About the Book:
India has historical and multi-dimensional relations with Africa. However, barring a few exceptions, the closer interactions of India with African countries remained confined to Anglophone Africa; most of whom are coastal states of hinterlands of the Indian Ocean. Over two dozen Francophone states, most of them are in Western and Central Africa remained out of Indian policy priorities. Divergences in colonial experience, language, distance etc. are acting as barriers in between India & these countries. But the most important reason for accessibility of Francophone Africa was their exclusive and possessive relationship with France. Unlike Anglophone and Lusophone decolonisation models, France even after independence, maintained formal decisive control on the national and regional economies in the France Zone and the Indian Ocean Commission. The advent of globalisation which provided openness in domestic and foreign policies of these states and the domestic needs and global aspiration of fast growing and emerging India created imperatives for both regions to come together. An energy hungry India with an urge to restructure institutions of financial and global governance, took initiatives as TEAM-9 and Africa Focus Programmes to rope in the region where it had good will. The most important factor in heralding a closer cooperation between India and Francophone Africa was the French influence and control over the region. Even the Indian Africanists realised that when these two regions are trying to come together, they too have not developed adequate intellectual enquiry, knowledge and understanding of region as well as the nature and extent of French involvement with the region under globalisation.
This work came out from a national symposium which was organised by the Francophone African Studies Programme under UGC Area Studies Scheme in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University in Collaboration with African Studies Association of India (ASA India). The participants included largely academics, top diplomatic officials of French and Indian government, and representatives of media and business. The book reproduces the proceeding as well as the presentations made during the symposium. The book provides an understanding and analysis of French influence in Africa, the cooperation and competition which India can identify with France to engage with the region and the interest, expectations, advantages and extent up to which Francophone African countries would direct their interactions with India.
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