Faisal‘s funeral, could well help open a new chapter in friendship and mutual cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. From all accounts, the President’s unprecedented gesture in proceeding to Riyadh, notwithstanding the physical strain involved in the rush, was greatly appreciated not only by King Khalid and Prince Fahd, the new Crown Prince, but also by the heads of other Arab states present there in full strength. The visit also yielded two unexpected side dividends. First, a brief but interesting meeting between Gen Idi Amin and President Ahmed at Jeddah airport; Uganda’s President delayed his homeward departure to greet Mr Ahmed. Secondly, a first-hand knowledge of the poor, then scandalous, functioning of India’s diplomatic mission in a vital area.
Some in New Delhi feared that the President might not be able to reach Riyadh in time. But Air India handled the operation with remarkable pluck and enterprise and got Mr Ahmed into Riyadh by the special plane in record time – an hour before the namaz-i-janaza, the last prayer for the departed. From the airport, Mr Ahmed rushed off to the main mosque for the final rites instead of joining the other heads of state in the open park. This enabled him to join King Khalid and the bereaved Princes in offering, first, the afternoon prayer (asar-ki-namaz) and thereafter the namaz-i-janaza. Later, he joined King Khalid and the rest of the family in the exclusive burial ceremony and was invited by King Khalid to participate in the final rite of putting matti on the simple grave. Interestingly, Gen Amin was the only other head of state present alongside.
Two hours later, President Ahmed formally called on the new King at his palace where Crown Prince Fahd was also present. King Khalid was friendly and conveyed to the President through the interpreter the late King Faisal’s pleasure on Mr Ahmed’s election as President of India and added; “My brother was looking forward to meeting you”. (A move was initiated in December last for an exchange of visits.) Significantly, President Ahmed was housed in the same palace as President Sadaat, President Boumedienne and U.S. Vice President Rockefeller, who arrived shortly before Mr Ahmed left for Jeddah the following morning. Mr Bhutto was also at Riyadh and was spotted by some members of the Indian delegation at the city`s leading hotel. The Pak Premier brought a 60-man top-level team with him, lending substance to a popular quip that Mr Bhutto prefers to carry all his top Generals with him leaving nothing to chance back home!
King Khalid and his court also graciously and efficiently arranged for President Ahmed to fly to Jeddah and from these to undertake his first-ever pilgrimage to the holy Qabah at Mecca, some 80 miles away, where he offered his maghreb prayers on jumeraat. The following day, Mr. Ahmed and his pilgrimage party of about ten persons flew by a special Saudi Boeing to Medina where he went around the holy spots and said his Friday prayers at Masjid-un-Nabi, the Prophet‘s mosque, before returning to Jeddah for the night. (Interestingly, the jet was piloted by a Pakistani since non-Muslims are not allowed in the holy city.) President Ahmed‘s visit to Medina (as to Mecca) aroused wide popular interest. Thousands of Arabs present at the Mosque greeted him enthusiastically as “Sadar, Jamhuriat-i-Hind”.
A surprise awaited President Ahmed as he arrived al Jeddah airport the following morning to fly back to New Delhi. He was warmly greeted by Gen Amin who said he could not possibly leave without conveying to Mr Ahmed personally his joy over the latter’s election as President of India — and putting across to him developments in Uganda in proper perspective. Gen Amin said the World Press had presented a distorted picture of the events and vilified him. He only wanted the foreigners to either take Ugandian citizenship or leave — and asked: “Would you, Mr President, tolerate foreigners owning property and factories in your country”. The General then asserted that those who had accepted Ugandian citizenship were “happy and well-off”.
From all accounts, the President’s unprecedented gesture in proceeding to Riyadh, notwithstanding the physical strain involved in the rush, was greatly appreciated not only by King Khalid and Prince Fahd, the new Crown Prince, but also by the heads of other Arab states present there in full strength.
Indeed, he invited Mr Ahmed to visit Uganda and see things for himself. He also assured Mr Ahmed that I would pay “every single penny of compensation to those who had decided to leave Uganda”. That was not all. Gen Amin next told Mr Ahmed that he was calling a conference of the heads of African states, especially Muslims, in June and added; “Mr President, you must come as my Chief Guest”. Mr Ahmed listened to Gen Amin with interest and tactfully chose not to enter into a discussion. Uganda has today less than 500 persons of Indian origin as against 80,000 in 1962! Almost 50 per cent of the latter were eligible for citizenship and thousands accepted it. But, before long, most of them found it impossible to stay on and quit, notwithstanding the loss of their life`s earnings. Incidentally, available information shows that Uganda is currently facing an economic crisis and most business enterprises left behind by Indians are not working.
Incredibly enough, India‘s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr Zahir Ahmed, a retired civil servant from Hyderabad, was not at the airport to receive President Ahmed when he arrived at Riyadh. In fact, the President saw the Ambassador for the first time some four hours later when he was due to make a formal call on King Khalid at 7 p.m. Much valuable time was wasted and opportunity lost of making other important calls because of the astonishing non-availability of the Ambassador and his manifestly poor contacts in the court at Riyadh. (President Ahmed was, for instance, keen to meet President Sadaat and, in the absence of the Ambassador, his energetic Minister-in-Waiting, Mr Shafi Qureshi, vainly tried to contact top Egyptians accompanying their President for a meeting.) The Ambassador even showed an amazing lack of initiative in arranging for some leading Indians residing in Jeddah to call on the President.
Little, if any, thought has been given to revamping them (Indian missions) and making them a much-needed spearhead for a timely economic and commercial thrust. While the rest of the wide world, including the US, is bending overbackwards to woo the Arabs and leading countries assign some of their top diplomats to the area, our Foreign Office still prefers to send its senior officers to cosy and sophisticated European or other Western postings.
Unfortunately, Indian missions in the area, which has assumed great economic significance, continue to be treated by the Foreign Office essentially as glorified Haj offices. Little, if any, thought has been given to revamping them and making them a much-needed spearhead for a timely economic and commercial thrust. While the rest of the wide world, including the US, is bending overbackwards to woo the Arabs and leading countries assign some of their top diplomats to the area, our Foreign Office still prefers to send its senior officers to cosy and sophisticated European or other Western postings. Junior officers of the rank of no more than Deputy Secretaries are currently manning some of our new missions in the Gulf area. These postings may have come as a windfall to the young officers. But these have not proved of much good to the country.
New Delhi has been looking at these Arab countries for far too long through what may well be described as the distorting Pakistani prism. Pakistan is no doubt “in” with the oil rich Arabs in a big way and is getting a sizable chunk of their aid to the developing countries… What is needed is a new strategy to forge economic and commercial ties independently of what Pakistan does.
At the same time, New Delhi has been looking at these Arab countries for far too long through what may well be described as the distorting Pakistani prism. Pakistan is no doubt “in” with the oil rich Arabs in a big way and is getting a sizable chunk of their aid to the developing countries. (It is also earning foreign exchange by supplying the area with both skilled and unskilled labour.) India has to take note of the religious susceptibilities of the Arabs and no amount of effort can help us to out-Islam Pakistan. What is needed is a new strategy to forge economic and commercial ties independently of what Pakistan does and, for instance, not react immaturely if these countries ask New Delhi only for Muslim doctors. (They alone can be posted to Mecca and Medina during the Haj season.) Simultaneously, personal equations will need to be built even more among a people who are not easily inclined to shed suspicion of the foreigner. President Ahmed’s initiative now requires to be followed up with more purposeful exchanges and a pragmatic approach. — INFA