Signs Of Thaw

Besides the show, the dignitaries chosen by the Japanese to lead their participation are significant. The presence of Keiichi Miyazawa, the ex-prime minister of Japan, signals a distinct raising of India in Japans economic estimation. The coming of Shoichiro Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Corporation and the current president of Keidanren, the Japanese Federation of Industry, again represents a significant rise in Indias status as potential business partner. Both of them participated in the inaugural conference organised by CII and Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the newspaper whose index, the Nikkei, is the Sensex of Japan.

In view of the importance given to the event by the Japanese, it is unfortunate that P Chidambaram dropped out of the inaugural conference. B B Ramaiah was a barely adequate replacement; this is a critical juncture in Indo-Japanese relations, and the way forward is rocky. The Indian government is determined to wrest control of Maruti for no known purpose; Mr Karunakaran tried his worst as industry minister, and Mr Maran, his successor, has followed in his footsteps. When R C Bhargava retires in a few months, the Indian government will insist on installing its own managing director; no one knows who this nominee might be, and what it will mean for this outstanding showpiece of Indo-Japanese business partnership. So the bilateral relationship could take some knocks, and it has to be firmed up enough to survive them. This is primarily Mr Chidambarams duty, since it is he who must go to Tokyo and negotiate aid: Japan happens to be Indias largest aid giver.

 

In a sense, Manmohan Singh, who spoke in the panel after the inauguration, made up for Mr Chidambarams default. He handsomely acknowledged Japans help, called for steps to bring together the civil societies of the two countries, and pointed to a number of activities in education and infrastructure where Japanese investment and assistance could play a particularly catalytic role. Dr Singhs simple friendliness evokes an immediate response from the Japanese; one Japanese speaker even wished that Japan could take him away to do reforms there. Dr Singh has been given its Asian award this year by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Whether Mr Chidambaram earns the same award five years hence is impossible to say, but it is an important part of his job to strengthen the friendship he has inherited with a world power with which India has no conceivable point of friction except those that the customs department in his charge create from time to time.