India-Poland in Focus

C • o • n • t • e • n • t • s

India-Poland in Focus 2013

"India Sees Poland a Key Partner in Europe" - Ambassador ..................................................................4

India and Poland: Vistas for Future Partnership ....................................................................................6

Incredible India – New Horizons ..........................................................................................................12

India and Poland to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation in the Cinema Sector ...........................................14

Patriotic Song 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" Turns 50 ............................................................................16

India Constitutes for Poland one of the Main Markets for Investment Export .....................................18

Małopolska: as Incredible as India! ......................................................................................................20

Indo-European Center: A Bridge Between Poland, India and EU ........................................................21

Technocity - A Major Landmark in India's IT Scenario .......................................................................22

Poland Pays Tribute to Actress Smita Patil ...........................................................................................28

A School in Warsaw named after Maharaja of Jamnagar .....................................................................29

Maharaja Honoured with Warsaw Plaza ...............................................................................................30

Temi Tea – The Flavor of Sikkim ........................................................................................................32

Poland, India Seek to Improve Business Ties .......................................................................................34

Poland-India: Potential for a Strategic Partnership ...............................................................................35

10 Best Independent Films of 2012 (2012 in Retrospect) ......................................................................40

Disclaimer: IIndia-Poland in Focus is a special publication. The magazine is produced to promote India’s bilateral ties with Poland. Every effort has been made to produce an error free magazine. It has no commercial value and is not for sale, only for private circulation. For

further information, kindly contact the Embassy of India in Warsaw, Poland.

Published by Krest Publications (New Delhi) in association with the Embassy of India (Warsaw)B-7/107A, Ground Floor Safdarjang Enclave ExtensionNew Delhi - 110029, IndiaTel: 91-11-4653 9323 Fax : 91-11-4610 5603E-mail: [email protected]

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Visual & Graphics: Hari Sharma

Prining: Rave India

4 India-Poland in Focus 2013

H.E. Mrs. Monika Kapil MohtaAmbassador of India to Poland

Excel lency, you have a challenging assignment of turning India-Poland bilateral ties into a strategic one. How do you plan to achieve it?

I n d i a a n d P o l a n d h a v e traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. The momentum in the relationship has been maintained through regular high level exchange of visits.

We attach great importance to all areas in our bilateral relations in all spheres, including political, economic, defence and cultural. Both our governments are working together to expand and strengthen our relations. We are doubling our trade by 2015, strengthening and diversifying our defence ties through greater military –to

-military cooperation and joint training programmes, deepening and widening our cultural interface through an extensive dialogue among our academics, scientists and artists. We are positiviely inclined towards building a solid, multifaceted relationship between India and Poland.

India sees Poland as a key partner in Europe. We are aware of Poland’s strategic location, its democratic credentials and economic strengths. Both our countries cherish values like democracy, freedom and liberty. This makes Poland an ideal partner for India in both bilateral and multilateral contexts.

Once popular Warsaw and New Delhi, are not so familiar

with each other. What is being done to popularize India in Poland and vice a versa?

This is not true. Both countries continue to maintain friendly relations which are manifested in regular exchanges of VIP visits, growing business and investment activities, academic interaction and cultural linkages in each others’ countries. The Mission has an ambitious programme of outreach activities across the country to generate and strengthen interest in India.

A recent interaction between Indian and Polish experts indicates that the relationship has been neglected for close to 20 years. What’s being done to galvanise ties?

“India Sees Poland a Key Partner in Europe”- Ambassador

Ambassador of India to Poland, H.E. Mrs. Monika Kapil Mohta in an exclusive interview with journalist Harun Riaz details her strategy to make Indo-Polish

ties progressive and prosperous

Exclusive Interview

5India-Poland in Focus 2013

I would by no stretch of imagination call it a neglected relationship. Our friendly bilateral relations have been further strengthened during the last 20 years also. The visits of President of India to Poland in April 2009, and of Polish PM to India in September 2010, FM Sikorski’s visit in 2011 and the recent visit of our Minister of State for External Affairs, Ms. Preneet Kaur to Poland in January 2013 have re-energised our ties. India and Poland have a multi-faceted relationship in many sectors – trade and investment, defence, academics, tourism, cultural interaction.

Can we expect a visit to Poland this year by External Affairs Minister, Mr. Salman Khurshid?

Minister of State for External Affairs, Ms. Preneet Kaur visited Poland in January 2013. The visit of External Affairs Minister of India to Poland would certainly be a huge step forward in strengthening our bonds. Such visits are usually worked out through the protocol of both countries on mutual convenient dates.

Both Indian and Polish economies have not been insulated from the global slowdown, with GDP growth in the vicinity of 5.3 and 2 percent respectively in 2012. In the current globalised environment, it is difficult to defy recessionary trends as the country’s economy is somewhat dovetailed with the global economy despite the fact that India’s growth is also largely propelled by our domestic market. Recent announcements in the Indian budget like postponement of GAAR to 2016 should allay the fears of foreign investors and help in speeding up the FDI.

The Indian investments in Poland are over USD 2.5 billion from Arcelor Mittal, Videocon, Escorts, Infosys, Uflex HCL, to name a few. The Polish companies

that operate in India include Torunskie Zaklady Materialow O p a t r u n k o w y c h ( T Z M O ) in Dindigul (manufacturing hygiene sanitary products), Can-Pack Poland in Aurangabad (manufacturing metal packaging), Inglot (cosmetic products) and Geofyzika (seismic surveys for oil companies). Indian and Polish corporate are increasingly looking at investments in each other’s countries.

The Polish public sector companies have, in the past, played a substantial role in development of mining and power sectors in India. It has collaborated in reorganization of some Indian collieries, besides supplying mining machinery, equipment, technical know-how and training. Poland has also been a major supplier of railway equipment, particularly wheels, axles and rails, as well as turbines and diesel engines to India. A number of merchant ships have also been delivered by the Gdansk shipyard. In recent years, Polish companies are providing technical services for oil and gas exploration projects in India, including Seismic Data Acquisition in the east coast of India.

During the recent official visit of Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt Preneet Kaur to Poland, India and Poland have signed a Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA), which should provide the right economic climate for furthering our economic engagement.

There have been business delegat ions vis i t ing India, including from the Polish regions of Lodz (Food processing, education, textiles, IT etc) and Malopolskie (BPO outsourcing, higher education, culture etc) to explore and further increase this economic cooperation and I hope that this should translate into

more Polish investments in the near future.

What is being done to popularize India as a popular tourist destination among potential Polish tourists?

There is tremendous goodwill for India and Indian people in Poland. We are constantly working towards building people-to-people contacts and to build greater awareness about India, its cultural heritage and for promotion of India as a tourist destination. The tourist traffic from Poland to India has grown manifold over recent years.

How easy or difficult it is to get Polish business via by Indian companies?

As already mentioned, the deepening economic engagement between India and Poland and awareness of Polish markets e c o n o m i c r e s i l i e n c e a n d attractiveness in weathering the global recession in 2008-09 has been stimulating demand for investments from Indian companies. The interest of Polish companies to invest in India is also increasing. This trend should see institutionalization of banking channels in future and an evolved financial architecture.

The issue of liberalized visa regime for businessmen has been taken up at the highest level with the Polish side. Poland joined the Schengen zone in 2007 and began to follow a somewhat more restrictive visa regime. As a result of growing Indian investments, a special procedure needs to be instituted for giving business visas to bonafide business persons.

Exclusive Interview


India and Poland: Vistas for Future Partnership

This is a post conference report edited by Patryk Kugiel of the Polish Institute of International Affairs. The conference was held in July 2012.

The Polish Institute of International Affairs, in cooperation with the

Indian Council of World Affairs, held the third bilateral seminar entitled India and Poland: Vistas for Future Partnership, on May 17, 2012. The event gathered around 50 diplomats, officials, analysts and academics from both countries, including Poland’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Jerzy Pomianowski, and the Indian Ambassador to Poland, H.E. Mrs. Monika Kapil Mohta.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss perspectives on s t rengthening bi lateral cooperation between Poland and India. The conference addressed the following three crucial issues: prospects for a

“strategic partnership”, defence and economic cooperation, and perceptions and policies regarding major regional and global challenges.

Key Conclusions and Policy Recommendations:

i) There is significant untapped potential for strategic, defence and economic cooperation between Poland and India. However, the idea of a strategic partnership between these countries seems premature, as India may not yet have an interest in or capacity to forge this kind of formal arrangement with Poland. Instead of high level political declarations, there is a need for closer day-to-day cooperation and

grassroots work to prepare the ground for a new chapter in bilateral ties. Both sides should engage more vigorously at three key levels: government to government, business to business and people to people contacts.

ii) Regular dialogue and exchange of visits must be continued and strengthened. High level visits play an important role in raising mutual visibility and the profiles of Poland and India as perspective partners, paving the way for closer collaboration in various areas. Also, a more active and effective role of Poland in forging EU external and strategic policy is necessary in order to increase a genuine interest of India in bilateral cooperation. Without a more influential voice on crucial issues in the EU policy towards India (FTA negotiations, UN reform, strategy on South Asia, counter-terrorism, etc.) there will be no added value for India in having a separate partnership with Poland.

iii) Economic cooperation shows the greatest potential for short-term improvements. Apart from traditional sectors (defence, mining, power) several new and innovative areas offer great opportunities for future cooperation. These include green technology a n d r e n e w a b l e s , j o i n t R&D, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, IT, and waste management and sanitation. Also an EU-India FTA may

Ambassador of India to Poland, H.E. Mrs. Monika Kapil Mohta in conversation with Poland’s Deputy Minister for

Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jerzy Pomianowski

Brainstorming


boost Poland-India trade and investments. To realise this potential, Poland may consider launching a new export promotion program targeting India exclusively (e.g., the GO India campaign) and India may think about new instruments (such as concessional loans, opening a Bank of Indiabranch in Poland) to recognise Poland as a prospective business destination.

iv) D e f e n c e a n d s e c u r i t y cooperation remains a pivotal area for bilateral cooperation. To increase chances of success on the Indian market Polish companies should work in cooperation with local partners (e.g., joint ventures), engage in joint R&D projects, including technology transfer, and seek specialised and smaller defence contracts. More joint military exerc ises , re inv igorated counter-terrorism cooperation and intelligence sharing may further build the confidence necessary for forging successful defence deals.

v) There is still little understanding and some misconceptions between Poland and India on a number of important issues in international relations. To bridge the knowledge gap,

both sides may intensify Track II diplomacy through more joint initiatives and exchange of experts, businessmen and civil society. A strengthened, upgraded and regular Poland-India Roundtable, comprising eminent f igures , fo rmer diplomats, and representatives of think-tanks, may become a major tool for forging common understanding and developing new initiatives on a wide range of issues of mutual concern. At the same time, new mechanisms of strategic dialogues between business communities (e.g., FICCI/CII and KIG), defence industries, and civil societies, may reinvigorate cooperation in specific areas.

vi) Stronger people to people ties are indispensible for an “enhanced partnership” between Poland and India. To empower social links there is an urgent need to liberalise the visa regime and improve the visa application procedure for Indian nationals. Strengthened c u l t u r a l c o o p e r a t i o n , educational exchanges and contacts between opinion leaders and journalists from both states would be essential in order to raise awareness about both partners. The

ambitious Polish Institute programme in New Delhi, new scholarship schemes for Indians, or a promotional programme presenting Poland as a tourist destination could all help to reinvigorate bilateral ties.

