Indo-French Ties

Skratu · Post by **Skratu** » 16 Jul 2009 18:21

Do you guys know this site? Lots of interesting info. In the opinions section they discuss Indo-French ties in some depth.

http://sspconline.org/article_title_dis ... &records=1

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 16 Jul 2009 23:14

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/gallery/1226/

Baljeet · Post by **Baljeet** » 17 Jul 2009 01:58

Acharya ji
Nice pics. What is up with that security dude in blue tie, way too grim. Carla Bruni is hot. Prez Sarko is a real charmer. What a great body language.

sum · Post by **sum** » 18 Jul 2009 21:55

The French secret service (or whatever they are called) guy is really watching Sarkozy with a eagle eye( in the pic Baljeet is referring to). Has he been hired by Madam Carla to keep a eye on the Cassandra?

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 20 Aug 2009 19:46

Muslim Center Vandalized with Pig Head, Swastikas
Reported: 11:59 AM - Aug/20/09

(IsraelNN.com) A Muslim prayer room in eastern France was discovered vandalized on Wednesday with a pig’s head hanging from the door and both swastikas and anti-Islamic graffiti covering the walls, European Jewish Press reported quoting police sources. A pedestrian passing by the prayer center, part of a north African community center on the outskirts of the town of Toul, alerted authorities.

arun · Post by **arun** » 21 Feb 2010 12:05

X Posted.

French JF-17 Deal Could Anger India :

Aviation Week

arun · Post by **arun** » 25 Jan 2011 21:34

US Embassy cable dating to 2005 leaked by Wikileaks shows the French being two faced about India.

Former Prime Minister of France Michel Rocard characterises India as one of two “Monsters“.

Rocard proposed a joint European/American think-tank, which might fill a current gap -- a place where Europeans and Americans can together consider the challenges of tomorrow. Speaking of the growth of India and China, along with all the other challenges confronting both of us, he said, "We need a vehicle where we can find solutions for these challenges together -- so when these monsters arrive in 10 years, we will be able to deal with them."

Wikileaks

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 25 Jan 2011 23:51

arun wrote:US Embassy cable dating to 2005 leaked by Wikileaks shows the French being two faced about India.

Former Prime Minister of France Michel Rocard characterises India as one of two “Monsters“.

Rocard proposed a joint European/American think-tank, which might fill a current gap -- a place where Europeans and Americans can together consider the challenges of tomorrow. Speaking of the growth of India and China, along with all the other challenges confronting both of us, he said, "We need a vehicle where we can find solutions for these challenges together -- so when these monsters arrive in 10 years, we will be able to deal with them."

Wikileaks

This guy, and for that matter his party has not had any influence on French foreign policy towards either India or China in the last 15 years.

The Presidency controls foreign and defence policy, and it has been in the hands of the Gaullists since 1995.

Jacques Chirac was very keen on encouraging a 'multi-polar' world, which meant supporting the rise of India and China against the US.

Sarkozy is not as keen on undermining the Americans, but he still wants an independent global role for France. The place where he agrees the most with the Americans is Iran, but France has had a bad relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran almost from the start competing for influence in its former colonies like Lebanon, Tunisia and Algeria. He has bopped China over Tibet a couple of times, but never India as far as I can remember.

arun · Post by **arun** » 26 Jan 2011 08:12

^^^ Johann, Thank you for the useful background.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 26 Jan 2011 14:59

in a french view of a multi-polar world, india is seen as a friend

Maram · Post by **Maram** » 26 Jan 2011 16:10

Relations between countries are based on a consensus on issues that matter to them, AT THE TIME.India and France believe in a multipolar World, the importance of the UN( the french veto would give it considerable clout) and on the growing need to annihilate or at the very least manage and contain Islamic Terrorism(Alqaeda and its loosely affialiated groups).

Both France and India have sizeable muslim populations and so are sensitive to the views of the muslims(in comparison to the US).

India aspires to be a global power. The french don't se anything to gain from that and therefore may hedge their bets around( Asia in particular). I am pretty certain, that the powers that be in the MEA are aware of it and are willing to co-operate in areas of agreement as it benefits India massively. Once India has security council permanant membership and the NSG membership & other such memberships... Indo- French ties will be re-calibrated Unless France offers more. If India succeeds in helping the french understand that India as a global power is in french Interest... I am certain the MEA will be able to do it.

