In what could be seen as the beginning of normalisation of ties between the UK and Gujarat, which were strained after the 2002 riots, the British High Commissioner to India, James Bevan, is expected to meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad tomorrow.
Earlier this month, Britain’s Minister of State of the Foreign Office Hugo Swire had asked Bevan to visit Gujarat and meet Modi to discuss a “wide range of issues of mutual interests”, the British foreign office said in a statement.
“We want to secure justice for the families of the British nationals who were killed in 2002 (riots), we want to support human rights and good governance in the state,” the statement quoted Swire as saying. Three British nationals were burnt to death in Sabarkantha district in the 2002 riots.
Modi came to power shortly before the riots, which were triggered by the deaths of nearly 60 karsevaks (religious volunteers) in a train fire that was blamed on Muslims. He is accused of doing too little to prevent the blood-letting, which left more than 2,000 dead, according to rights groups. The state government, however, put the death toll at about 1,000.
The UK had reportedly denied visa to Modi in 2005 since when there have been no diplomatic engagements between London and the Indian state. However, senior officials at the Modi government claim the chief minister had never applied for visas of the UK and the US and there was no question of denying the visa.
The recent sentencing of Maya Kodnani, one of Modi’s key aides and a former minister in his government, in connection with a riot case is considered as justice has been done. Moreover, the pressure of a large Gujrati diaspora in Britain, which is pro-Modi, has also led the “normalisation” of relations between the state and the UK, say analysts and officials.
“Gujarat has become the investment destination in India and the stature of Narendra Modi has also grown in Indian politics. That’s why the UK high commissioner is meeting the chief minister. They must have realised to start a dialogue instead of missing the bus,” a senior state government official, who will be present in the Modi- Bevan meeting, said.
“There is a greater understanding in the world leadership that they will have to deal with Modi in the next decade and he is possibly a serious contender for the post of prime minister,” said the official, who did not want to be named.
State government officials argue opposition parties had launched a campaign to malign the image of the chief minister after the riots, which had resulted in the UK and the US governments saying Modi was not welcome to their countries. “The fact is that there is no evidence against Modi and when leaders of several European and Asian countries are meeting him, why can’t the British diplomat meet the chief minister?” the officer asked.
Interestingly, Modi has used the Vibrant Gujarat initiative, a bi-annual global investor meet, to build his pro-business image abroad.
“In the last two years, representatives of Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain have visited Gujarat to discuss business opportunities in the state. All these countries have realised that Modi is one of the most prominent political leaders in India at this time and there is a need to have greater interaction with him,” the official added.