Towards a New Chapter in Poland-India relations

A general consensus among participants was that there is a significant untapped potential for closer strategic, defence and economic cooperation between Poland and India. The majority view was that Poland-India relations had been neglected during the last two decades, and that it is now an opportune time to open a new chapter in these relations. Poland is the fastest growing economy in the EU and has just successfully concluded its Presidency in the European Council. India is one of the world’s biggest economies, with a rapid average growth rate (8% GDP in the last decade), and is on a verge of becoming a global power. Proponents of closer engagement put forward the following arguments:

• Long history of friendly relations with no bilateral problems. Thanks to close links and a history of positive records in politics, economy, defence, education, and science during the Cold War era, there are favourable foundations on which strengthened ties can be built.

• Shared values and similar experiences. Both countries are committed to the principles of democracy, human rights and freedom, and both have gained valuable experience of transition to a market economy since the early 90s. Poland’s lack of a colonial past, and crucial historical similarities between Poland and India (long struggles for independence, experiments

Brainstorming


with socialism, non-violent movements such as Satyagraha and Solidarity, etc.) provide a strong foundation for friendly cooperation.

• Poland’s position as a regional leader. Poland is the sixth largest economy in the EU and India’s biggest trading partner in Central Europe. With i ts s t rong economic fundamentals and good growth prospects, it is prospective economic partner and investment destination in this part of the world. Being a new EU Member State with a voice that is being heard better in Brussels, it can also be more attractive for India as

Poland-India cooperation on strategic and global issues. Growing synergies of economic and political interests deserve closer evaluation.

On the other hand, several concerns about the limits for closer engagement were raised. Some of the important arguments were put forward in this context include:

•Lowpriority. Both countries have traditionally focused their foreign policies on their neighbourhoods and relations with global powers, naturally re legat ing Indian-Pol ish cooperation to lower positions on their respective agendas.

hampers more cooperation in many sectors.

• Structural differences. Huge discrepancies in population, size and potential economic and political – complicate joint actions in various fields. Apparently, it is more difficult for Poland, as a smaller partner, to attract attention from India and engage in cooperation as an equal. One question that still needs to be answered, is why India might be interested in a closer relationship with Poland.

Prospects for Strategic Partnership?

Although all delegates agreed there is a need to strengthen bilateral relations, there were s i gn i f i can t d i f f e r ences i n understanding of and approaches to the idea of a Poland-India strategic partnership between Polish and Indian participants. While Poland seems more ready for strategic partnership with India, the latter has many more reservations. Polish participants see this formal arrangement as an opportunity to upgrade bilateral ties and kick-start comprehensive cooperation on many levels, while Indians would see it rather as the final stage of already strong and robust relations. In other words, while Poland prefers a top-down approach to strengthening the relationship, India prefers a bottom-up approach, as the only route to a substantial and long-term partnership.

Representatives of Polish officials raised the opinion that relations between Poland and India “deserve a special framework in order to take advantage of their entire potential”. A formal partnership with India could help high-level dialogue to become more predictable and regular, and could serve as a useful political umbrella for economic cooperation. According to some views, India could be the second

an additional gateway to the European Union.

• Evolution of the international system. In the emerging multi-polar world order, India is to be among the global powers. However, its real influence will also depend on having close partners among regional leaders. Poland, which signed a strategic partnership with China in late 2011, is more willing to expand its presence in Asia and be more active globally. This opens new avenues for

Today there is also relatively little recognition of the value and potential of Warsaw in New Delhi, and vice versa.

•Low visibility. The limited level of political, economic and cultural interaction in the past two decades means that the majority of Indians do not have significant knowledge of Poland, and that India is relatively unknown to the wider Polish public. This knowledge gap preserves old stereotypes held in both nations, and

Brainstorming


pillar of Poland’s Asian policy, next to China. From the other perspective, Poland could become the fourth strategic partner for India in the EU (including the EU as a whole), but the first one in Central Europe.

Several arguments were presented in support of Poland’s value as a special partner for India, stating that Poland:

• is the largest economy and the most populous state in the region

• offers an increasingly attractive investment market

• has stable economic growth shares a democratic system

• is not part of the eurozone.

This argument was, however, confronted with more critical evaluation from Indian partners, who raised several doubts and concerns regarding Poland’s potential as a strategic partner for India. According to one, there are different motivations (economic, strategic, defence) behind India’s numerous strategic partnerships, but none of these plays an important role in relations with Poland. Current trade volume, although growing, is still relatively small; strategic interests do not always converge; and Poland’s growing influence within the EU is not clearly visible from New Delhi (except for the Eastern Partnership). Poland’s limited impact on important directions of European foreign policy (ESDP, strategy towards Asia, position on UN reform) makes many in India question what the additional value of a strategic partnership with Poland over that with the EU could be.

Other factors were presented as possible obstacles for a Poland-India partnership, including:

• problems with issuing visas for Indian nationals

• no direct flights between the two countries

• small Indian diaspora in Poland

• knowledge deficit and little mutual understanding

• l imited people-to-people contacts.

Discussions also raised the issue of India’s limited capacity to get involved in yet another strategic partnership. Indian speakers pointed at some internal constraints in India which may stand in the way of this partnership with Poland. The two most crucial issues suggested in this context were:

Strategic partnership fatigue. Having around 20 strategic partners, Indian politicians are already more reluctant to take on more commitments of this kind, and the concept of “strategic partnership” has itself come under critical evaluation in India in recent years. There is growing dis i l lusionment with the ef fect iveness and deliverables of many of India’s current partnerships. To many, this arrangement, although fashionable, now seems to be overused and lacking its original significance. The time when Indian politicians were ready to grant this status to many of its partners seems to have passed.

Limits of the Indian Foreign Service. Fact that Indian foreign service has not been expanded substantially during the past two decades – while Indian global influences and interests have been – make it overstretched

and not willing to take on more engagements. The management of so many strategic dialogues, high-level summits and sectoral consultations imposes extra burdens on Indian diplomacy, and makes it incapable of taking on new initiatives.

To sum up, although, Indian experts agreed that a strategic partnership could indeed help Indian-Polish relations in many fields, they recommended that, realistically, Poland needed to exercise more restraint and patience with this initiative. In their opinion, there is still need to do grassroots work and strengthen cooperation through day-to-day activities before a symbolic high-level declaration can be reached. To prepare the ground for a long-term and substantial strategic partnership, both sides must re-energise ties at three levels: government to government, business to business and people to people.

Bilateral defence cooperation

Defence procurements and mi l i tary cooperat ion were traditionally one of key areas of Indian-Polish relations. India is still one of the major export markets for Polish arms and, as the largest importer of armaments in 2011, this field offers even greater future prospects. Poland still enjoys a good reputation as a traditional arms supplier to India, and is expected to participate in the modernisation and up-grading of out-dated, post-Soviet


equipment and supply modern military equipment at competitive prices. Indian partners especially appreciate the willingness of Polish companies to engage not only in selling arms, but also in technology transfer and joint research and development.

Important barriers to prosperous cooperation in the defence sector lie, however, in the lengthy, and not always transparent procurement procedures, tough competition from the biggest arms exporters and special government track for the most important deals – often not accessible to Polish companies. In order to minimise these constraints, it was advised that Polish firms should find a niche in specialised equipment

There were also several new ideas for further boosting military and strategic cooperation:

• The first ever Polish-Indian exercises of Special Forces (“Tiger Claw”) took place in India in November 2011. This historic experience deserves continuation and expansion on other military branches.

• On-going defence dialogue needs to be intensified, and more exchanges of military visits are necessary in order to increase mutual understanding and explore new areas of cooperation.

• Poland and India should enhance counter-terrorism cooperation and intelligence sharing to improve their mutual

and assemblies (in aviation, optics, electronic warfare, etc.) and look for smaller opportunities rather than the biggest contracts. Also, joint ventures with Indian partners and constant presence andmarket surveys may increase chances for commercial success in India. According to one view, Poland may try to draw the attention of the Indian army to the equipment that has been well-tested in combat operations in Afghanistan, such as the Rosomak armoured vehicle.

security and build trust and confidence.

• In some views, another area of cooperation worth considering is collaboration in North Pole exploration.

Bilateral Economic Cooperation

The 2010 trade turnover of $ 1.3 billion, and minimal two-way FDIs, do not reflect the real potential of Poland and India, both being among world’s top 20

economies. While Polish business concentrates the majority of its activities in the EU and close neighbourhood, Indian experts admitted that Poland was not yet fully recognised in India as a business destination. It was pointed out that the areas with the best prospects for cooperation are defence, mining and exploration, machinery, green technology and renewables, joint R&D, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, IT, and waste management and sanitation. Poland, which the latest World Investment Report (2011) ranked sixth among the most attractive investment destinations in the world, should be considered more seriously by Indian companies.

According to the Polish Agency for Information and Investment (PAIiIZ) the major opportunities for cooperation with India lie in four sectors: supplying machinery and software the pharmaceutical industry and medical equipment, supplying equipment for food processing, and systems and technology transfer in clean energy. It was noted with regret, however, that PAIiIZ doesn’t run any promotional programme focused deliberately on the Indian market. More promotional activities both in Poland and India would be necessary in order encourage new initiatives in bilateral trade and investments. According to Indian partners, the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, once concluded, would also be a positive development and may rejuvenate Indian-Polish economic cooperation.