On a side note, Carla and Nicolai going to the dargah ( praying to a sufi saint.. a softer islamic strand) asking for a male child is in for domestic consumption. It is telling moderate muslims (if there are any! Look we respect Islam . We don't like the radicalism associated with it) JMT...

arun · Post by **arun** » 07 Mar 2011 21:13

X Posted.

The BBC World Service along with Globe Scan and PIPA has released a poll on views about the influence of countries, namely if it is positive or negative.

India has done not too badly:

The ranking of India by the different countries polled, including France, is here:

Read it all:

Positive Views of Brazil on the Rise in 2011 BBC Country Rating Poll

James B · Post by **James B** » 07 Mar 2011 21:42

What's up with frenchies?. Why so much of a negative view of India?. What did India do or didn't do to France?.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 07 Mar 2011 22:48

James B wrote:What's up with frenchies?. Why so much of a negative view of India?. What did India do or didn't do to France?.

It is about UNSC

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 08 Mar 2011 06:20

^^^France has a strong Atlanticist impulse. Western/Atlantic Europe was the king of the world for 3 centuries. but that influence was shattered in WWII. but now even the supposed superiority of gora skin is not proving useful. so expect them to really show their colors over the coming decades. i completely agree with George Friedman (an Atlanticist himself) when he says that the long-term decline of Franco-German Europe is inevitable and will take place within the first half of 21st century, and France and Germany will become pale shadows of what they once were, in terms of Global influence, by the end of the 21st century.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 09 Jun 2011 04:51

Not really about India, but about Pakistan and France:

X-Posting from TIRP Thread

MurthyB wrote:Fatima Bhutto seems to be trying hard to become Bakistan's Suzanne Roy

http://blip.tv/slowtv/pakistan-nation-o ... to-5236151

So Ms Fatima Bhutto wants to deride other countries in order to show that Pakistan is no worse than any other country in the world. Isn't this the same old way of how Pakistanis try to put some lipstick on their pig of a country?! What better country to pick on in front of an English-speaking public than France - the bête noire of the English?!

Her pot-shots:

West is arming the rebels (in Libya) to the teeth without particularly bothering to ask who in fact the rebels are - Same thing in Pakistan. Pakistan's ISI arms L-e-T and the Afghan Taliban for their strategic interests and don't bother to enquire about the antecedents of these fighters (nee terrorists). So if the West can have a truck with rebels (who could be Al Qaeda) then why not Pakistan?! If the West can give arms to rebels then why can't Pakistan arm the jihadis in Kashmir? The West cannot take the moral high ground, because they are just as much in the mud as Pigistan. Take one finger of impropriety by the West to justify Pakistani terror!
Head of the IMF would turn out to be a rapist! - So if one high and mighty French dude did try to jump a woman, it puts France and Pakistan on the same pedestal, even if rape in Pakistan has become the usual way of sorting out all sorts of differences - within families and between families. Exceptions of sh*t amongst one people excuses the ubiquity of sh*t of Pakistanis.
France - They have just taken bigotry dynastic with Marine Le Pen replacing her father as the head of the French National Front - Marine Le Pen has been with the Front Nationale since 1986, has been a Member of the European Parliament, etc. etc. and stood in an election for Presidency of the party not unopposed but rather was given a good fight by another stalwart of the party, and she won the election by 67.65% of the 17,068 votes cast. But her two birds with one stone go like this. Because there is a racist party in France, it is the same thing as Pakistan, and vocal bigotry by a French party is the same thing as the jihadis mauling other Pakistanis due to sectarianism and killing Indians and others the world over through terrorism. The other bird is of course the dynastic politics and nepotism in Pakistan is normal because in France it is normal too. To hell with the details and truth. Main thing is, it is about the French so the Aussies can have a good laugh.
France - They have passed laws mandating what a woman can and cannot wear, which is very Saudi Arabianisque. - Laws to prohibit clothing of subjugation in France is the same thing as prohibiting clothing of freedom in Saudi Arabia. It is all the same. France is just as oppressive as Islam, say in Saudi Arabia, and since Pakistan is more open than Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is logically a more open society than France!
They have a President, who takes council from Bernard Henri Levy, which in itself should qualify for some merit as a nervous breakdown disorder - Bernard Henri Levy is a Jew who investigated the murder of Daniel Pearl and wrote a book Who Killed Daniel Pearl? which won much praise, but went quite far in unmasking the Pakis in front of a Western audience. Hence the huge Pakistani takleef with him. Bernard Henri Levy is also very critical of Islam and Islamism, making him a juicy target for Pakistanis. Considering that Levy is not well liked in USA for his American critique, and was even made fun of by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show for suggesting that the rape charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn could all be conspiracy, it is obvious that Pakistanis and Americans have finally found some commonality of strategic interests - in demonizing Bernard Henri Levy. So if in France an Islamophobe can have the ear of the President, why should the world consider it abnormal if the whole of the Pakistani establishment is Jihadized?! It is all equal-equal!

