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Barbados–India relations

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Barbados–India relations
Map indicating locations of Barbados and India

Barbados
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland; November 2021

Barbados–India relations are the international relations that exist between Barbados and India. The Embassy of India in Paramaribo, Suriname is concurrently accredited to Barbados.[1] India also maintains an Honorary Consulate in Holetown.[1]

History

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Many Indians from Gujarat, Bengal and Sindh emigrated to Barbados in the early 20th century.[2] According to historian Sabir Nakhuda, the first Indian to arrive in Barbados was Beshart Ali Dewan. Dewan who hailed from the present-day state of West Bengal emigrated to Barbados in 1910.[3][4]

Diplomatic relations between Barbados and India were established on 30 November 1966, the date the former became an independent country. On the same day, India gifted a throne that was placed in the Barbadian House of Assembly.[5][6]

An Indian delegation visited Barbados to attend the CARICOM Summit in July 1996.[7] Barbados supported the G-4 resolution on expanding the UN Security Council in 2007.[8] The country also voted for India's candidature for Non-Permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2011–12, and supports India's candidature for a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Barbadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Billie A. Miller has visited India on numerous occasions to participate in various international conferences. Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh visited Barbados in June 2003 and held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney General Mia Mottley, and Senior Minister and Foreign Minister Billie Miller. During the visit, the two countries signed an MoU agreeing to hold regular Foreign Office Consultations.[7] Finance Minister P. Chidambaram visited Barbados in September 2005 to participate in the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Meeting.[9][10][11]

The first-ever Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between Barbados and India was held in Bridgetown from 28 April to 1 May 2015. Special Secretary (AMS & CPV) in the Ministry of External Affairs R. Swaminathan and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Simone Rudder led the Indian and Barbadian delegations at the FOC. Swaminathan also held bilateral talks with Minister of foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Maxine McClean, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development Donville Inniss and Health Minister John Boyce.[12]

Barbados and India signed an Air Services Agreement on 6 October 2015. The agreement provides fifth freedom rights and permits Indian and Barbadian airlines to operate direct scheduled flights and chartered flights between the two countries.[13][14][15]

In May 2018, P. P. Chaudhary, the Indian government's Minister of State, Law, Justice and Corporate Affairs visited Barbados and discussed the framework of doctors from India working and operating in Barbados as well as the areas of international business and financial services, health care, Double Taxation Agreements (DTA), tax information agreements, Air Services Agreements, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).[16]

Trade

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Bilateral trade between Barbados and India totaled US$10.67 million in 2015–16, recording a growth of nearly 4% over the previous fiscal. Indian exports to Barbados stood at $10.50 million and imports were $170,000. The main commodities exported by India to Barbados are vehicles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, iron and steel, and organic chemicals. The major commodities imported by India from Barbados are electrical machinery, optical photography cinematographic equipment.[12]

Indian firm Larsen & Toubro was awarded a ₹1.3 crore (US$160,000) contract by the West Indies Cricket Board in February 2005 to serve as the "construction management consultant" on a project to rebuild the Kensington Oval. In August 2005, L&T was awarded a ₹211 crore (US$25 million) contract to carry out the construction work. As part of the upgrade, two stands were renovated and 7 new stands were built raising the stadium's capacity from 13,000 to 26,500. L&T completed the work by January 2007, in time for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.[17][18]

During the CoVID-2019 pandemic the Indian government allocated aid in the form of 100,000 AstraZeneca vaccines[2] for Barbados which arrived on 9 February 2021. The Barbados Government then allocated approximately 70,000 doses for the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Cultural relations

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Cricket is the primary cultural tie between the two countries. The Indian and West Indian cricket teams regularly tour each other's countries. Several Barbadian cricketers such as Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder, and Dwayne Smith have played in the Indian Premier League.[12]

Indo-Barbadians or Indo-Bajans are Barbadian nationals of full or partial Indian ancestry. As of 2010, Indo-Barbadians made up 1.3% of the country's population and were the fourth largest ethnic group in country, after blacks (92.4%), mixed-race (3.1)%, and whites (2.7%).[19] Of the nearly 3,000 Indo-Barbadians, almost 2,000 originate from the Surat district of Gujarat. Around 130 Indo-Barbadian families are of Sindhi origin and are primarily involved in business. About 150 Indo-Barbadians are professionals involved in education and medicine, and 30 Indo-Barbadians are enrolled as students at a private medical university.[12] There are also some British Indians and Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians who own hotels and other real estate in Barbados.[1]

Citizens of Barbados are eligible for scholarships under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Barbados". Embassy of India, Paramaribo. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  2. ^ Today, Barbados (15 March 2017). "To be an immigrant". Barbados Today. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  3. ^ Desk, NewsGram News (15 February 2016). "How Indians shaped Barbadian culture". NewsGram. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2017. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "First Indians in Barbados came from Bengal, Gujarat, Hyderabad". theindiandiaspora.com. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  5. ^ Shah, Dr S. K. (1 March 2017). India and Its Neighbours: Renewed Threats and New Directions. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789386367501. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Barbados Welcomes New Indian Envoy". gisbarbados.gov.bb. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  7. ^ a b "India – Barbados Relations" (PDF). ICWA. January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  8. ^ "India's bid for permanent UNSC seat gets stronger - Rediff.com India News". m.rediff.com. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  9. ^ Shukla, K. R. Gupta & Vatsala (1 January 2009). Foreign Policy of India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 460. ISBN 9788126910311. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Business : No stock market scam in offing, asserts Finance Minister". The Hindu. 2005-09-18. Retrieved 28 April 2017.[dead link]
  11. ^ "No scam in the offing in stock markets: FM". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e "India-Barbados Relations" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  13. ^ "India and Barbados Sign Air Services Agreement". Caribbean Journal. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  14. ^ Today, Barbados (2015-10-31). "Barbados signs air services agreement with India". Barbados Today. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  15. ^ "Barbados, India Sign Air Services Agreement". Caribbean News Digital. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  16. ^ "Barbados treasures relationship with India". 11 May 2018.
  17. ^ "L&T to rebuild Kensington Oval in Barbados". The Hindu Business Line. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  18. ^ "L&T bags Rs 211 cr order from W. Indies - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  19. ^ "BARBADOS". The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
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