There were also some more specific ideas for strengthening economic ties put forward in this context, including: liberalisation and simplifying the visa regime, especially for business and tourist trips resumption of a direct flight connection between Poland and India intensification and broadening of dialogue

Brainstorming


between chambers of commerce and business communities

Poland and India’s Perspectives on Regional Challenges

Discussions about regional challenges focused on three current issues: the situation in Afghanistan, terrorism, and the Arab Spring. Opinions expressed during the conference displayed important differences between Poland and India in their respective worldviews. Being part of Europe, Poland shares the EU perception of threats on a number of issues (such as terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan, climate change, etc.), but these are not necessarily views shared by India. Having a diverse understanding of challenges, a common response to them often seems impossible. For example, India and Europe were for years incapable of engaging in closer cooperation and joint initiatives, despite the EU’s visible presence in Asia (Afghanistan, the Indian Ocean, Nepal, Sri Lanka).

It was noted that Poland usually adheres to the EU position on global affairs, which makes its voice less audible in New Delhi. This, according to one Indian speaker, decreases the value of Poland as an important partner, and weakens the added value of a bilateral strategic partnership over that which India already has with the EU. At the same time, Poland’s generally rising role in the EU, does not translate, from an Indian perspective, into more influence on the direction of important European foreign and security policy. Adherence to the common EU policy, often inconsistent or even absent, limits Poland’s room for manoeuvre. It was noted by one Polish speaker, for example, that this situation is taking place in South Asia, a region still waiting for a coherent and active EU strategy. This was, however, opposed by a different

view, that the lack of an EU strategy toward the region may actually free Poland to present its own propositions and play a more visible role in the region.

An example which most vividly exposed the differences between Poland and the EU and India was the reaction to the Arab Spring in 2011. While Poland was very active in making its response visible, and showed willingness to share its transition experience with Arab nations, India was more reluctant to take a clear position. The enthusiasm of Europeans for democratic changes in the region, and their belief that the end of dictatorships will lead to the growth of liberal democratic

societies, was not shared by Indians, who have had more doubts about the final outcome of the revolution. The Indian response was grounded in its traditional recognition that each society would have its own system of good governance and its own political system. In opposition to this, the EU reaction was seen in India as the “pursuance of political agenda behind the application of normative power”. The distinction also translates into a different understanding of the idea of promoting democracy.

India, in line with its long-held policy of non-interference and national sovereignty, takes the position that democracy cannot be imported from abroad, and any active support for democracy from outside is an aberration. This does not, however, exclude possible cooperation on concrete engagement in institution-building or state-building activities.

Concluding Remarks

The conclusions that some kind of “enhanced partnership” between Poland and India is possible, and that both countries should strengthen their cooperation across sectors, was unambiguous. Given the low level of current

interaction, and visible differences in opinion regarding many international issues, it may be premature to be talking about a “strategic partnership” at this point. Instead, there is a need for more meetings and cooperation at three levels: government to government, business to business and people to people. It was concluded that continuation of experts’ meetings, such as this one, between PISM and ICWA, is necessary in order to bridge the information gap and increase mutual understanding.

Brainstorming


Incredible India – New Horizons

Tourism in India continues to grow, both in volume and value. Foreign Tourist

Arrivals to the country registered a growth of 11.8% in 2010 as compared to the previous year and the period January to November of the year 2011 has registered a further growth of 9.4% in tourist arrivals. Foreign Exchange earnings in Rupee terms registered a growth of 18.1%

in 2010 as compared to 2009 and during the period January to November of the year 2011, there has been a further growth of 18.8% as compared to the same period in 2010. Domestic tourist visits during 2010 were recorded at 740.21 million, an increase of 10.7% as compared to the previous year.

The objective of the Ministry of

Tourism is to increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals to 1% by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan. For achieving this objective, it has stepped up its promotional activities in important as well as potential source markets overseas.

The Ministry participated in the Fete de Geneve (Geneva Festival) in Geneva from the 4th to 14th August 2011 where India was the Guest of Honour country. An Indian Village was set up, showcasing Yoga, Wellness, Culture and Cuisine. With the remarkable presence of India and its outstanding programme, the 2011 Geneva Festival was a great success with about 1.8 million local and international visitors. India hosted the PATA Travel Mart 2011 in New Delhi from the 6th to 9th September, 2011. The Mart was attended by 302 buyer and 625 sellers and delegates from all over the world representing tourism authorities, tour operators, travel trade and hospitality organisations, opinion makers and media. The Ministry also successfully participated in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2011, the international travel industry's premier business-to-

Yoga Classes in Rishikesh

Source: Press Information Bureau


business forum, held in London from 7th to 10th November 2011. The Ministry has launched a Global Television Campaign covering leading television channels the world over and a Global Print Campaign covering leading publications in the Europe, Asia Pacific and American Regions, under the ‘Incredible India’ brand line. The Incredible India campaigns have been very successful worldwide and have won several international accolades over the years.

Important awards won during 2011 are - PATA Gold Award 2011 for Marketing Media-Travel Advertisement Print Media for Incredible India domestic campaign creative “Adventure Down Under”; PATA Gold Award 2011 for Marketing Media- Promotional Travel Video for promotional film “India is Awesome”; and World Travel Award 2011 for “Leading Destination” and “Leading Tourism Board”.

The Ministry of Tourism is also taking initiatives with other Central Government Ministries, State Governments and other S t a k e h o l d e r s t o a c h i e v e convergence and synergy for the development and promotion of Tourism. It has successfully collaborated with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Gem & Jewel le ry Export Promotion Council. A Memorandum of Understanding has also been renewed with the ‘Experience India Society’, an initiative of leading hotel chains and tour operators to promote India through a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.

Due to the efforts of the Ministry, an Inter-ministerial Coordination Committee for the Tourism Sector has been set up under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary to PM. The Committee

Foreign tourists in India

Hachiko-Tourism Partner of Agritourism, India

will facilitate resolution of inter-ministerial issues involved in the development of tourism in the country, as well as issues raised by industry associations in the tourism sector.

One aspect that has impacted tourism in our country, both international and domestic, relates to unsatisfactory hygiene and cleanliness at important tourist destinations. The Ministry has taken the initiative to put in

place a comprehensive strategy to effect cleanliness at tourist destinations under the “Campaign Clean India”. The Campaign will employ a balance of persuasion, education, sensitization, training, demonstration and regulation for achieving its goal and will be implemented in collaboration with other Central and State Government Ministries, the Corporate Sector, Travel Trade, NGOs, Educational Institutions, Media and Stakeholders.

Tourism


India and Poland sign audio visual coproduction agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation in the films sector

India and Poland to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation in the Cinema Sector

India and Poland have signed an Audio visual Co-production Agreement. The

Agreement was signed between Smt. Ambika Soni, former Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Mr. B. Zdrojewski, Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Polish Government at W a r s a w . T h e a g r e e m e n t establishes a legal framework for relations regarding audio visual co-production, especially films including animation & documentary films for the cinema and TV, as well as films intended solely for dissemination on analogue or digital data carriers. The agreement shall remain in force for a period of five years from the date of its entry into force.

Internet may build a new society or destroy us: Krzysztof Zanussi (from L-R) Director, IFFI, Shanker Mohan, Krzysztof Zanussi, Director Polish Film, Anna Bromley and Director PIB, (M&C), Manisha Verma

The agreement shall remain in force for a period of five years from the date of its entry into force

Bilateral Ties


The signing of the Agreement ensures better partnership and collaboration between enterprises and institutions which produce, distr ibute and disseminate films. The Inter-governmental co-production agreements are umbrella agreements, under which private, quasi-government or governmental agencies enter into contracts to produce films together. The films so produced are treated as national films in both countries and such films cannot be treated differently from a domestically produced film in each of the co-producing countries. The umbrella agreement lays down the extent of financial contributions (usually ranging between 20 - 80%), the need for both co-producers to make

Chai n Chat Session - discussion with the International Jury : Gautam Ghosh- Jury President (India), Derel Malcolm(UK), Anamaria Marinca(Romania), Lech Majeski (Poland), Malani Fonseka (Sri Lanka), at the 43rd

International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2012), in Panaji, Goa on November 27, 2012

effective contributions, modalities of sharing honours and prizes and exporting films etc.

One of the key highlights of the Agreement is the coverage of filming and animation work, including the storyboard, layout, key animation and in between as well as sound recording. The purview of the Agreement also covers laboratory processing a c t i v i t i e s a n d f a c i l i t a t e s movement of film equipment and associated infrastructure required for co-production. The Agreement would also facilitate p roduce r s , s c r eenwr i t e r s , directors, technicians, actors and other specified personnel to enter and briefly stay in each other’s country.

The Film sectors in both the countries stand to gain immensely through this Agreement. Both the nations have a long history of cinema which extends to several platforms including the International Films Festival at Goa. During the last IFFI, honouring the elevated position that the Polish Film Industry commands across world cinema, a package titled ‘Spotlight on Poland’ was organized. The festival showcased a collection of films of repute from the Polish film industry released during the previous year. Some of the prominent films screened included “Made in Poland”, “The Winner” and “My Name is Ki”.

Source: Press Information Bureau


It is a song that is sung on every patriotic occasion, had moved India's first prime

minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and its strong morale-boosting words provided solace to a nation agonized by the defeat in the 1962 India-China war.

"Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" (O people of my land), penned by National Poet Pradeep, was written shortly after the war and served to unite the masses who were seething with rage over the battering the Indian forces received.

The distinguished audience i n c l u d e d p r e s i d e n t S . Radhakrishnan, prime minister Nehru, cabinet ministers, virtually the entire film industry comprising stalwarts like Dilip Kumar and late actors Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, singers Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar and many more.

"Unfortunately, Pradeep was not invited. When Nehru visited Mumbai three months later - on March 21, 1963 - my father sang it specially for him at a function at R.M. High School here and also

Patriotic Song 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" Turns 50

By Quaid NajmiIndo-Asian News Service

"must play" at all major national celebrations and events.

There's an interesting story behind the song's origin.

