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INTERVIEW
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INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL ASHOK KUMAR: ‘WE CAN BE VERY PROUD OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IN B.C.’ |
By Indira Prahst, Instructor of Race and Ethnic Relations, Department of Sociology, Langara College, Vancouver
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Outgoing Indian Consul General Ashok Kumar, who’s leaving for Zambia on a promotion as high commissioner, spoke to me last week about his experience here. Ashok Das from New Delhi has been appointed the new Consul General.
Prahst: Tell us about your experience and work as Consul General here in BC.
Kumar: I have been here just short of three years. I came here in 2005 and I am leaving next week. This has been a very rewarding posting as far as my work is concerned. I have been to various countries, with different challenges and different opportunities, but with this posting, I felt more at home because of the large Indian community here and most of them come from where I am from. This is the only foreign country where I spoke the local language, so I felt more at home and more comfortable. Time has flown and when time flies it means you are very busy and happy and I was both.
Prahst: What does the work of a Consulate General involve specifically?
Kumar: A Consulate General is basically an extension of the Indian High Commission, which is in Ottawa. Because the large concentration of our Indian community is in Vancouver and Toronto, we have two Consulate Generals, one in Toronto and one in BC. In Vancouver, we look after the entire western Canada and we also do work to promote trade between India and this area and to promote relations between the two countries. Our relations are strengthening, certainly in the last two and a half years. As far as commercial relations are concerned, I thought that we can do a lot better because investment was not very high and there is a lot of potential since we are an emerging market- so a lot could be done. If we see the (approximate) figures of the last year two and a half years compared to 2004, overall, Canada and India trade increased by 50%, but India and western trade has increased more than 100%, and India and BC trade increased by 42% .
Prahst: What does India have to be proud of today?
Kumar: The last 61 years has given us an opportunity to review and to take a retrospective view. Firstly, I think the greatest achievement of India has been the consolidation of democracy. Democracy has really taken deep roots in Indian soil. The Indian electorate has become much more mature, there is greater progressiveness despite diversity and we are very proud of diversity and there is an underlying unity (in India). We see the success of the election system where people are becoming more and more aware of the purpose of an election. There is a huge electorate and we have a system that handles it so well. We have an electronic voting system and fair elections.
The second achievement is economic progress which India has made particularly after the 1991 economic reforms. They are continuing despite changes in the government and to me, there is political consensus on the reforms. With that there is huge progress India has made. We are the fourth largest economy in the world, we are the second largest growing economy in the world, we are the fastest growing free market democracy in the world and our economy has been growing in the last few years too. Last year our growth was 9% - which is not bad despite inflation going up, temporary trends which we are able to handle.
The third which I think is relevant for India’s future is the population which has been viewed as a liability but it becoming an asset. With Indians pursuing education, they are becoming more and more aware and they will be a huge reserve of human resources, not only for the Indian market, but even for outside countries like Canada. So these people will be an available manpower both for outside and in India and contribute to India’s role in the international arena.
Prahst: There are concerns about the lack of equal distribution of wealth to all. What do you have to say about that?
Kumar: A country like India which is so diverse, regional diversity, economic growth has to be the way it is. It can’t be even growth in all parts of the country. Some parts are growing faster than others. The other is the peculation of the benefits (reaching) the people at the lower level. …The poverty line is decreasing every year, so people are moving up and are improving. That is the World Bank assessment. In six years, from 35% of the people below the poverty line, it is less than 20% now. So benefits are going to them. This is a government concern which the government is conscious of and efforts are being made and schemes are being launched so that these benefits do reach the poor.
Prahst: What are some examples of tangible schemes?
Kumar: There are lots of schemes being launched so that benefits reach the poor. Emphasis on rural areas, education and food for the children, work for food program and loans for the farmers are some of the issues the government is focusing on.
Prahst: Is there a message you wish to convey to the South Asian community here in BC?
Kumar: To the Indian community, I would like to say good things because they have done very well. They have struggled over the last 100 years and have reached a level where they can live their lives and be proud about it and we can also be very proud of the Indian community. They are very enterprising, and a good community. If anyone asks what Indians should do abroad to protect the Indian image, I think wherever you are, whatever job you do, if you do it well and if you conduct yourself properly, you will enhance the image of the country you come from and also the image of the country you live in.
Prahst: What’s your next assignment?
Kumar: My successor is Ashok Das. He is coming from New Delhi and he will be here next month. I am going to Zambia and that is another interesting assignment I am looking forward to, but it is going be a lot different from Vancouver.
(End of story)
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