2020: Clearer vision or Ind a A stral a

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

The Indian government’s invitation to a foreign head of state to be the main guest at the Republic Day parade on 26 January, is said to be a barometer of its e ternal affairs thrust in the short term.

In his first term in 2015, it is telling that Prime Minister Modi invited former US resident arac ama. n it as then rench resident rancoise ollande. Wanting to build a stronger presence in the regions o er the ne t t o years the focus as on the leaders of these countries to e centrestage ith odi.

This year it as the turn of the ra ilian President Jair Bolsonaro to be accorded this privilege as India turned its attention to the resource rich country hich can hel meet its long term energy needs.

In recent days, there has been much media comment in major publications ( eter artcher and ennifer e itt in the Fairfax press and Greg Sheridan in the e s td sta le) a out the forthcoming visit to India by Australian Prime Minister cott orrison.

While the hope is high for a deeper engagement et een the t o countries an ac no ledgment from the ndian side of their desire for a stronger relationship ith ustralia ould ha e een to see the Australian Prime Minister at an ath atching the e u lic ay arade alongside rime inister odi. nfortunately orrison ill arri e and de art a fe days rior to this e ent of national significance. or the record no Australian Prime Minister has scored an in ite to this olitically significant e ent. onetheless might ell e the year in hich the ustralia ndia relationshi could hit a higher gear. inally done ith the musical chair scenario of prime ministership, Scott Morrison does ha e clear air in the to o . is former leader Tony ott as a le to stri e a good friendshi ith arendra odi than s to their strong right ing olitical and religious eliefs. ith a similar hiloso hy erha s cott orrison ill e a le to forge a similar ond ith his ndian counter art.

oth countries are ary of the gro ing might of - and interference by - China in their o n ac yards (the outh acific for ustralia ri an a and a istan for ndia) and the increasing a dication of its glo al duties y the nited tates. There is enough common ground for the dialogues to e more meaningful. f course the more o ecti e ie may be that the Adani Carmichael coal mine issue is an environment issue that needs sorting rather than a discrimination issue. Regarding Indian-origin parliamentarians, that ill e entuate hen suita le candidates arise ho can or through the arty ran s and sho sustained assion for a career in politics, rather than parachuted candidates ho are elected for little more than their ndian origins.

Will it all translate to increased trade and usiness et een the t o countries Peter Hartcher in the SMH has tried to analyse the reasons for hy this has not e entuated to date. ne he o ser es is that unlike Canada, Australia has not effecti ely utilised the strength and connections of its 700,000-strong Indian dias ora seeing that there are fe ndian origin arliamentarians and t o that the ie in ndia is that dani has faced problems in Australia because it is an ndian enter rise.

The relationshi ill only mo e on from the three s of ommon ealth curry and coal - to the Ds, Es and Fs of digital, education and financial services, if you ill if there is sustained attention at the highest le els of oth go ernments.