And that is just the first 2 minutes.

There is nothing of Arundhati Suzanne Roy in Fatima Bhutto! She is there to keep the flag of her country, Pakhanistan flying high and Australian suckers are lapping it up!

MurthyB wrote:
RajeshA wrote: There is nothing of Arundhati Suzanne Roy in Fatima Bhutto! She is there to keep the flag of Pakhanistan flying high and Australian suckers are lapping it up!
Well, she does take a nebulous anti-Paki-government line with the same sort of "innocent" "we want justice! we want openness!" sort of nonsense that Suzanne roy peddles, and her anti-American tone and appearance of "progressiveness" lends her a Suzanne Roy-type of aura I think. And the oratory style with the dark "jokes" also seems ripped off Roy. Of-course, if she becomes as rabidly anti-establishment-of-any-type as Roy is, she will be wajib-al-cattled quickly enuff, so that puts a constraint too (assuming she still lives in pureland).

The only anti-government line she takes is when she talks about the Pakistani People's Party after it was taken over by Benazir Bhutto and later by Asif Ali Zardari. She thinks that the husband-wife duo got her father Murtaza Bhutto killed during Benazir's first tenure as PM of Pakistan. She also thinks that the leadership of the PPP should have come to her father, rather than have gone to Benazir Bhutto, and even if it did not at that time, then at least after her death, the other Bhuttos should have got a chance, rather than Zardari hijacking the party of Fatima's grandfather for himself.

Her style may be something like Arundhati Suzanne Roy's but unlike her she is not there to ditch either her country Pakistan or the religion of her forefathers Islam, something ASR is more than willing to do, that being her hallmark!

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 14 Jan 2012 00:29

X-Posting from India-EU thread...

Since there is no dedicated Indo-France thread, decided to post it here

UN human rights body backs French Sikhs on turbans

Quote:
A Sikh man in France has won the backing of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in his fight over religious headgear.

It said France was violating Sikhs' religious freedom by forcing them to remove their turbans when having photos taken for passports and ID cards.

Ranjit Singh, 76, said he had turned to the UN because he found the French policy disrespectful and unnecessary.

The ruling is not legally binding. France was asked to respond by March.

Mr Singh welcomed the decision, telling the BBC: "[The turban] is part of my body. It is my identity and I cannot part with it."

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 04 May 2012 11:29

A strong French presence at DEFEXPO INDIA 2012

Indo-French defence cooperation is entering a new phase with the growth of India’s defence industrial base. From a buyer-seller relation, India and France have now entered into co-development and co-production of major defence equipment in India.

French expertise in defence and security covers the entire range of competences in systems, equipments, training and technology. Our aim is to offer a wide range of products or services likely to meet all the requirements of the Indian armed forces and, at the same time, contribute to building and consolidating India’s industrial and technological base, through transfers of expertise, technology and know-how.

As an illustration of the strength of our bilateral relation, France is strongly represented at Defexpo 2012, with around 25 French companies participating, from SMEs to major contractors. (see catalogue)
The French companies will showcase their state-of-the-art know-how and a wide range of innovative products and technologies, within a French Pavilion coordinated by GICAN, the French Marine Industry Association, and GICAT, the French Land Defence Industry Association.

