Owing to known historical reasons Britain's relations with India have been and continue to be multi-dimensional in that there is hardly a sphere of activity in this country, even domestic, which does not bear even now directly or indirectly the British impact. This, however, does not suggest that India has not adequately diversified its linkages (in the security and/or economic/industrial fields) with other major world powers. Rather it is despite the evolution of its significant linkages elsewhere that any social or economic occurrence in Britain gives rise to some commotion in India particularly at the elitist level. In any case, the two-way relationship is no more than a mix of a little cheer with a heavy dose of despair. That seems to have been the pattern ever since India's independence, often described in common parlance as one of a “love hate” variety.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Wali Khan observes that “right from Linlithgow to Wavell, both the Viceroys had twisted the communal situation in a way so as to place the entire destiny of India in the hands of Jinnah for the simple reason to use the Muslim League as ‘an anti-Congress missile.’” “In acting so, both the British and Jinnah were ‘blinded by self-interest’. The British wanted to build in Jinnah a strong counterpoise to the Congress so as to thwart its demand for independence and thereby prolong the life of their Indian empire…. The creation of Pakistan under Wavell's ‘Breakdown Plan’ was to serve as Britain's most strategic bastion.” Wali Khan, Facts are Facts: The Untold Story of India's Partition (New Delhi, 1987) review by KrishnaB., in Economic Times (New Delhi), 1 November 1987, p. 6.
2.
HaroldWilson, The Labour Government 1964-1970: A Personal Record (London, 1971), pp. 133–34.
3.
JosephFrankel, British Foreign Policy, 1945-1973 (London, 1975). p. 222.
4.
In written answers to questions in the House of Commons on 24 May (Hansard, cols. 300-1) Mr. Ennals, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the explosion had “introduced a new factor with world and regional implications.” Then he added: “It reinforces the need to ensure wider acceptance of the Non-proliferation Treaty to which Her Majesty's Government continue to attach the greatest importance.” “Indian Nuclear Explosion”, Survey of Current Affairs, June 1974, p. 218.
5.
RichardE. Caves and Lawrence B. Krause (Eds.), “Introduction and Summary”, Britain's Economic Performance (Washington, 1980), pp. 2–7.
6.
LallK.B., and ChopraH.S. (Eds.), India and the EEC (New Delhi, 1984), p. 13.
7.
Perspectives of Trade: India and Western Europe, State Trading Corporation of India Ltd., New Delhi, 1987, p. 1.
8.
“Rs. 400 Crore Extra Emergency Imports—BOP Position May Worsen,” Economic Times (New Delhi), 4 October 1987.
9.
“Fall in India's Project Exports,” Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 26 December 1987.
10.
“Record Exports Despite Drought,” Times of India (New Delhi), Section 2, 1 January 1988.
11.
“New Export Strategy,” Times of India (Editorial), 16 October 1987, p. 6.
12.
“Sophisticated Machine Imports Under OGL: Export Outlook for Bicycles Bright”, Eeonomic Times, 11 October 1987.
13.
“Tax Holiday for 100 per cent EOUs,” Times of India, 2 October 1987, p. 5.
14.
“Import-Orunted Units, Times of India, 3 October 1987, p. 6.
15.
“Stress on Quality of Goods”, Hindustan Times, 22 December 1987.
16.
SushmaRamachandran, “Strategy to Bridge Tech Gap Being Chalked Out,” Economic Times, 27 December 1987, p. 1.
17.
GoodallSir David, “Opportunities for Indo-British Collaborations Greater than Before”, British Information Services, BIS, New Delhi, B. 256, 25 June 1987, p. 2.
18.
“German Technology Ranks Second in the World”, German News (New Delhi), Vol. 29. no. 10. October 1987, p. 17.
19.
NicholasKaldor, “How Monetarism Failed,” Challenge, May/June 1985, pp. 12–13. Also see E.A. Brett, The World Economy Since the War: the Politics of Uneven Development (London, 1985), p. 167.
20.
European Community Information Service, The Economic Situation in the Community (New Delhi, EEC Delegation), 31/87, 29 July 1987.
21.
AchinVanaik “Future of Thatcherism: I—The Legacy of History,” Times of India, 21 December 1987, p. 6. II—“Failure of Thatcherism,” Times of India, 22 December 1987, p. 6. Minhaz Merchant, “Britain Under Mrs. Thatcher,” Times of India, 9 January 1988, p. 6.
22.
MinhazMerchant, “Britain Under Mrs. Thatcher,” Ibid.
23.
MitraChandan “Britain in the Eighties : Unmaking of the Working Class,” Times of India, 22 September 1987, p. 6.
24.
AchinVanaik, “Behind the Crash: Deeper Crises of Neo Liberalism,” Times of India, 7 December 1987, p. 6.
