INDIA’S PROLIFERATING economic clout appears to be one of the unspoken reasons why many countries like Britain, Australia and Canada were hesitant about withdrawing from the shambolic Commonwealth Games in New Delhi or scaling down their contingents, despite widespread and vociferous criticism of the arrangements.
“All these countries are seeking major economic, trade, manufacturing and mining concessions from India and are keen not to embitter bilateral ties that could be profitable by staying away from the upcoming Games,” economic analyst Lala Virendra Kapoor said.
India’s impressive annual growth rate – averaging about 7-8 per cent despite the global economic downturn – and its 300 million middle class with burgeoning purchasing power, could not be ignored by the Commonwealth’s developed members, Mr Kapoor said. They could not afford to antagonise India at their own economic peril.
Many world-class athletes from Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand had declined to compete in the fortnight-long Games for health and security reasons even as the organisers were scrambling to complete preparations ahead of Sunday’s opening ceremony.
Despite the stinging censure of their officials of the shabby preparations and the filthy Games village, contingents from all these countries have begun arriving to participate in the once-in-four year sporting event.
Britain, for instance, seeks lucrative Indian military contracts like advanced jet trainers, possibly even an aircraft carrier on order with BAE Systems for which the Royal Navy was unable to pay, in addition to a host of bilateral economic and information technology ties ups to resuscitate UK’s flailing economy.
Similarly Australia, Canada and New Zealand are anxious to further business and commercial links with India whose financial markets had registered an impressive 40- 45 per cent growth rate since January, more than four times higher compared with Western bourses.
Indian commerce minister Anand Sharma recently lashed out at Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain for criticising India for its handling of the Games.
He warned them they may have a “price to pay” in terms of business opportunities in India’s emerging economy if they persisted in their condemnation with undertones of racism in his criticism.
“It would be a mistake not to engage with India with respect. When it comes to business, whose loss would it be?” Mr Sharma asked last Friday after a meeting in Ottawa with his Canadian counterpart, Peter Van Loan.
“Dated and frozen images, exaggeration and trying to run down a country was not acceptable to us.”
Surprisingly India’s nuclear rival Pakistan supported the Delhi Games, accusing westerners of being “over-critical”.