Most eventful assignment
Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner in Australia, talks to DARSHAK MEHTA as her tenure comes to a close.
Darshak Mehta: Please tell us what was the highlight of your posting?
Sujatha Singh: All of it. Truly. This has been one of my most eventful assignments. It’s been a privilege to work hard at forging a strategic partnership that has so much unrealised potential and to start seeing the results.
There was never a dull moment, which speaks for itself in telling you how dynamic the relationship is, how much is happening in all sectors – be it trade, investment, energy, mineral resources, education, academic exchanges, culture, tourism, people to people contacts, community affairs, migration…
DM: What are your feelings on the success of the uranium sales to India?
SS: I’m glad my tenure here was long enough to see the policy change happening. We now need to negotiate a bilateral civil nuclear co-operation Agreement, which when successfully concluded, will have an impact way beyond uranium exports and nuclear energy.
DM: How has the relationship between India and Australia developed during your tenure? What have been its successes and failures?
SS: The development of any relationship is a process that takes time, commitment and patience from all stakeholders. The ability to weather differences of view, ups and downs, is one of the indications of the strength and maturity of the relationship.
Successes? The enormous growth in trade and investment – both of which have grown several fold over the past four years, a reflection of the fast changing profile of the Indian economy, slowly but surely coming into its own. Australia is now our 8th largest trading partner, with nearly 80% of the trade being mineral resources needed for our industrial development; the significant growth in Indian investment, especially in mineral resources and connected infrastructure; the decision to forge a strategic partnership; the partnership in energy, including clean energy and mining; significantly growing people to people contacts; new policy dialogues; growing resources being put into understanding where the other comes from; the growing number of high level exchanges, both at the federal as well as the state level, including at the highest level at multilateral Summits such as the G-20 and the EAS; the opening of the Consulate General in Perth, the second new Consulate we’ve opened here in five years after Melbourne; a significant strengthening of our diplomatic presence here in the High Commission, all of which gives you an indication of GOI’s commitment to this relationship.
Failures? I don’t see anything as a failure. What one may perhaps perceive as a failure today can turn into a success tomorrow, with enough will to address the issues.
It’s been a team effort, with inputs from several sources, including our Consulates and the vibrant Indian community in Australia. It’s truly been a privilege working with all the people, departments, organisations and institutions involved to jointly make all this happen.
DM: What are your views on the outsourcing of visas and consular services?
SS: The outsourcing of visa, passport and consular services has been important in making the process more people friendly and efficient. Four years back when I arrived, I used to literally get hundreds of e-mails every month complaining about delays of three months or more; these are now down to just a few and we attend to these promptly. Turnaround times have reduced sharply. We were able to accede to the longstanding request to allow credit card payments and offer many other conveniences as well. True, there is a service fee involved, but we’ve streamlined the process and made it much more efficient. It is important to realise that our service charges are still lower than those charged by several other countries. This also goes for our visa fees, and one should remember, much of the fee structure is based on reciprocity too.
I think people who are critical of our consular services should pause to compare these with what they receive from other foreign embassies. It saddens me when the same Indian, who is unfailingly polite to foreigners can behave quite differently with a fellow Indian, or for that matter, be quite rude and hectoring when dealing with the Indian High Commission or the Consulates.
DM: The student issue dominated a large part of your tenure. In hindsight was there another way to handle the situation?
SS: This was one of the more difficult and complex issues that I dealt with where the complete picture emerged only slowly, over a period of months, of all the factors, circumstances, institutions and policies in play. And all this against a backdrop of relentless media focus.
It was a learning experience in every sense of the word, for everyone concerned. I am hopeful that the lessons to be learned have been learnt.
It was also an issue that I felt strongly about as a parent, as both my children have studied overseas. I felt strongly for those students who were affected and for their families. I am glad that it’s behind us now, and that measures have been put into place to deal with the various factors that contributed to the incidents that took place.
DM: In the next 10 years, other than a better relationship between the two countries, what else would you like to see happen between India and Australia?
SS: Everything I’d like to see happening is already in the process of happening. It takes time.
DM: What are your views on the plethora of Indian organisations?
SS: Given the rapidly growing Indian community and the diversity that exists in our country, this is inevitable and not necessarily a negative thing. There is comfort to be had by newly arrived migrants from the company of people from the same background, speaking the same language and observing the same festivals. I also think that these organisations have an important role to play in mentoring and guiding the younger generation, some of whom may not be from well off backgrounds. Many of them are also, or if they are not, should be active in helping people in distress – senior citizens, victims of domestic violence, students.
No matter how many organisations there are, what is important is that they all come together and speak with one voice on issues of importance, or on days that all Indians celebrate, such as Independence or Republic Day.
Our overseas Indian communities in countries all over the world, are sources of great strength. It is with great pride that GOI celebrates their successes and achievements. They are defined by an ethos of hard work, strong family values and an innate ability to integrate well into any country that they chose to make home, and contribute to its social and economic fabric.
Many of them retain strong links with India and are instrumental in bringing new ideas, investments and technologies back home. All of us who come from India or have a link, through our parents or through our forefathers, regardless of when they migrated, have a bond with the mother country, and with a civilisation that is one of the richest and most diverse in the world. We need to build on this common heritage and be as inclusive as we can in doing so.
It is also important that any organisation, regardless of who runs it, is transparent and open in all its dealings. In a day and age when Freedom of Information and the Right to Information are playing such a large role in our lives, I think the time has come for the all relevant details to be on the web, and for there to be a regular and orderly change of leadership so as to infuse fresh blood and vitality and bring in the younger generation, as well as newer migrants. Also, that organisations do not fight with each other or individuals polarise and divide the community for reasons of ego or personal gain. A community, by definition, consists of numerous individuals, all with points of view. One needs to respect this and be civilised in our dealings with one another.
Hopefully, coming years will see the community being increasingly represented at the political level and in Parliament. Coming from the largest democracy in the world, I think this is only a matter of time.
DM: Will India ever win a Test series in Australia, in your lifetime?
SS: Australia is a formidable force at home but I have great faith in our team and our ability in this great game. I have no doubt that we will learn the right lessons.
DM: What is your one lasting memory from this tenure?
SS: I have many good memories, but if I had to choose one, it would be the warmth and the friendship that I have received from the people of this beautiful country.