French exhibitors : ALKAN, ASB AEROSPATIALE BATTERIES, CILAS, CNIM, DCI, DCNS, EADS, ECA EN, ECA ROBOTICS, ELNO SN, EURENCO, EURONAVAL, EUROSATORY, EXXELIA, GICAN, GICAT, LACROIX DEFENCE & SECURITY, MBDA, NEXTER, PANHARD, PROENGIN, RENAULT TRUCKS DEFENSE, RENK FRANCE, ROXEL, SAFRAN Group, SAFT, SOFRADIR, THALES

India and France have historical relations in the field of defence equipment. This relationship started in the early 50s with the supply of combat aircraft (Dassault Ouragan/Toofany), light helicopters (Cheetah/Chetak) as well as various vehicles or electronic equipment. Since the launch of the Indo-French strategic partnership in 1998 and the signature of the bilateral agreement on defence cooperation in 2006, India and France have dramatically developed their defence partnership, now covering the full spectrum of technological, industrial and operational cooperation. This is reflected, among others in the agreement signed in 2005 to built six state-of-the art Scorpene submarines in India and, more recently, the upgrade of Indian Air Force Mirage2000 H/TH to the latest technical standard. The implementation of the Rafale project will further illustrate the depth and scope of the strategic partnership between France and India.

The Indo-French strategic partnership, which encompasses a number of areas of common interest such a defence, civilian nuclear energy, space or counter-terrorism, is driven at the highest level: the French President, H.E. Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, was invited to India in January 2008 as the Chief Guest of Republic Day parade, and came back in December 2010 on a four-day visit. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, also visited France twice, first in 2008 and then on 14th of July 2009 as the Guest of Honour at the French National Day, with Indian Armed Forces troops parading on the Champs-Elysées ahead of French Armed Forces.

Our cooperation in the field of defence has been reinforced by the visit to India of the French Defence Minister, Mr Gérard Longuet, in May 2011 and the visit to France of the Indian Minister of State for Defence Mr M.M. Pallam Raju in June 2011.

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 07 May 2012 09:39

Francois Hollande !!!

Hun mein ki karaan?

Can any drastic change be expected in the ties?

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 07 May 2012 09:53

MK Bhadrakumar on French election results

Now main Q from indian pov is will the various tech transfers on rafale, submarines, nuclear tech etc be curtailed??

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 May 2012 08:10

No way! France's eco woes will now hit "M.'ollande" in the solar plexus and if he is going to "spend a sou" on reviving the economy and creating jobs,where will the money come from? To add to the EU's woes,in Greece,the anti-austerity parties have won the election and there is no way that they will be able to keep Greece in the "Euro-zone" if they do not listen to the Germans.India has always had excellent relations with France ,whether the Gaullists or the Socialists have been in power.

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 08 May 2012 12:30

Video The Last Word: What does Hollande's victory mean for Europe, India?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 May 2012 21:16

To keep the economy going Hollande has to keep the Rafale contract going and clinch it or else leads to more loss of jobs and economic doldrums.

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 08 May 2012 22:13

saw a documentry of DSG (french secret service). Here are some claims.

1 the french could prove that gen. Powell was lying about Saddams nukes. They could monitor the reactors, which were cold.

2 The french used spies to the hold of competing bids for the 50 M2K dea with INDIA in 1981.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 May 2012 22:16

^^

2. That must be the SLM-Mankelal case that Umrao John used to cite. Secrets bartered for a bottle of cheap Scotch by PMO clerks.

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 08 May 2012 22:53

ramana wrote:^^

2. That must be the SLM-Mankelal case that Umrao John used to cite. Secrets bartered for a bottle of cheap Scotch by PMO clerks.

As far as I remember, the India bought MK2 because Unkil had given TSP F-16's . Who were the other contenders? did india have any other choice, given the western Embargo on India?

Just wondering.

D Roy · Post by **D Roy** » 08 May 2012 22:57

Mig 29.

India chose to not license produce the Mirage because the Soviets nudged us to build the Mig -29 instead. The agreement had a provision for producing up to 100 Mirages in India.

Subsequently even that idea was discarded and we ended up with a few squadrons of each.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 18 May 2012 02:01

X-post...
Recall the French terrorist who got shot in France? Here is latest scoop on him and his targets;

Slain terrorist Merah planned to attack Indian embassy in Paris

Mohamed Merah, the terrorist who was shot dead by the French Special Forces in Toulouse on March 22, had also planned to attack the Indian Embassy in Paris, French daily Le Monde reported.

Quoting sources from the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence and the Special Forces who took part in the 32-hour siege of Merah, Le Monde alleges that the young killer's Taliban handlers in Pakistan had ordered him to attack the Indian mission here. “That was the target given him by the Taliban who prepared him for jihad during his training in Pakistan in the summer of 2011,” Le Monde reported. However, the paper says, Merah finally decided against the attack, given the difficulty of the enterprise. These conversations between Merah and Special Forces personnel were recorded and they are now part of the judicial dossier.

