Bright prospects for Korea-India relations

A recent trip to New Delhi and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for a meeting of the executive committee of the World Federation of U.N. Associations served as a reminder to me that India is developing at a breathtaking pace economically, politically, and socially, and is becoming one of the most influential powers in the world. Its economy is growing at more than 7 percent annually; it has an advanced IT sector, a long cultural history and democratic strength. That development has been reflected in its major role at the United Nations, where, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh emphasized in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September, it has embraced the principles on which the U.N. was founded ― internationalism and multilateralism.

That makes India of great importance and interest to WFUNA, a non-governmental organization that was founded in 1946 to support the work of the United Nations. It has become one of the world’s leading people’s movements, representing national U.N. associations in more than 100 countries. The Indian principles of democracy and openness to international cooperation match Korea’s own philosophy and fit very well with the U.N.’s aims and with those of WFUNA.

During my stay in Kolkata, I was struck by the thought that even a first-time visitor such as I saw clearly how both Indian and global aspirations can be seen in its history and present-day situation.

“The City of Joy” and “the Intellectual City”: Those nicknames for Kolkata are bold assertions, but they do encapsulate the energy, culture and society of the city. There are many things that make visiting or living in Kolkata memorable, but I was perhaps most impressed by the sight of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and Buddhists living side by side in tolerance and harmony, with a pride in their city and a zest for life. In our world, such social integration is indeed something to gladden one’s heart.

Walking around the Victoria Memorial, a monument that commemorates the 19th-century British queen who once ruled colonial India, a visitor cannot help but contemplate the differences in historical perceptions of colonial rule that we former colonies have. Certainly the Raj (as the colonial period and its government are called) had its share of brutality and suppression, but this memorial, now maintained by the Indian government, demonstrates that India takes pride in its history and has a balanced view of the period of nearly a century when the British held sway. Our perceptions and memories of Korea’s very different colonial period are quite a contrast. But in both nations, that history has not prevented the development of a prosperous society.

I was reminded of a very emotional link between our two countries, which I referred to earlier, when I visited the Tagore Museum on the Rabindra Bharati University campus, honoring Kolkata’s Nobel laureate in literature, whose 150th birthday was also commemorated in Korea last May. In Korea’s colonial period, his poem Lamp of the East was an inspiration to our independence movement, and a few generations of Koreans learned it and learned about its author in the years before and after liberation. Short, sweet and emotional, the poem goes: “In the golden age of Asia, Korea was one of its lamp-bearers, and that lamp was waiting to be lighted once again for the illumination in the East.”

Nature and beauty are evident everywhere at Kolkata’s Botanical Garden, the second largest in the world. A riot of color and greenery, the 110-hectare site is a delight to the senses, and I joined the throng of people from around the world who viewed the huge banyan tree there, a sight that must be experienced to be believed. Development does not require a sacrifice of natural beauty.

Mother Teresa’s house has a special meaning to me as a Catholic. Recalling her selfless work among the poor, I stood in front of the dilapidated building, sweltering in the heat and surrounded by abundant evidence of the Bible’s words that the poor will always be with you. Wiping perspiration from my face and looking up at the second floor of the humble building that was home for her entire life and where she dedicated herself to helping the poor in the service of God, I felt a sense of mixed humility, pride and sadness that her dedication to caring for “the least of these” has not yet been put into universal practice.

Conversations with our host and other people we met touched several times on the political history of West Bengal and Karala, where the Communist Party and its offshoots have been powerful since independence. Although post-World War II politics in the region has not been entirely free of the political violence associated with earlier generations of the party, most South Koreans probably find it difficult to see a communist party as one of many political factions peacefully contending for votes.

Jainism, I understand, is part of the Hindu tradition, although what appear to be links between Jainism and Buddhism were noticeable as well. We visited the Jain Temple at Maniktala, delighting in the architecture and gardens and learning about the Jain teachings of non-violence and striving for inner perfection.

In my visit to both New Delhi and Kolkata, I also thought frequently about our countries’ links. In 2009, South Korea and India concluded the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free-trade pact. As a result, there has been a rapid growth in people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment. Trade jumped 30 percent, for example, in the year after the agreement came into force.

We share with India a desire for closer world integration, the peaceful solution of disputes and harmony, and a determination to bring prosperity to all our citizens. With those solid foundations, the prospects for cooperative and productive relations between India and Korea ― in areas as diverse as space technology and the advancement of human rights ― are very bright.

By Park Soo Gil

Park Soo Gil is the president of the World Federation of U.N. Associations and distinguished professor of the Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University. ― Ed.