25.
Euromonitor, West European Handbook (London, 1987), p. 151.
26.
Sir David Goodall, British High Commissioner's Speech to the Bombay Chambers of Commerce, 25 June 1987, BIS. B 256 p. 4. Also see AnneJujius De, “Britain's. Changing International Interests, Economic Influcnces on Foreign Policy Priorities,” International Affairs, (London), Vol. 63, no. 3, Summer 1987, pp. 376–77.
27.
Ibid., “Declining Trends in Foreign Tie-ups”. Times of India, Section 2, I February 1988, p. 4.
28.
AlanHowarth, “UK's Electricity Technology for India,” Indo-European Affairs (New Delhi). January 1987, p. 36.
29.
HoweSir Geoffrey, “Indo-British Economic Relationship,” Economic Digest: A British Review (New Delhi), no. 33, May 1986, p. 1.
30.
Press Statement by Christopher Patten, M.P., 13 December 1987. British Information Services, DIS B. 461.
31.
Details about the three categories of British aid have been supplied by the British High Commission.
32.
JamesBarber, “Britain and India: A Continuing Relationship,” The World Today (London), Vol. 42, August/September 1986, p. 133.
33.
As at present, the Akali Party led by Surjit Singh Barnala, the former Chief Minister of Panjab, seems to have lost its hold over the Sikh masses. The United Akali Dal on the other hand, under the leadership of Prakash Singh Badal has gained considerable strength and may perhaps be invited by the Central Government for talks on the Punjab problem, Also sec “Sikhs are Indians Too,” The Economist (London), 9 March 1987, Survey 7.
34.
MichaelHamlyn, “Constituent Not Allowed to Leave—MP Attacks Delhi ‘Lies’ Over Woman's Detention,” Times (London), 5 November 1986. Also sec Madhusri Das, “Is Kuldip Kaur a High-Flying Terrorist Link?,” Current (Bombay), 22 November 1986, pp. 1, 3 and 21.
35.
British Information Services, BIS, B. 443, 26 November 1987.
36.
PathakGathani, “Indo-British Agreement to Tackle Terrorism,” Hindu (Madras), 30 April 1987.
37.
MalikK.N., “India for Wide Treaty With UK,” Times of India, 10 December 1987, p. 12.
38.
Ibid.
39.
“UK Furious at Irish Decision,” Times of India, 3 December 1987.
40.
Keesings Record of World Events, February 1987, p. 34948.
41.
“New UK Education Bill Seen as Racial,” Times of India, Scction-2, 24 November 1987, p. 1.
42.
“UK Census to Probe Racial Origins,” Times of India, 29 December 1987, p. 11.
43.
ChopraH.S., and JainR.K., “West Europe and South Africa,” Indo-European Affairs (New Delhi), January 1987, p. 46.
44.
SubhashChakravarti, “Rajiv Urges Immediate Imposition of Sanctions,” Times of India, 14 October 1987.
45.
SubhashChkravarti, “CHOGM: Rift on Sanctions,” Times of India, 16 October 1987, p. 1.
46.
British Information Services, BIS. B. 29, 30 June 1987, p. 1.
47.
ChopraH.S., and JainR.K., “West Europe and South Africa,” n. 43.
48.
SubhashChakravarti, “UK Pre-empts Move in Fiji”, Times of India, 17 October 1987.
49.
“UK Reconstruction Aid to Sri Lanka,” British Information Services, BIS. B. 462, 15 December 1987.
50.
CordesmanAnthony H., US Strategic Interests and the Indo-Pakistan Military Balance, 11 June 1987, p. 45.
51.
JamesBarber, “Britain and India: A Continuing Relationship,” n. 32, p, 134.
52.
Lyndon H. Larouche, cited in “India Can Become Economic Superpower”, Times of India, 6 February 1988, Also see SharmaL.K., “Pak Study Sees India as Mini-Superpower”, Times of India, Section 2, 11 November 1987, p. 1.
53.
The EEC Commission submitted its new proposal to the Council of Ministers for the 1988 Generalized Scheme of Preferences. These proposals are an improvement on the 1987 scheme since they increase the industrial products which may be imported under the GSP by an average of 5 per cent in terms of value. European Community Service, GSP for 1988: Improved Tariff Preferences for Developing Countries (New Delhi), no. 37/87, 27.8.87.
54.
“Indo-British Trade and Economic Cooperation”, Times of India (Special Issue: United Kingdom), 21 April 1987, p. 16.
55.
“Midland Bank to Help India Raise Exports”, Times of India, 10 January 1988, p. 10.
56.
“Offset Trade Seen as Solution,” Times of India, 1 Jannuary 1988.