Merah first killed three Army personnel outside their barracks on March 15. Four days later, he killed a Jewish Rabbi and his two sons at a faith school, and then chased and killed a seven-year-old girl on the school premises. Throughout, he filmed his acts with a video camera strapped to his chest.

During the 32-hour siege, which ended in a bloody gun battle, he spoke freely to policemen who continued to interrogate him over telephone. All these conversations were recorded.

When asked by The Hindu whether this report was a matter of serious concern for the Indian government, Ambassador Rakesh Sood said: “The news report in Le Monde is something we have taken note of. We have also taken it up with the authorities in France, in terms of the veracity of the story as well as necessary steps to strengthen the security arrangements at the Embassy and the Residence.”

Had Merah carried out his plans, was the Embassy protected enough or was it vulnerable? To this question, Mr. Sood said the report, quoting Merah, said he found the Embassy a difficult target. “Therefore what exactly had he intended to do and that he was unable to do is something that is difficult to know, now that he is no more. It is difficult to figure out what exactly he had in mind. But somewhere in the Le Monde report it does say that he desisted because of the difficulty of the task. In any case, we are taking steps to strengthen the protection of the Embassy.”

Lured into jihad

Well-placed sources in France who cannot be quoted say the French intelligence services are extremely worried over the growing radicalisation within the Muslim community here. France has the largest concentration of Muslims in Europe, an estimated five million and it is often the young, under-educated and unskilled Muslims of Arab origin, who are radicalised and lured into jihad.

Merah is exactly one such youth of Algerian extraction. During his conversations with the policemen, he deplored the fact that he had not killed enough victims. “I did not kill enough,” he said, adding he did not fear the Special Forces surrounding his first floor apartment “because they love life, while I prefer death.”

Elder brother being questioned

The police are questioning his elder brother, Abdelkader Merah (29), who remains in isolation at the prison in Fresnes. The older Merah admits he helped his brother steal the scooter Mohamed Merah used during the killings. The younger Merah would carry out armed robberies to finance his trips to Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Iraq or Israel. The fact that he travelled to Israel has given rise to the suspicion that Merah was an intelligence agent or at least a pawn used by the French spy agencies. With a name like Merah, the Israelis would have been extremely reticent to let him in despite his having a French passport, unless they had the green light from French services.

What can be expected is the use of non-TSP origin terrorist by TSP in and against India. The signals are clear.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 18 May 2012 14:14

The guys who did the scouting of targets in 26/11 were US citizens and an Omani. Matter of time before non TSP nationals are used to target India or any other country.

So the question is what can we do? Closer cooperation between all countries, share watch lists on terror suspects. In the UK they have yellow list, red list etc. In morocco they watch people of Pakistani origin regardless of the passport they are carrying

To me, pakis are doing dry runs to simulate SF strikes targeting key installations. They are the weaker nation so they will try and do denial operations in a case of war.

Mumbai port was where most of the western fleet sat and still continue to sit? Coastal guard is being doubled in size an strength. Coastal police is being expanded and I think it will be some years before we are able to effectively tackle sea threats.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 18 May 2012 14:21

al-q never had india in the priority target list
what the above tells you is that the paquis have taken over the al-q agenda
i.e. unkil has hit al-q pretty hard, and the paquis have taken over the leadership
now all of a sudden india is on the al-q priority list...

arun · Post by **arun** » 17 Jun 2012 20:48

Pascal Mazurier, Deputy Head of Chancery of France’s Consulate in Bangalore is accused of paedophilic incestuous rape :

French diplomat accused of raping 3-year-old daughter

chandrabhan · Post by **chandrabhan** » 07 Aug 2012 00:29

Mods,
I have been traveling in France for a few weeks. In case it is alright, I would like to put across my views on french society. Please find some excerpts and a link for the blog too.in case you find it inappropriate , please remove.

