Just ahead of polls, ‘Modi'fied UK opens its door to Gujarat

Though he pooh-poohed notions about the purported effect from his visit to Gujarat, particularly at a time when the state is racing towards the legislative assembly elections, British High Commissioner to India Sir James Bevan’s ‘re-engaging with Gujarat’ theory was riddled with contradictions of sorts. During media briefing, Bevan however, said the purpose of his visit was expressly to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest as well as to explore opportunities for closer cooperation with the state and not with any individual.

While on one hand, the High Commissioner indicated that the UK wants to increase opportunities in business and trade with Gujarat, on the other he reiterated that ‘engagement’ with Gujarat doesn’t mean ‘rehabilitating Modi’. “This is engagement with Gujarat and Gujarat as a whole and not an engagement with any particular individual,” said Bevan, when asked what the UK stands to gain from ‘rehabilitating’ Modi.

Stating further that he didn’t agree with media perception that the UK is rehabilitating Modi, Bevan said, “This engagement is not about endorsement. If we need to engage with some state, we need to engage with the chief minister of that state and Modi is the democratically elected leader of Gujarat.” Interestingly, while admitting that ‘Mr Modi’ is ‘democratically elected leader of Gujarat’, Bevan evaded a direct reply a pointed question of whether the UK government would grant Modi visa as a “hypothetical”. “That is a hypothetical question. He (Modi) hasn’t asked for one, and if he does ask for one, we will deal with it in normal way. This is to look into each application on its merits and decide on case to case basis in light of the relevant circumstances at that time,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the British High Commissioner also met the governor, Dr Kamla, the president of Gujarat Congress Arjun Modhwadia, and representatives of NGOs in state. Bevan met Modi, ending the 10-year boycott of the state over the 2002 Gujarat riots and discussed ways to take forward the relations. Bevan while referring to the meeting said that active engagement with Gujarat was the right way to advance UK’s interest in the state. Referring to these talks as “open, positive and constructive”, Bevan said that he had a good conversation with the CM, wherein they discussed about the prospects for Gujarat, which, he said, are bright and that UK can help to ensure that Gujarat continues to thrive.

“The scope to develop cooperation between the UK and Gujarat are very broad and on a diverse range of fields, including education, science and innovation, energy and climate change, and trade and investment,” he said.

Notably, the British High Commission in his statement stressed twice on the fact that the British government wants to secure justice for the families of the three British nationals, who were killed in 2002. At the same time he also said that he was encouraged by what he heard from the British Trade Office and the state government about the prospects for deepening trade and investment between Great Britain and Gujarat. 

“Vibrant Gujarat in January 2013 will be an early opportunity to take this forward. The UK-India Business Council, which represents UK business, will be one of the partner organisations and we expect a large business delegation,” he added.