Pradeep, who was as despondent as every other Indian after the 1962 war, was walking the Mahim beach in Mumbai when the words suddenly came to him. He borrowed a pen from a fellow walker, wripped out the foil from his cigarette packet and penned the first stanza: "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon/Aankhon Me Bhar Lo Paani/Jo Shaheed Huei Hai Unki/Zara Yaad Karo Kurbani".

Some weeks later producer Mehboob Khan approached him for an opening song for a fund-raiser he was organising at the Nation Stadium. Pradeep said he would do so but would not reveal any details. He then roped in Lata Mangeshkar and music director C. Ramchandra and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mi tu l recounted how Lata Mangeshkar narrowly missed singing "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon".

"Due to some misunderstanding between Ramchandra and Lata-didi, it was to be sung by Asha Bhosale. However, my father felt nobody except Lata-didi could do justice to it. He even personally convinced her and she agreed to sing it. But with a rider - Pradeep must be present at the rehearsals!"

Pradeep, (whose 98th birth anniversary will be observed next month), was born Ramchandra Narayanji Dwivedi on Feb. 6, 1915 in Badnagar (near Ujjain) in what is now Madhya Pradesh.

Pradeep presents manuscript of “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon” to Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru at R.M. School, Mumbai, March 21, 1963

"Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon", perhaps revered next only to the National Anthem ("Jana Gana Mana") and the National Song ("Vande Mataram"), as also "Saare Jahan Se Aacha", was first rendered before a packed National Stadium in the capital on a cold Jan. 27 evening exactly 50 years ago - by Lata Mangeshkar.

presented the original handwritten poem to him," his artist daughter, Mitul told IANS.

A tribute to the war heroes and martyrs, the song enabled the young and the old to control and overcome the anger of defeat. Its popularity continues unabated after 50 years - and remains a

India Feature


From his early days, Dwivedi displayed a patriotic fervor which continued in college and in later life. He penned around 1,700 poems and songs for 72 movies.

"Nobody can make you patriotic," It's in your blood. It is how you bring it out to serve the country that makes you different," Pradeep once told this writer in 1987 during a free-wheeling interview at his Vile Parle bungalow.

After graduating in 1939, he became a teacher, but continued his passion - writing and singing poems at various concerts and programs, adopting the pen-name 'Pradeep' (Light). At one such function in Mumbai, he was offered his first film, "Kangan" (1939) as a lyricist.

However, it was a patriotic song in "Bandhan" (1940), "Chal Chal Re Naujawan," which became hugely popular and he was widely noticed as the freedom movement was just cresting.

Three years later, "Door Hato Ae Duniyawalon", a nationalistic song in "Kismet" catapulted him to national fame. Though strict British censors innocently cleared it, belated realization dawned on the song's implications. "They promptly ordered his arrest and he went underground for a year," Mitul said.

Since "Bandhan", Pradeep never looked back, and like a patriotic soldier armed with a pen, he continued raising the nationalist fervor among the masses with his songs.

Some of the notable ones include "Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikyayen Zhanki Hindustan Ki", "Hum Laye Hain Toofan Se Kishti Nikal Ke, Is Desh Ko Rakhna Mere Bachchon Sambhal Ke," "De Di Hame Azaadi Bina Khadag Bina Dhal, Sabarmati Ke Sant Tune Kar Diya Kamaal," (all from "Jagriti', including one as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi), "Upar Gagan Vishal," ("Mashal"), "Dekh Tere Sansarki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan," ("Nastik").

Mitul (56) and elder sister Sargam (66) proudly recall that in those days, audiences all over used to demand encores as Pradeep's songs were played in cinemas and the projectionists used to repeatedly rewind them.

By the mid-1960s, as the country slowly progressed, patriotic songs were edged out by fast, pacy, disco numbers both in the Hindi film industry and in poetry.

On the wane, Pradeep suddenly bounced back onto the central stage with S. Mukherji's "Sambandh" (1969), giving superhit numbers in tune with the audiences' likings - including the immortal "Chal Akela, Chal Akela, Tera Mela Peechhe Chhoota" rendered by Mukesh to O.P. Nayyar's music.

In 1975, he achieved a second peak in his career with "Jai Santoshi Maa" and his title number, "Main To Aarti Utaroon Re, Santoshi Mata Ki" becoming a religious rage in the country and broke all records.

In 1958, music giant HMV released an album with 13 of Pradeep's patriotic numbers and he was conferred the title of Rashtra Kavi (National Poet).

He later became Kavi Pradeep and was showered with honours and awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award-1997, a year before his demise on Dec. 11, 1998.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at [email protected])

Pradeep sings “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon” before Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at R.M. School, Mumbai, March 21, 1963

Pradeep with his wife Bhadra, and two daughters Mitul & Sargam in Mumbai-1995


India Constitutes for Poland one of the Main Markets for Investment Export

Po l a n d i s a m o d e l example of successful transformations. Today,

it is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. Cooperation with India is a very important e lement o f Pol i sh fore ign economic policy. Polish-Indian economic ties are improving and the bilateral trade is growing.

India constitutes for Poland one of the main markets for investment export, particularly in mining and energy. Indian entrepreneurs are investing in Poland chiefly in the branches of new technology, IT, outsourcing, cars, machines and steel production. The largest Indian investors in Poland are the Videocon Group (with an annual turnover of more than 4 billion USD), owner of the cathode factory in Piaseczno; the firm Eskorts Farmtrac Tractors Europe, producing agricultural machines in Mrągowo; the Reliance Industries

Group, producing textured polyester fibre in Zielona Góra; Essel Propack, a leading producer of plastic packing tubes; M/s Varroc Engineering, producing steel parts and sub-assemblies for the automotive branch in Warsaw; Berger Paints, making internal heating systems for buildings, in Żywiec; Novo Tech, Ltd., a company created by Time Technoplast, Ltd in Mumbai for the production of automotive parts and accessories and consumer products from polymers; Lambda Therapeutics Research; and the pharmaceuticals firm Strides Arcolab.

The most numerous group of investors comprises IT companies: VSNL Teleglobe International Escorts Farmtrac Tractors Europe

Source: THINKTANK (Poland)

Business Report


Holdings, KPIT Cummins, Zensar Technology; Genpact, HCL Technologies, Infosys, WIPRO, Irena, Intelenet Global and CSS. In addition, Tata Motors, Tata Tetley and Tata Consultancy Services, Sylvania Havells India (producer of lighting systems), Jindal Stainless Ltd (a steel producer) and two pharmaceutical firms, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Ranbaxy, have direct 41representatives in Poland.

Factors favouring the growth of Polish-Indian cooperation:

• AlargeIndianmarket(over1.2billion consumers) and Polish participation in the European single market (over 500 million consumers)

•HighGDPgrowth inIndia(ayearly average of 8%) and a good growth in Poland (1.8%)

•Developed trade cooperationbetween India and EU countries and upcoming finalization of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two unions

• Theneedformodernizationandgoods in India’s agricultural sector in conjunction with the

unused production potential of the Polish agricultural sector

•Growing consumption inIndian society, including in the countryside

•Goodbilateralcontactsatthecentral and local government levels

• In c r ea s ed p r omo t i ona la c t i v e n e s s o f P o l i s h voivodeships and business

organizations, financed in part through EU funds

•Goodbilateralrelationsduringthe Cold War period, thanks to which Polish engineers and technologies are still appreciated in India; many people involved in realising of large-scale industrial projects in India (in the power industry, for instant), remain professionally active in Poland

• Common exper iences inemerging from a centrally planned economy and building a free market

• The shared national traitso f e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p , resourcefulness and the ability to find one’s way in different situations (the Indian ‘jugaad’ and the famous ‘Polish plumber’)

• The shared values of bothnations in regards to family, interpersonal relations and respect for the elderly

• Society in both countries isaccustomed to, and accepting of, continual change, and has thirst for success

•Knowledge ofEnglish amonga large segment of the Polish and Indian populations.

Essel PROPACK POLAND is the largest and most modern of more than twenty factories Essel Group's Indian PROPACK

Business Report


Małopolska: as Incredible as India!

It’s presumably the most attractive region of Poland, lying along the southern border, surrounded by

Slovakia. Not only historic Krakow, the gem of Polish cities, draws the attention of tourists. There are breathtaking mountains along the southern edge, such as the Tatra, Alpine massive with the highest peak of the country, lovely and rural Beskid Sadecki or picturesque Pieniny. There are popular resorts there, with Zakopane being the unofficial capital of winter sports. Jura Krakowsko-

students and where tourists can admire the Royal Castle on the Wawel Hill, the historic Old Town, the bustling Kazimierz district, and museums, galleries, theatres and musical venues. Kraków-Balice, Poland’s second largest airport serves 3 million passengers a year and has direct air connections to the majority of European countries.

Małopolska attaches great

courses, waterways for canoeing, and stables.

One of Małopolska’s majoradvantages is its human resource potential. Over 10 per cent of the region’s inhabitants have a higher education. 13 per cent of Polish scientists work in learning institutions in Małopolska, andexpenditures on the research and development sector are the second highest in the country. Testing of Małopolskastudentshasshownthatas many as 65 per cent of youths are able to speak English, and German, Russian and French are also widely known.34Małopolskainstitutionsof higher learning are educating future personnel in the areas of technology, economics, medicine and the humanities.

Małopolska maintains partnercontacts with many regions of the world. Among these is the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with its capital of Hyderabad. Since 2005, the region has organised three economic missions to India: to Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Around 70 meetings took place with Indian firms in the IT sector and with representatives of the Andhra Pradesh State Government and the Government of India. Representatives of Małopolskabusiness took part in the Polish-Indian IT Workshop in Kraków (2005), in the seminar ‘Poland – Your Partner in the EU’ in Mumbai (2009), and in the Polish-Indian Investment Forum in Bangalore (2010).

The Indian f i lm industry is also showing great interest in Małopolska. In 2010, the firstBol lywood superproduct ion, Mujjahir (premiering in India in 2011 with the title Azaan) was filmed. A new Indian film, Saguni, released in June, 2012 was also shot in Krakow.

Czestochowska in the northern area of the Province is a paradise for climbers due to the amazing rock formations, some of them topped with castle ruins. Two other places not to be missed await near Krakow – an outstanding salts mine in Wieliczka and the former concentration camp of Auschwitz, a site for memory and reflection.