"..One thing I noticed was large percentage of blacks, browns and yellow races. My guesstimate would be around 40% of Paris population would be non Gaul. I saw some African women with colourful headgear, like turbans tied in a different way, wearing their ethnic dresses. I cold hear almost 6-7 languages on that train to Robespierre I.e. Chinese, Japanese, Punjabi, English, french and few Spanish people too
How does a Frenchmen adjusts to this will determine the future of Europe as French have been at the forefront of shaping the ideas and destiny of Europe. As of now, young look more comfortable with the mixed population with middle age and older people scrowling in discontent quietly. The number of African origin residents is overwhelming to say the least and I got down at the station, walked out and was pleasantly surprised to see that it is a very mixed neighbourhood. My host that evening was a person of Morroccan descent. People were warm, gave directions willingly and non- threatening in demeanour. This is far better than my experience with Englishmen who are cold, hostile and ignore you sometime..."

http://www.aryaninvader.com/2012/08/par ... day-1.html

Arav · Post by **Arav** » 07 Feb 2013 06:01

Preparing for a visitor from Paris

President Hollande is very different from the ebullient Sarkozy, who was much admired in India, but as Mali has shown, he can take firm decisions in his own quiet way

French President Francois Hollande, accompanied by his journalist-partner Valerie Trierweiler, several senior ministers and an impressive business delegation arrives in New Delhi on February 14, Valentine’s Day, for a two-day state visit that will take him to the Capital and Mumbai.

India’s decision to depart from protocol and accord France this rare honour (there has been no reciprocal state visit by the Indian Prime Minister since President Nicolas Sarkozy’s last state visit in 2008) underscores the importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Paris, which has become a major strategic partner. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day ceremonies in 2009, but that was a short working visit.

Range of issues

During his two-day trip, Mr. Hollande will be accorded all state honours, including an official banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will hold talks with Dr. Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. In Mumbai, he will address a CEOs Forum meeting. Since the exact composition of his delegation has yet to be finalised, few details are trickling out about his visit except that there is likely to be an accent on accrued exchanges in higher education, research and the environment, alongside discussions on international and regional issues, particularly Afghanistan. France recently played host to a round of talks between the Afghan government’s representatives and the Taliban, and New Delhi would be keen to learn more about the road map post-2014 when foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan.

The economic relations between the two countries will also be a major chapter and the French side is expected to ask India to make haste with its signature of the 10 billion-Euro-plus contract for the Rafale (multi-role combat aircraft), now that Dassault Aviation has reportedly agreed to almost all Indian demands, including a strict clause concerning technology transfer and offsets.

Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s ebullient former President, had managed to impress India’s business community with his determination “to double trade in five years” and his relentless salesmanship of French expertise whether in the defence, scientific or nuclear fields, with a readiness to transfer technology, convinced New Delhi that Paris had finally understood India’s economic and strategic importance.

Mr. Hollande is quite another kettle of fish. He is a quiet, measured man, capable of rapier-fine wit when least expected, but he is no showman and, unlike Mr. Sarkozy, studiously shuns any public display of his private life. The contrast between the two men could not be sharper. Mr. Sarkozy had held several major ministerial posts including those of interior, budget and finance and accumulated international experience before becoming President.

Mr. Hollande, on the other hand, has spent most of his career as the General Secretary of the Socialist Party and has never before held a ministerial post although he was a close adviser to President Mitterrand and several successive socialist governments.

During his 11 years as Party General Secretary (1997-2008), Francois Hollande led the Socialist Party to victory in election after election — parliamentary, European, regional, municipal. And finally, in May 2012, he beat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy to become the President of France. Many of his ministers are personal friends who, like him, have been members of the French Socialist Party since their early student days.

He remains something of an enigma, a behind-the-scenes actor, including to his own people. The French themselves are beginning to discover that he is no “Flanby” or milk pudding — a nickname they gave him because of his mild manners, but surprisingly capable of bold and decisive action, like the current French military operation under way in Mali where he has already made a quick trip. Overnight, his approval ratings have gone up and yesterday’s Flanby has become something of a hero.

Despite the fact that policies do not generally change overnight with a change in leadership, personalities do matter. Mr. Sarkozy had stamped the Indo-French relationship with his own zest and enthusiasm, leaving many Indian business leaders from the CEOs Forum speechless with adulation. Now New Delhi has to get to know President Hollande, to find out if he has the same drive, the same desire to invest politically and economically in India, to further strengthen the already excellent strategic ties and build upon the strong foundation laid by President Chirac in 1998, when he showed exceptional goodwill and understanding following India’s nuclear tests.

