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State visit, British Deputy High Commissioner on India-UK relations and other issues – I
Mua Jameer
Dimapur | November 27
British Deputy High Commissioner (Counsel General) Kolkata, Nick Lowe, emphasized during his recent visit to Nagaland that the United Kingdom is keen and assessing priorities to work together, “We never do things for the people, we the people. doing things together.” State authorities.
‘I will never come and say what are we going to do for you in terms of health, education or infrastructure etc. Such a scenario would be completely inappropriate and very scary to do,’ he asserted, when asked if there were any areas. Potential interventions are identified.
Instead, there is a real need to discuss the specific priority areas of the respective state, said Low, who heads the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, representing the UK government in 12 states and 1 union territory in eastern India as well as Bhutan.
In an exclusive interview with The Morung Express during a recent visit, the High Commissioner discussed various issues ranging from the UK government’s activities in East India, particularly Nagaland and the North-East, to bilateral relations with India, climate change and visa issues.
Law, who took charge of the Kolkata Commission in October 2019, admitted that since the onset of COVID-19 from 2020-21 and even during the first 3-4 months of 2022, due to the ‘business as usual’ situation, he had 13 jurisdictions under Kolkata’s jurisdiction. Out of which only 8 areas could be visited so far.
However, he insisted that he would stay here at least till the next monsoon and try his best to visit the remaining areas.
Visit to Nagaland and potential areas of intervention
I am really happy to be here and have heard a lot about Nagaland, said Low, who wanted to visit with the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month or the ‘very special day’-11th hour of Remembrance Day.
Accordingly, he laid wreaths for the ‘Fallen’ at the Kohima War Cemetery, honoring a pledge to a group of ex-soldiers (Invictus) – those who fought in the Battle of Kohima 75 years ago, and could not make it to the anniversary. Royal British Legion, due to COVID-19.
However, Law emphasized that it is not the only reason. ‘Obviously, I want to know what makes Nagaland tick and what areas we can work on.’
As noted, Law said that ‘we do things with people’ by discussing specific priority areas of the state. However, he was keen on health care.
Citing success stories in West Bengal and Jharkhand, Law said, ‘We can now assess specific priorities and make sure that is an area where we have got the expertise to assist and it is a very productive area.’
Interventions can include specific clinical ailments, communicable and non-communicable disease, healthcare delivery structure, medical education, etc., he added.
“We will try and source colleagues from the UK and complete it at expert-to-expert level so that healthcare professionals from Nagaland can talk to professionals in the UK. We can replicate it in other areas as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Law said the scope for boosting the visitor economy, or what economists call ‘tourism’, is immense.
It is a place of unimaginable beauty, he noted, adding that Nagaland and the North-East should be able to see a large number of foreign visitors “without spoiling the character” of the region.
Tourism is a huge industry that employs millions of people in my own country. We estimate that tourism will account for around 10% of UK GDP by 2025.
“Just as education creates understanding between people of different countries, colour, ethnicity and creed, so does tourism,” he added.
Asked whether Nagaland is now favorable for outside investment given the state’s political history, Law said in the affirmative.
‘I’ve been here for hours. But from what I have seen in and around Dimapur, yes,’ he added. Law reached Dimapur on November 9.
He further noted that it was not the case that British companies were idle throughout the North-East. We are here, however, we want to see more, he said.
Connectivity
The Deputy High Commissioner also highlighted how connectivity is crucial in the NE to achieve its potential. He informed that it is an area where the UK is talking to governments across the NE as well as the Ministry of Development of the Northeast Region.
It includes connecting the NE to the sea, possibly through Bangladesh, and we are looking at what economists call soft rather than hard commodities, he added.
NE India is known for its exotic spices, some of the finest spices from around the world. My colleagues at the World Bank told me that NE’s spices, when analyzed in laboratories, are richer in active ingredients than anywhere else in the world, he informed.
Accordingly, produce from this area can become a major export industry and fetch very good prices abroad, he added. “That’s what should happen.”
However, he noted that there is a need for transport infrastructure to move those products out of the Northeast. With soft materials, driving thousands of kilometers over rough roads doesn’t really work, Lo said.
Thus looking at waterways as an alternative, they batted for integrated border posts and faster passage of cargo.
Education sector and Chevening
Focusing on the sector, Low highlighted how the ‘education sector’ has been one of the success stories for the UK, attracting thousands of students every year, with India overtaking China in terms of foreign students studying in British universities in recent years.
The increase has been staggering, he said, adding that it was over 1 lakh in March this year. Attributed to low quality of output – many UK universities in the world’s best lists as well as a strong diaspora of Indian origin, among others.
He also highlighted how Chevening, the UK Government’s international scholarship and fellowship program, has enabled 50,000 former students since 1983; Building a global network of professionals and leaders.
Law also expressed happiness that since he assumed the current post three years ago, the number of awardees from Eastern and Eastern India has increased significantly.
In terms of awards, the eastern region was generally at the bottom, but in 2022 and 2021, it was second only to Delhi, he informed.
Applicants are not only from reputed schools in Kolkata, but what I am particularly happy about is that we have Chevening scholars from all over East and East India, he added.
Further noting the tremendous positive word of mouth, he said there has been a spurt in applications.
He encouraged applicants from the state, saying: “We would really love to get some good candidates from Nagaland.”
While the window for applications has closed this year, he noted that one should think very carefully before applying for such a scholarship and start preparing for next year accordingly.
On the question of recovery of colonial heritage, against the backdrop of the recent initiative to repatriate Naga ancestral remains from the Pitt Rivers Museum, Law agreed that “artifacts of great cultural interest which were clearly acquired under circumstances,” are now being returned.
At the same time, on a personal note, he suggested that some of them are world cultural heritage and perhaps deserve to be preserved as they are. “I care about the fact that in the United Kingdom, all our public museums are free to enter. The curation is as good as you will find anywhere,” he added.
Some of the issues are also complicated, he said, highlighting the case of the Kohinoor diamond that is incidentally claimed by India and Pakistan as well as the Taliban.
This is the first of a two-part series
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