The region has around 3.2 million inhabitants, and an area of 15.2 thousand square kilometers. The cradle of the Polish state, it is a city which has over 200,000 university

weight to protecting the natural environment. There are six national parks here, as well as numerous scenic parks and nature reserves. Eight historic sites in Małopolska (includingthe Old Town in Kraków, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp) have been registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List of cultural and natural properties. Małopolska is traditionally aplace for enthusiasts of winter sports, mountain climbing, mountain tourism, bicycling and water tourism. There are golf

Tourism


Indo-European Center: A Bridge Between Poland, India and EU

The first destination of Indian students, scholars and business elites is

USA or other English speaking countries. Every year 10 times more Indians choose the USA over Europe for higher education and research projects. Which shows EU is not favorable destination among Indians for research and business, because of limited knowledge of these countries. Relation between India and Poland are very old but without economic cooperation due to the narrow knowledge of India in Poland.

Thus, the Vistula University took initiative to start a new educational and research center as Indo-European Center. Indo-European Center at Vistula University is committed to reduce and remove these barriers between India, Poland and European Union by establishing a research center at Vistula University on the basis of collaboration with highly reputed universities and business advisors from India and European Union.

From a modest beginning in March 2011, Indo-European Center has epitomized excellence in research and cooperation with Indian and European Universities. The center has traversed many boundaries to develop its own expertise in Indo-Polish and Indo-European relations and research.

The Indo-European Centre is to admit 300 students from India in

the next three years consequently co-operation between Indian secondary schools and higher education institutions. At present, there are 400 foreigners at Vistula University from such countries as Turkey, Venezuela, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Byelorus and Russia.

Vistula Univers i ty ’s Indo-European Centre co-operates with 8 prestigious universities and 3 secondary schools in India. These are among others: Institute of Management and Technology of Ghaziabad, A. P. Law University of Tamil Nadu or ASM’s Institute of Business Management and Research (IBMR) of Pune. As a result of this co-operation, all the above mentioned institutions will send a group of 20-30 students to Vistula University as well as other universities in Europe.

Presently, Polish universities are not attractive for students from India. Due to this, only several people from this area study in Poland – including seven s tudents a t Vis tu la University. It is planned that 60-70 students from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan will be admitted at the beginning of academic year 2013. Students from India who decide to study at Vistula University may also take part in the Erasmus programme. Through such exchanges, University gives them opportunity to spend a

few months at universities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain or the Great Britain.

Promoting Poland and Polish education in India

The aim of the Centre is to strengthen the relations between Poland and India. The Centre’s main objective is to promote Vistula University and Polish system of education in India. The Centre is run by Pradeep Kumar who comes from India and who has lived in Poland since 2008. Poland is still unfamiliar to Indian people. The same is with Polish system of education. The system of Polish higher education is exceptional in terms of its high quality of educational services and programmes of studies which enable the students to develop their competences very fast.

The activity of the Centre is also focused on scientific co-operation between Vistula University and Indian universities. Its objective is to integrate professors by joint organisation of conferences and publication of research papers. Last year, the Centre organized six conferences and published four books in co-operation with Indian universities. This co-operation is not only to attract Indian students to Polish universities, but also to join universities of both countries in the field of research and educational projects.

Source; http://iec.vistula.edu.pl

Research Centre


Technocity - A Major Landmark in India's IT Scenario

By Jacob Abraham Press Information Bureau

A landmark-in-the-making in the Indian IT scenario of India, Technocity

of Thiruvananthapuram is fast evolving into the hub of global convergence with the expected arrival of big-time brands of the industry to set up their production centers, training campuses, development institutions and assorted other initiatives in the picturesque technopolis in the Pallippuram area of Thiruvananthapuram district.

“Our schedules are in the right track with enquires pouring in

The shaping up process of Technocity is currently in progress, with the masterplan ready for take off, offering state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for intending investors. Technocity, when fully commissioned will be an integrated IT township, spread across about 432 acres, which includes not just space for IT/ITES firms but also residential, commercial, hospitality, medical and educational facilities. The project will be a self-dependent satell i te city, which would not strain the resources and infrastructure of the city of Thiruvananthapuram.

Re-engineering, Animation and e-business. The firms will include domestic companies as well as subsidiaries of multi-national organisations.

Technocity provides all the infrastructure and support facilities needed for IT/ITES and electronics companies to function as well as for their employees to enjoy world-class lifestyles. In addition, Technocity, like Technopark, will provide business incubation facilities.

Techno city will have up to 25 million square feet of built-up space within multiple buildings for its tenant organisations. Technocity is being developed as an Integrated Township and it will include residential space, commercial space, retail facilities, multiplexes, hospitals and schools. This will enable employees in the companies at Technocity to enjoy a world-class lifestyle within walking distance of their offices.

Thiruvananthapuram is connected to the National Internet Backbone and Technocity will be serviced by a variety of bandwidth providers, including Reliance Infocomm, Bharti Airtel, Videsh Sanchar Nigam and Asianet Dataline, through fibre optic lines in the Campus.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd(TCS) are in the process of setting up Asia’s largest training centre which can train and accommodate 16,000 employees at any time in 82 acres of land already allotted to them. TCS already has their Global

from across the world seeking info on investment potential and possibilities”, observes CEO-Technopark. “Mentored and nurtured by TeamTechnopark, Technocity, when it takes its final shape, will be a valuable asset to the State as also to the nation”, adds Sr. Manager-Business Development.

The units in Technocity will inc lude a wide var ie ty of companies engaged in a range of activities, such as Embedded Software Development, Enterprise Resource P lanning (ERP) , Process Control Software Design, Engineering & Computer-aided Design Software Development, IT Enabled Services (ITES), Process

Artist's Impression of Technocity

India Feature

Learning Centre operational from Technopark Phase I. The Software Development Centre to accommodate around 10,000 professionals are getting ready in Technopark Phase I.

Infosys is in the process of setting up their next development centre in the 50 acres SEZ land allotted to them. Infosys already operates from Technopark Phase-I and Phase II. The third Software Development Block as well as

land allotted to them. Technopark is developing a 50 acre Special Economic Zone in Technocity.

Technopark was set up under the auspices of Electronics Technology Park, Kerala, an autonomous body under the Department of Information Technology Government of Kerala. The park is home to over 240 companies employing more than 32000 professionals. Technopark's aim was to create infrastructure and

provide support required for the development of high technology companies.

The park is growing steadily both in size and employee strength. Park centre, Pampa and Periyar were the only buildings in the beginning. The total land available with Technopark is about 771.54 acres. The land available with Technopark for phase one, phase two and phase three is about 326.54 acres leaving the rest of the land to Technocity. Technopark has periodically added new buildings such as Nila, Gayathri and Bhavani. With the inauguration of the 850,000 sq.ft. Thejaswini in February, 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India. It has become the single largest source of employment in Kerala, with over 32000 people working directly in 240 companies in the facility itself and creating Rs. 2000 crore turnover with export earnings of Rs. 1977.32 crore during 2010-11.

*Deputy Director, PIB, Thiruvananthapuram.

the multi-level car park building is getting ready in the Phase II Campus.

Technocity will host at least two important educational and research institutes: The Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management–Kerala (IIITM–K) and The Asian School of Business (ASB) which has already started operations for its campus in Technocity, while IIITM-K is in the process of setting up their campus in the 10 acres of

Technopark


Poland Pays Tribute to Actress Smita Patil

Smita Patil was regarded as "the queen of parallel cinema" in India during her

short carreer in mid-70s to 80s. She died in 1986 when she was only 31 shortly after childbirth. She was married to actor Raj Babbar. Her son, Prateek Babbar, is a talented actor.

The Polish Film Institute and the Indian Embassy in Warsaw, with the help of Indian Film Directorate, organised Smita Patil Retrospect. A similar festival was held earlier in a medieval Polish town, Torun.

The programme coincided with the festival of '100 Years of Indian Cinema Week'.

The organisers screened Smita's famous films like Bhumika, Manthan, Mirch Masala, Sadgati and Umbratta. The artistic crowd in both the cities were charmed by her histrionic heights.

"We in Poland are attuned to Bollywood movies such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara among others. Now we realise the importance of Indian parallel cinema movement in the last twenty five years of the 20th century," said Jacek Bromski, president of the Association of Polish Filmmakers.

"These Indian movies are no less artistic and realistic than our movies made by Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi and Roman Polanski. No doubt Smita was a shining star in that age and that is visible from senstive films," Bromski said.

In the beginning, Smita was promoted to art movies first by Shaym Benegal and then by Govind Nahilani in his films Aakrosh and Ardh Satya.

She did few Bollywood films like Namak Halal with Amitabh Bachchan, Aakhir Kyun with Rajesh Khanna and Anand Aur Anand with Dev Anand.

Addressing the audience at the inaguration ceremony, Govind Nahilani said: "Smita was one of the most talented actresses of her time. She was very senstitive used to go deep in her role without much rehearsal. Both in her personal life as well as in cinematic life she was very honest and candid. She had tremendous commitment to social cinema as well as to Indian society."

Smita's sister Manya Patil, who is the president of Smita Patil Foundation, came specially for these two occasions.

Smita was very fond of Poland as she had visited the country in a film delegation in 1980.

"She wanted to come to Poland again but it was not to be because of her sudden death. It is because of her affection for Poland that I agreed to have this programme Smita Patil Retrospect with the help of Indian Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta, who is also a great fan of her," Manya said.

"This is for the first time that I have organised such a programme outside India," she added.

Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the Indo-Polish Cultural Committee said: "Fate had snached such a talented actress at her prime. I feel as if future had betrayed us otherwise we would have got many more powerful movies from Smita."

Krzyzowski, a noted indologist along with an Indian Urdu poet, based in Warsaw had brought out an anthology of Bollywood poetry four years ago in Polish language.

Anna Bem, an Indophile, who had met Smita when she had come to Poland in 1980, has sweet memories of her meeting.

"Smita was very unassuming and warm person. She was never in a hurry to impress people. We chatted for a long time on art movies as I could communicate with her because I was teacher of English literature and a professional interpretator," said Bem, who is now married to an Indian professor.

Source : Indo Asian News Service

Poland pays tribute to legendary actress Smita Patil

News Report


A School in Warsaw named after Maharaja of Jamnagar

However, once inside the building, one is transported to different

s u r r o u n d i n g s . N u m e r o u s pictures of Indian monuments and landscape, wall graffiti depicting classical dance and rangoli, dozens of handicrafts and decoration items, Tibetan Thangka paintings, classrooms with bright motifs and paintings, pictures of Indian gods and goddesses adorning the walls of the school office makes one wonder whether one is still in Warsaw.