President Hollande is expected to be accompanied by a large delegation, including several key ministers. Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister, is the one certain name on the list. Other names include those of Pierre Moscovici (Finance) Jean-Yves Le Drian (Defence), Aurelie Filippetti (Culture) Nicole Bricq (Foreign Trade), Delphine Batho (Environment), Genevieve Fioraso (Higher Education and Research) and the young but very competent government spokesperson and minister for women’s rights, Najat Vallaud Belkacem, who is of Moroccan origin. Undoubtedly, the female component will be exceptionally high.

The French too are expecting a great deal from this trip although there are unlikely to be any big ticket announcements such as the final signature for the Rafale contract or movement on the EPR nuclear reactors for Jaitapur.

‘Open and frank’

Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid who visited Paris recently (the first visit by a Foreign Minister in the second UPA government), told The Hindu in an exclusive interview: “The main purpose of my visit was to take stock of the situation so that we in India are much better prepared for his visit. We wished to indicate that we are looking forward to a very meaningful visit by President Hollande. How could I describe the President? I would say he was comfortable, a very comforting personality and he made it so very easy to talk to him. I felt that every message he gave was one of tremendous openness and frankness. The ministers displayed a similar openness. There was trust and a certain desire to move very far ahead. I can imagine that it would be difficult for any new president to have the special flavour and touch of Mr. Sarkozy, but I think Mr. Hollande is very special and we are determined to make this visit a resounding success. We might have differences over certain issues, Iran for example, but it’s the frankness and openness of dialogue that is important. I think they value our ability to say to people things that are important which others cannot say, because they do not have any communication links with them. We talked about Syria, Mali, Iran’s nuclear programme and they did not push us on any of these. We do have a careful, cautious approach and they accept that.”

The glitch lies on the economic side of the relationship. According to statistics released by the French government, the volume of bilateral commercial exchanges between the two countries, which had seen a net increase of over 30 per cent in 2010, went up by just 5.8 per cent in 2011 to touch €7.46 billion. French exports to India decreased by 4.5 per cent and amounted to €2.8 billion. India’s exports to France, on the other hand, rose by almost 13 per cent in 2011 to cross the 4.7 billion mark. French market share in India too fell by one per cent, mainly because of delays in aircraft deliveries. France is India’s eighth largest foreign investor and there are over 700 French companies working in India. However, France does not appear to be an attractive investment destination for India, which injected in France just about €1 billion of the roughly 75 billion it invests abroad.

There have been other problems. France is in the grip of a recession. Taxes have risen dramatically and unemployment continues to grow. France’s tough labour laws made Wipro’s Azim Premji remark that he would not invest another cent in France until there was more flexible labour legislation. The public quarrel between one of Mr. Hollande’s ministers, Arnaud Montebourg, who took up cudgels against Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian citizen who is essentially a European entrepreneur, painted a cruel picture of “Indian” businessmen as being bad employers. Its grave financial situation forced car maker Peugeot to shelve plans for a new plant in Gujarat; other industrial disputes arose that created a degree of bad blood in France about India’s “predator” industrialists.

Indian legislation of FDI in retail should also open up greater investment opportunities. A recent agreement on labour laws reached between the Employer’s Federation of MEDEF in France and the major unions should make life easier for people like Mr. Premji, who like France as an investment destination but are afraid of the constraints its labour laws impose. Both sides agree that small and medium French companies should play a bigger role in India if the two countries are to attain their true commercial and trade potential. That could happen if the defence deals between the two countries go through in a speedier manner. There is a lot more in the pipeline than just 124 combat aircraft.

nvishal · Post by **nvishal** » 07 Feb 2013 11:28

^Kaun hai yeh Vaiju Naravane? Varadarajan has probably hired time pass people because this is the nth time I've read gutter material in the editorial section. Hindu needs yet another editor change.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 07 Feb 2013 12:04

^ She is quite an old hand in The Hindu and was writing for the paper long before N Ram became the editor in 2003 - which would be since ~ 1998

arun · Post by **arun** » 26 Mar 2013 08:03

France does an Italy as French troops kill two Indians in the Central African Republic:

French troops kill two Indians in accidental shooting

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 27 Mar 2013 06:40

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/ensure-indians-safety-in-car-manmohan/article4552869.ece

Sequel to gunning down of 2 Indians by French forces
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is here for the BRICS Summit, has directed that all efforts be made to ensure the safety of about 100 Indians in the Central African Republic (CAR), mainly in and around its capital, after French forces shot dead two Indian nationals. The dead were among 15 Indians travelling in three cars with some Chad nationals.

In a letter that reached Dr. Singh here, followed by a phone call, French President Francois Hollande expressed regret for the incident in which six Indians were seriously injured at Bangui Airport. CAR has been overrun by a rebel group in the ongoing civil war.

According to reports, French troops, trying to protect their country’s interests after the fleeing of CAR President Francois Bozize, fired at the vehicles killing the two Indians.

The six seriously injured Indians have been shifted to a French military hospital in Chad while the other seven are now in Brazzaville where India’s Honorary Consul General is making arrangements to send them back to India in a day or two.

While conveying his condolences, Mr. Hollande assured the Prime Minister of his “firm determination” to investigate the incident and assured that the injured were under the care of French medical teams.

The Indian Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is concurrently accredited to CAR, is making the necessary arrangements for the return of the mortal remains of the Indian nationals in accordance with the desires of their next of kin.

According to the French, its forces in charge of protecting the Bangui airport, intervened in a “particularly confusing situation” against three vehicles threatening to penetrate it, at a time when their forces had just been fired at from an “unknown source.”

Despite warning shots fired by the guarding forces, the vehicles continued to proceed at high speed, they said. The French forces immediately took care of the injured Indian and Chadians nationals, who were taken to a medical unit (they were then shifted to Chad).

member_19686 · Post by **member_19686** » 02 Oct 2013 17:50

Lone wolf Indian jihadi planned terror strikes in France
Last updated on: October 01, 2013 17:49 IST

A French court recently sentenced Mohammad Niaz Abdul Rasheed, an Indian national, to eight years in prison for criminal conspiracy.

Rasheed, a resident of Trichy in Tamil Nadu, is a mechanical engineer. Intelligence agencies believe that he joined the Students Islamic Movement of India at the age of 21.

Rasheed decided to carry out terror strikes in France as he believed that French authorities were targeting Islam with steps like banning the burqa.
Rasheed is part of the lone wolf terror club -- self-trained and self-motivated terrorists who launch attacks on their own.

He reportedly spent a lot of time downloading jihadi literature and even possessed a manual on assembling a bomb. He was inspired by speeches made by Taliban leaders and often aired his views on social media. But he never belonged to any terror outfit.

Rasheed wanted to carry out a series of blasts in France and send a strong message to the authorities.

During his interactions on social media, he tried to create a platform where several similarly disgruntled youth could come together. 'Don’t just think or speak, join the fight', he often exhorted these young men.

Indian security agencies have had Rasheed on their radar for some time. They had issued an alert after he left the country though they could not find any links with any terror organisation. The agencies were also trying to find a possible money trail between Rasheed and his contacts in Kerala.

Rasheed had even recruited two French men for his terror mission and sent them to Pakistan to receive training. French authorities, with the help of inputs from Indian investigators, had finally arrested Rasheed at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris in May 2011.

They have since found that he was in touch with Umar Patek, the terrorist behind the Bali bombings, as he wanted to form a nucleus of jihadis. Rasheed, however, was never in touch with any terror operative in India.

Rasheed joins the list of lone wolf terrorists such as Kafeel Ahmed and Dhiren Barot alias Abu Musa.

Kafeel Ahmed, who hailed from Bangalore, had carried out the suicidal Glasgow bombing. Dhiren Barot, who was born in Vadodara, was arrested for plotting a series of bombings at the New York Stock Exchange.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/lone- ... 131001.htm

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 20 Oct 2013 01:55

France Says Deportation of Roma Girl Was Legal

" The case was complicated, however, by the fact that the family is Roma, an ethnic group that Interior Minister Manual Valls has said should be expelled from France; “only a minority,” he has said, can be integrated into French society.

"His flat statements on the Roma, most of whom come to France from European Union member states, including Romania and Bulgaria, have drawn the ire of people on the left, who had expected that a socialist government would take a more lenient approach toward the minority, many of whom live in shantytowns on the edges of France’s large cities. The European Union has threatened sanctions over the expulsions."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/world ... ml?hp&_r=0

When MMS was in France a few years ago, Sarkozy publicly lectured him regarding anti-minority riots in Odisha and the flying Sikh took it in his stride and nodded assent.

You think anyone in MEA has cojones to condemn what the Frenchie Minister said or has done? THis human rights stuff is unidirectional

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 20 Oct 2013 02:31

Roma in trouble after rise of fundamental christism
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ead_module