The reason for the special emphasis on India and its culture goes back to an important phase of Polish history prior to World War II. The legacy of the kindness shown by an Indian ruler decades ago continues in this school — thousands of kilometers away from India.

How did a ruler so far away earn the respect and honour of the school and is still remembered today? The Friends of India Education Foundation that runs this school named it after Jamsaheb Digvijay Singh Jadeja, the former ruler of the princely state of Nawanagar in the Kathiawar region of present-day Gujarat as a tribute to his love and kindness shown to Polish refugees in the 1940s.

The school has a unique form of functioning. It has a constitution, the executive, judiciary and legislature comprising students, parents and teachers that administer the “school republic” in a democratic manner. The school today has dif ferent

premises for primary, secondary and International Baccalaureate (IB) sections spread across the city. Interestingly, Digvijay Singh was declared the patron saint of this school after the school community consisting of parents, students and teachers conducted a referendum in June 1999 and overwhelmingly approved the move.

During World War II, the then Jam Sahib of Jamnagar extended hospitality to some 5,000 Polish orphans deported from Siberia, former Soviet Union. The first group of children arrived in Balachadi, near Jamnagar in July 1942, and since then until 1946 about 1000 of them lived there. At that time several Polish schools, kindergartens and colleges for teachers were founded and the children discovered India as their new home. The Maharaja is still remembered by Polish people to have said to them: “As you have no parents, here in India, I shall become your father”. He kept his promise and the kids started their new life. After the World War the

Polish Children of Jamnagar formed the World Association of Poles from India, which now has 400 members in several countries. The Association organizes a Congress every two years, the last being held in Poland in May 2008. Some film producers from Poland have also come up with the idea to shoot a film “Bapu means Father” based on the real story of Jamnagar children.

The legacy of kindness experienced in India is still in the heart of Polish people. The school provides free education to the children of refugees in Poland from Chechnya, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Tibet and African countries.

At first glance, it looks like any school in Warsaw, Poland

Bilateral Ties


Maharaja Honoured with Warsaw Plaza

A maharaja who provided a safe haven for 500 Polish orphans during World War II has been posthumously honoured with a square in Warsaw

The Warsaw City Council passed a resolution on 1st June, 2012 in favour of the

motion, following a campaign led by the Poland-Asia Research Center (CSPA).

A square in the Ochota district of central Warsaw has been chosen in honour of the late Indian prince, who died in 1966.

Owing to the difficulties in pronouncing the prince's full name - Jam Sri Digvijaysinhji

Ranjitsinhji Jadeja – it has been decided that the site will simply be called "the Square of the Good Maharaja."

Born in 1895, the monarch served as the Maharaja of Nawanagar from 1933 to 1947.

Nawanagar, which is today a part of north western India, was then one of the 565 princely states that were technically - although not in practice - independent from British rule in India.

The future ruler was educated at a boarding school in Great Britain, and his uncle, the previous Maharaja of Nawanagar, had been one of England's most celebrated cricketers.

A Saviour During the Second World War

After war broke out in September 1939, the maharaja was chosen as a member of Winston Churchill's Imperial War Cabinet.

By Nick Hodge

The Maharaja of Nawanagar with Polish orphans, Jamnagar

Bilateral Ties


His role in helping the Polish orphans came about as a result of the highly awkward alliance between the Western Powers and Soviet Russia.

Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia had divided up Poland in 1939, and in the Russian partition, several hundred thousand Poles – including women and children - were deported by Stalin to the depths of the Soviet Union.

However, when Hitler turned on his Russian ally, launching Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Stalin was compelled to make an alliance with Great Britain and Poland - the Polish government-in-exile was in London at this time.

Stalin announced an amnesty for his Polish prisoners, and the enormous task of attempting to transport the scattered captives out of the Soviet Union was set in motion.

General Wladyslaw Anders, himself freshly released from captivity, began forming a prospective army of Polish soldiers from the deportees.

The Maharaja of Nawanagar became a rallying figure in solving the plight of the many children and women caught up in the conflict.

He was the first Indian to offer to help Polish children who had been deported to Siberia, Kazakhstan and elsewhere.

Premises by the maharaja's summer palace at Balachadi, on the coast of Nawanagar, were prepared in cooperation with the Polish government-in-exile, and as many as 500 orphans were transported there.

Speaking in November 1942, the maharaja expressed his hopes that in "the beautiful hills beside the seashore, the children will be able to recover their health and

to forget the ordeal they went through.”

The children remained there throughout the war, and they came to call the prince “Bapu” (father). A school was set up at the site, run by delegates of the Polish government-in-exile.

Meanwhile, other Polish children found refuge in Africa and New Zealand, (the latter thanks to the intervention of New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser).

However, a considerable number of the orphans did resettle in their native land.

Nevertheless, the deportations to Siberia, which had been carried out by the Soviet government, were a taboo subject in communist Poland.

As a result of this, the maharaja was not honoured by the authoriries of communist Poland.

The moving spirit behind the recent campaign has been

a second settlement of over 5000 displaced Poles was also created in the Indian principality of Kolhapur, at Valvivade, where Poles of all age-groups found refuge.

Full Circle

Many of the adult deportees – likewise the soldiers of General Anders - did not return to Poland after the war, owing to the installation of a communist government in the country.

Krzysztof Iwanek of the Poland-Asia Research Center.

Cooperating with the Association of Poles in India 1942-1948, the CSPA achieved its first goal in February this year, when the Indian prince was posthumously awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit by President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Krysztof Iwanek hopes that the maharaja's good deeds will now hold a permanent place in Polish historiography.

Bilateral Ties


Temi Tea – The Flavor of Sikkim By Khagendramani Pradhan*

Amidst the backdrop of picturesque and mighty Mt. Khanchan Dzonga

refreshed by the gentle breeze of river Teesta brews the morning sip of Sikkim – the Temi tea. Spread over 180 hectares of gentle slope with altitude ranging from 4500 to 6316 feet, the Temi tea garden produces one of the finest orthodox tea that promises the appreciation of tea connoisseur.

The Temi Tea es ta te was established in 1969 during the erstwhile regime of Chogyal and the commercial production started in the year 1977. In the year 1974 Tea board was formed to govern the day to day functioning of the estate and later it went on to become the subsidiary of Industries Department under Sikkim government. Temi Tea

which apart from providing direct employment to over four hundred labors and thirty personnel, also is a major employer in the Government sector.

The gentle slopes that originate from the Tendong hill range has loamy soils condition with slope of 30–50% that suits best for tea plantation and produces nearly 100 tons of tea annually. Although the quantity of produce may seem insignificant in terms of major tea producing estates, the quality and the flavor it produces has been able to win the heart of tea aficionados within India and the world.

The tea produced by the Temi Tea estate is packaged under many brand names like "Temi Tea" which is of the best quality

consisting of pure tea golden flowery orange pekoe. The next in quality is the popular brand of 'Sikkim Solja' followed by 'Mystique' and 'Kanchanjunga Tea'. It is also sold in the form of 'Orthodox dust tea'. While nearly 70 percent of the produce is sold in public auction at Kolkata through its authorized broker, the rest is converted into retail packets and sold in the local market.

The geographical location and the young plantation supplemented by organic method of production have further added to the value and flavor of tea leaves produced from this estate. Temi Tea garden closely followed the guidelines issued by IMO,Switzerland and with the completion of observation period, Temi Tea Estate was certified 100 percent organic

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by IMO India, a member group of IMO Switzerland in 2008. In addition, it is also a HACCP certified estate as per ISO -22000 standard under Food Safety Management System ensuring finest of quality product reaching the market. It may be noted that Temi tea garden is also the recipient of All India Quality Award from Tea Board of India for the two consecutive years.

The conversion of entire production process from conventional to organic with inputs like bio-fertilizers and pesticides like vermin-compost manure, neem cakes and castor cakes, have not only opened bigger market in international market, but has also seen a surge in demand amongst the tourist visiting Sikkim. Nearly one hundred acres of forest land at its disposal amply supplies the bio-mass to the estate making it self-reliant for required inputs.

By abandoning the use of agro-chemical and adopting organic means of production, the Temi tea estate has not only curtailed the cost of production, but also has opened wider arena of market preferring organic produce free from harmful chemicals. The Temi Tea board boasts of coming to breakeven point and substantially contributing to the State exchequer.

While Germany, United Kingdom, America and Japan constitute the major buyer, efforts are on way to further diversify the product in view of growing demand for green teas including redesigning of more attractive packets for value addition. This apart, efforts are underway to source direct buyers in foreign market for tea produced in Sikkim. The Tea Board of late has started directly exporting small quantities of organic tea to Canada and Japan where it has been fetching comparatively competitive and attractive prices.

Though, the expansion of tea

plantation has been thwarted due to non availability of suitable land, Temi tea estate has been offering assistance to small scale grower and producers by providing quality planting materials and other technical knowhow. The garden nursery produces some of the best clone planting material, which is distributed among the small tea growers’ cooperatives in the state.

Though Temi Tea has lived up to expectation of many tea connoisseurs, given the climatic condition in the estate, there still is scope for production of high value and high return finest tea leaves.

*The author is a freelance JournalistDisclaimer: The writer is a freelance journalist and the views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB.

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Poland, India Seek to Improve Business Ties

There remains plenty of room for improvement in a business relationship that hasn't yet truly gotten off the ground

Investing in India is often seen as an area of unfulfilled potential for Polish firms,

given the size and development prospects of India’s economy – the world’s third-largest by purchasing power parity.

Total Pol ish FDI in India amounted to just €9 million in 2010, compared to €17 million in Kazakhstan and €30 million in Iran, according to National Bank of Poland data. Although that was a particularly lean year, experts still see plenty of room for improvement.

Two Indian organizations paid visits to Warsaw earlier in September to tout investment opportunities and strengthen business ties between Poland and India.

Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, a government investment agency representing the northwestern province of Gujarat, and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry both led business delegations from India to the Polish capital. Their visits also featured business-to-business meetings between Polish and Indian companies.

Barriers to business

However, they face a tough task in changing the mindset of many Polish companies. “There are historical reasons behind relatively low levels of investment by Polish firms in India,” said MarekOrłowski,CEOofSoma,a

company that organizes business missions abroad for Polish companies.

“India was a dominion of Great Britain, so many Polish managers see it as closed to them. Moreover, it is difficult to establish a company there since foreign firms have to establish joint ventures with an Indian partner in order to launch an enterprise,” he added.

The Indian market is also not the most amenable to investors. According to the World Bank’s latest Ease of Doing Business ranking, India is ranked a lowly 132nd, compared to Poland, in 62nd place.

Polish activity

Nevertheless, Polish companies are active in India, with some of the more notable investments there including ToruńskieZakładyMateriałów Opatrunkowych’shyg iene p roduc t s f ac to ry in Dindigul, and Can-Pack Poland’s metal packaging plant in Aurangabad.

Moreover, according to Poland’s Economy Ministry, chemical firm Azoty Tarnów has considered establishing a joint venture for the production of caprolactam in Gujarat. The company could not be reached for comment.

Poland’s Economy Ministry says Polish firms are especially well-equipped to launch investments in India in the mining, power and defense industries.

“The Indian market is growing fast and we can expect very strong growth in Polish investments there over the next couple of decades,” saidMrOrłowski.

A noticeable increase

When i t comes to Indian investment activity in Poland, total cumulative Indian FDI at the endof2010amountedtozł.226million, compared to total Polish FDIinIndiaofzł.524million.

However, there has been a recent noticeable increase in Indian investments in Poland in the IT and BPO sectors, with services firm Zensar locating in Gdańsk and HCL in Kraków.

Heavy industry firms including ArcelorMittal are also present in the Polish market, while packaging company Uflex made a E65 million investment in Poland last year.

Poland is expected to grow in popularity among Indian companies, since it offers a gateway to Western European markets and has a robust, if slowing, economy.

“Poland is a very good destination for investment, it is doing very well right now” said Shri B.B. Swain, managing director of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation.

“It is a rare economy in Europe in that it has grown over the past few years,” he added.

Bilateral Ties


Poland-India: Potential for a Strategic Partnership

by Patryk Kugiel

The intensity and quality of political and economic cooperation between

Poland and India have not reached their full potential in the past 20 years, despite largely positive historical relations between these nations. Both are among the top twenty world economies, and are among the political leaders in their respective regions, so Poland and India must now explore ways to upgrade bilateral cooperation in the emerging multi-polar world. The success of economic transformations ini t iated in the early 90s, and stable economic growth experienced in both countries in recent years despite the global financial crisis, alongside the growing political influence of Poland in the European Union on the one hand and India’s rise on the world stage on the other, suggest a complementary relationship between these countries and promise extra benefits from closer links. The idea of a strategic partnership – an instrument deliberately employed in both countries’ foreign policies in recent years – now deserves to be given serious consideration in New Delhi and Warsaw.

Scope for Strengthened Cooperation

In Polish-Indian relations, the realms of economy and politics both offer significant room for improvement. Firstly, the current level of economic cooperation,

with trade turnover in 2010 of $1.3 billion, cannot be considered satisfactory for either side. While Poland was, in 2010, nowhere to be found among India’s top 50 trade partners, and only the 13th largest in the EU, India was ranked in 41st place among Poland’s export partners, and 28th for imports. Mutual direct investments were equally insignificant. Up to the end of 2010, Poland had invested merely $177 million in India, and Indian investments in Poland amounted to $77 million – a tiny fraction of its investments in Europe overall.

In this context, the target agreed at the latest meeting in 2010 between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to double bilateral trade by 2014, is absolutely realistic, even modest, taking into account the size, potential and complementarities of both economies. Because of a long presence on the Indian market , Pol i sh companies still have a chance to benefit from cooperation in traditional sectors, such as energy, mining and defence. A recent contract signed between Polish Bumar and Indian BEML Limited, worth $275 million, to sell 204 WZT-3 armoured vehicles to India, proved that predictions of the demise of Poland as an arms supplier to India might have been premature. If the defence industries of both countries show more confidence and resolution

to engage in joint projects, then research, development and technological cooperation in this sector can still regain its important position.

Moreover, new areas of promising business act iv i ty are a lso emerging. Bearing in mind the rich vein of human capital and low costs of labour, Poland and India could do much more in innovative sectors such as IT, business process outsourcing (BPO), pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. The success of some Polish companies in India (i.e. Bella India, producing hygienic products or Obram, p r o v i d i n g P a n e e r c h e e s e production lines), and of Indian BPO and IT companies in Poland (Infosys, Zensar, HCL, Wipro, for instance) offer a good outlook for other similar endeavours in the future. Also, the fact that both India and Poland are coal-based economies and hugely dependent on the import of energy resources, gives them common ground for strengthening cooperation in fields such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, green technologies and alternative sources of energy. For example, Indian global companies, which have already acquired shale gas fields in the U.S., may be interested in shale gas exploration in Poland, which is considered to have one of Europe’s largest reserves of this fuel. More joint initiatives on gas and oil exploration and mining

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in India could further strengthen bilateral ties.

Last but not least, Poland – India’s largest trade partner in Central Europe, and the sixth largest economy in the EU – may be considered an important gateway to the European market. This means greater attractiveness for Indian investors, and new opportunities for Poland’s growth. Indian companies seeking to expand on the global market should not miss the opportunity to participate in the privatisation of some of Poland’s industries (shipyards, automobile, energy, etc.), or to make even more green-field investments in different sectors in order to expand their operations in Europe. At the same time, the rapid modernisation and development of India (around 8% GDP on average in the last decade) offers new prospects for Polish firms, especially in sectors such as energy, agriculture, food processing, sanitation and biomass. As previous successful projects proved, establishing joint ventures with Indian partners offers the best chances of prospering in a market that is difficult and still fairly closed.

While economic cooperation has seen an upward trend in recent years, political dialogue has lagged behind. Neither government has really been able to find out what to expect from the other side. After 1989, bilateral relations were downgraded in respect to both Poland’s and India’s foreign policy priorities, high level visits happened only sporadically, and states engaged on the most pressing strategic issues only rarely. This field, previously so neglected, can now offer even more opportunities for improvement. While bilateral cooperation will most probably

concentrate on creating the environment most conducive to business activity, Poland and India share enough interests at regional and global levels to give real substance to an eventual strategic partnership. The list of areas for closer strategic dialogue includes UN system reform, stabilisation of Afghanistan, fight with the international terrorism, Indian-EU relations, and support for democratisation processes.

Poland could prove an important ally to India, in the latter’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Poland generally supports UN reform, and backs Indian aspirations to play a more significant role in this forum. For a medium-sized country such as Poland, the preponderance of international law and strong position of global governance institutions are of the utmost importance. A Security Council that is more representative and better effective would serve Poland’s interests. Similarly, Poland may be interested in pushing for a joint seat for the EU in the reformed Security Council, which could free up a place for emerging powers. Thus, active collaboration between Poland and India on UN reform, both at UN and EU levels, could become the cornerstone of a strategic partnership.

When it comes to Afghanistan, the lack of cooperation between Poland and India in the last decade may seem surprising. While Poland is the sixth largest contributor to stabilisation forces (ISAF), India has become the sixth largest bilateral donor of development assistance for the country. More importantly, both countries share a common interest in a “stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan”. Past

misperceptions of either side’s aims and activities in Afghanistan need to be left behind, especially when withdrawal of NATO troops by the end of 2014 may put stability and peace in Afghanistan, and indeed the whole region, at risk. Dialogue on the future of Afghanistan, and exploration of joint initiatives in reconstruction and development of the country, may become yet another important element of strategic dialogue. An example could be that Poland and India develop a joint programme of training for Afghan administration officials – something they do today individually.

Support for democratisation processes is another area which deserves more attention. Relations with India -the world’s largest democracy – are already free from the negative constraints that hamper cooperation with other raising powers such as China and Russia. Even though Indian policy on the promotion of democracy may differ substantially from that of Europe, and more discussions in this regard are necessary, there is still a great potential for practical cooperation in support of democratic reforms around the world*. For Poland, apart from Afghanistan another place in which it could engage India in relevant projects, is Myanmar -a country which has been undergoing rapid democratisation for a year. The visit of the Polish foreign minister to Myanmar on 9-10 May revealed that Poland is ready to lend a helping hand to Myanmar’s reformists, and to share its experience of democratic transition. Still, Poland lacks many of the advantages which, thanks to historical and cultural ties, are possessed by India. Thus, trilateral development cooperation, encompassing Poland, India and a chosen

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developing country, may be yet another area for strategic cooperation between both sides.

Challenges Ahead

If there is such a potential for strategic cooperation, why has it not yet been recognised and realised? Naturally, in the aftermath of the Cold War, both governments have seen critical interests and major challenges in their immediate neighbourhoods, and in relations with world powers, and with the U.S. especially. Nowadays, the international environment is potentially more conducive to stronger ties between Poland and India. Now that India’s increasingly pragmatic foreign policy has extended its reach around the world, from South-East Asia to Africa and Latin America, it is high time that long neglected relations with the Central Eastern Europe were developed. For Poland, now a member of the European Union and NATO, recent experience holding the presidency of the EU Council has provided necessary global exposure, and better prepared it to engage actively beyond the Euro-Atlantic arena. A Strategic Partnership with China, signed in December 2011, also indicates a growing interest of Poland in Asia. To take a similar

step in relations with India, it would obviously require similar will in New Delhi. There are two fundamental problems which may stand in the way.

The first crucial fact complicating possible cooperation between Poland and India is the obvious discrepancy in their respective sizes and potentials. For a smaller partner it is always harder to attract the attention and interest of the larger one, and to engage in joint projects, both economic and political, as equal partners. Poland, with a population of 38 million, is in fact less populated and geographically smaller than are many of India’s states, and the overall population of India is about 1.2 billion. While Poland is one of the largest states in Europe, India – a multi-ethnic and multi-religious federation – is a continent itself within the South Asia region.

W h i l e t h i s d i f f e r e n c e i s important and may indeed hamper cooperation in practice, its relevance should not be overestimated. Where economic potential is concerned, and even though the Indian economy is four times larger than Poland’s ($1,729 billion compared to $467 billion in 2010), the latter is still ranked as the 20th largest economy in the

world (India is 11th in nominal USD value). The total value of Poland’s imports ($174 billion in 2010) is slightly more than half that of India’s ($327 billion in 2010), and they are almost on a par regarding the annual exports ($157 billion and $220 billion respectively in 2010). Even a brief look at some 20 countries with which India currently has a strategic partnership reveals that many of them have in fact smaller economies, territories or political influences than Poland. On the other hand, huge differences didn’t stop Poland from establishing strategic partnerships with the two largest world powers – the United States and China.

What then seems to be more important is that both partners have little awareness of the other’s value, and thus have not recognised the potential benefits of strengthened ties. Political dialogue used to be irregular and usually at low level. While the Polish prime ministers went to India twice during last two decades (the last visit was by Donald Tusk in September 2010), no Indian prime minister has been to Poland since 1979. More frequent and balanced were official visits of the heads of state. Polish presidents Lech Wałęsa (1994) and Aleksander

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Kwaśniewski (1998) visited India, and the Indian presidents, Shankar D. Sharma (1996) and Pratibha Patil (2009), visited Poland. Polish foreign minister RadosławSikorski’svisittoIndiain July 2011 was the latest attempt to reinvigorate bilateral ties.

Such restricted contact was reflected vividly across other sectors. Economic cooperation h a s n o t e x p a n d e d m u c h beyond traditional areas and a small number of individual entrepreneurs. A rigorous visa regime, strengthened after Poland joined the EU in 2004, added a further barrier to people-to¬people contacts between students, tourists and businessmen. Geographical distance, the lack of a significant Indian diaspora, and modest education programmes in each country reflecting modern life in the other, all made the task of overcoming historically-held stereotypes even more difficult. Occasional and under-resourced cultural and promotional events in both countries are not satisfactory means for overcoming indifference and creating new images of Poland and India as modern countries and strategic partners.

The list of challenges goes on, including limited resources both financially and in terms of diplomatic staff dedicated to b i la tera l re lat ions , the structural differences between the two economies, relatively weak business links, and more. Nevertheless, changing the popular image of the partner country and noticing the vast opportunities latent in closer ties are the major hurdles to be overcome. Although some positive changes are already taking place (such as the Cultural Cooperation Programme, signed in 2010, and the establishment of

Contemporary India Research and Studies at the Warsaw University in 2009) much more needs to be done.

Roadmap for a Strategic Partnership

Once leaders in both countries recognise the potential for closer cooperation, there will be a number of practical steps which can be taken in order to reinvigorate ties and give substance to a proposed strategic partnership. The first would be to expand and strengthen bilateral dialogue through the regular exchange of high level visits, additional sectoral dialogues, and intensified track II diplomacy. Biannual Poland-India summits, with participation of heads of state or prime ministers, could be the main platform for setting the directions and aims of strategic cooperation. A n a n n u a l c o n s u l t a t i o n mechanism could be upgraded to ministerial level and would serve to put stated goals into practice and to launch joint initiatives. Current joint commissions on economic cooperation and defence cooperation may be supplemented with additional dialogues in specific pivotal sectors (such as energy and green technologies, and education). Ad hoc bodies for dealing with important strategic issues (i.e. the future of Afghanistan, UN reform) would be helpful in bridging the divides, and may pave the way for coordinated actions in these areas.

On top of this, more consultation between retired diplomats, parliamentarians, academics, experts and other professionals could strengthen an official track. Regular high-level Poland-India round table meetings organised at arm’s length from the MFA

could become a useful platform for discussing difficult subjects and finding innovative solutions and propositions for bilateral projects. Symbolic gestures may also help to upgrade bilateral ties and push them in a new direction. Poland should also engage more actively in forging EU policy on India, and use existing EU-Indian mechanisms of cooperation (such as the EU-Business Forum) to a greater extent. Both countries’ close strategic relations with the US give them yet another opportunity to engage more often in trilateral dialogues, and to engage in important issues of shared concern (Afghanistan, Myanmar, green energy, etc.).

On the economic field, Poland is mainly interested in increasing and balancing its trade with India through more exports and attracting more Indian investments. This would require more political and financial support from the government, to facilitate business expansion in India. Small and medium enterprises – a major component of the Polish economy –should benefit from a targeted programme of export promotion to India, and special concessional loans for Indian partners could be offered. Scarce resources must be streamlined according to selected priority sectors and a few flagship projects. Both governments may consider establishing a joint Technological Fund to stimulate joint research and cooperation in innovative areas. Poland should also prepare its business community to take advantage of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, which may be concluded soon, through an information campaign and facilitation of business contacts in India.

On the subject of cultural and social cooperation, there are several options for empowering people-

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to-people contacts. First, ongoing efforts to open the Polish Institute in New Delhi should be finalised as soon as possible. It would be the seventh cultural institute of an EU member state in India (after the British, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Hungarian) and, the main gateway to Polish culture. Apart from support for standard activities it should offer an extensive programme of study tours, exchanges and scholarships for artists, journalists and students. Simultaneously, Indian efforts to open the Institute of Indian culture in Warsaw must be supported. Additional financial resources would, however, be necessary in order to allow cultural cooperation to flourish. Multimedia projects documenting shared history (for example a film about Polish refugees in India during the second world war) could be established as a means of addressing the general public in both nations, and deserve government support.

S e c o n d l y , s e r i o u s a t t e m p t to liberalise the visa regime is necessary if both nations are ever to develop closer ties. The objective constraints of the Schengen zone regulations, or the serious risk of illegal immigration, should not stop the potential benefits of more cooperation in sectors

such as education, tourism or business. Poland and India, both beneficiaries of free trade and g lobal i sat ion, should rebuff attempts to increase protectionism, and encourage free movement of people. India is already regarded as a great market for outbound tourism, and the Polish Tourism Organization named India as a priority country outside Europe for promotional activities. Similarly, many Polish universities see India as a potential source of commercial students when they face approaching demographical low domestically. Poland’s government should launch a scholarship scheme for Indian nationals, in order to support educational cooperation and encourage attempts of Polish universities to draw students from India. To further boost bilateral relations, both governments may encourage national airlines to consider resumption of direct flights connection between New Delhi and Warsaw. Even though the current level of bilateral visits (more than 20,000 Poles go to India annually, and around 10,000 Indians make the journey the other way) may be too little to make this profitable in the short term, the project may still be necessary if Poland wants to become a gateway to Central

Europe for India in the longer term.

Conclusion

Poland and India share democratic values and have several converging strategic interests, as well as great untapped potential for economic cooperation. A history of friendly cooperation and lack of serious disagreements between the nations augur well for strengthened relations. Poland is well positioned to become India’s fourth EU strategic partner (after the UK, Germany and France) and a major partner in Central Eastern Europe; India could become a pivotal counterpart for Poland in Asia. India can get additional gateway to the European market and a strategic ally in realising their global aspirations (such as UN reform), and Poland may be interested in a closer relationship with this rising power. In the multi-polar world order, closer cooperation between emerging world leaders and regional leaders is gaining an importance. The sooner policymakers in New Delhi and Warsaw realise this, the more benefits both countries could reap. The expected visit of the Indian prime minister to Poland, by 2013, the first such visit for more than 33 years, may be a crucial test of the feasibility of the proposed partnership.

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10 Best Independent Films of 2012 (2012 in Retrospect)

By Haricharan Pudipeddi Indo-Asian News Service

In a year when big-budget, star-studded Bollywood films and the Rs.100 crore

club made headlines, there were some small-budget independent films too, which managed to attract eyeballs, with their strong storylines and visual appeal,

for writing soaps like "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" and "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki", debutant director Anand Gandhi addressed questions such as redemption and death in his first feature length film "Ship of Theseus" with the support of stunning performances

Touted to be India's answer to "Slumdog Millionaire", this film is a perfect blend of joy, sorrow and misfortune. The film was the official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival New Horizons Competition and

without any backing from studios or actors.

IANS lists 10 best independent films, which left an impact at various national and international film festivals during 2012.

"Kshay": Shot completely in black-and-white, "Kshay" directed by debutant Karan Gour, is a psychological drama about obsession. Rasika Duggal's portrayal of an obsessive housewife was outstanding. The film played in four festivals including last year's Dubai International Film Festival and won awards and critical acclaim from western critics.

"Ship of Theseus": Known

by its actors. The film made quite a stir at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"Gattu": A heart-warming tale of childlike innocence hidden within us. "Gattu" was made with the help of Children's Film Society of India. The story of a young boy obsessed with kite-flying, "Gattu" may be yet another children's film but in essence it highlights the power of hope. Directed by Rajan Khosa, the film was held in high regard by critics and film reviewers all over the world.

"Mumbai Cha Raja": Manjeet Singh's "Mumbai Cha Raja" explores the underbelly of Mumbai during the rainy Ganesh festival.

the Mumbai Film Festival Indian Competition.

"Miss Lovely": Ashim Ahluwalia's "Miss Lovely" traverses through a long forgotten era of C-grade Bollywood horror and porn films. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Niharika Singh, the film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It also won two awards at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival this year.

"Supermen of Malegaon" (SOM): SOM takes us through the lives of people, who are united over a single goal to produce a Malegaon version of "Superman" by making spoofs on Bollywood

Year End


films. Before its theatrical release in June this year, the film bagged 15 awards at various film festivals.

"Good Night Good Morning" (GNGM): Shot completely in black-and-white, GNGM plunges into the psyche of the viewers by highlighting the strong desire to be loved. Following screenings at several international film festivals, the tragic yet comedy film saw a theatrical release in India on Jan 20 and opened to mostly positive reviews.

"Shuttlecock Boys": The film was made by all first timers. Most of the cast members are non-actors and didn't have any formal training. The film revolves around the lives, successes and failures of four friends who hail from lower

middle class backgrounds in Delhi. It made its way to festivals including the Gotham Screen International Film Festival, New York, the Seattle South Asian Film Festival and the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

"Delhi in A Day": Prashant Nair's debut feature, set against the backdrop of a rich family in Delhi, makes a strong statement on the socio-economic strata without deviating from the crux of the plot. The film had flashes of comedy to shine a light on the uncomfortable realities of contemporary life.

"Peddlers" : Cr ime-thr i l ler "Peddlers" is an ode to Mumbai that narrates a raw story of three characters that share an almost appalling behaviour since childhood. The film was screened as part of the 2012 International Critics' Week, an independent film event which runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival in southern France.

(Haricharan Pudipeddi can be contacted at [email protected])

Year End

India-Poland in Focus

Documents

Transcript of India-Poland in Focus