The streets of Ahmedabad came alive on Wednesday with song and dance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an 8-kilometre road show with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and his wife, the first such event by the Indian premier with a visiting head of government. Modi held Abe in his characteristic bear hug as he, accompanied by wife Akie, landed at the Ahmedabad airport, reflecting the close bonding the two leaders have forged over several meetings. [caption id=“attachment_4041117” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Shinzo Abe and Narendra Modi at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. Twitter/@PMOIndia[/caption] In a gesture symbolising the growing ties between the two large Asiatic economies, Abe wore kurta-pyjama and a royal blue Nehru jacket while his wife donned a red salwar-kameez ensemble as they accompanied Modi on the road show from the airport to the Sabarmati Ashram. Sabarmati Ashram was set up by apostle of peace Mahatma Gandhi who spent considerable time of his life there. Song and dance performances were held by the roadside as the cavalcade rolled on, guarded by gun toting security personnel. Crowds lining up the streets cheered lustily as Modi and Abe waved at them. Akie, meanwhile, happily clicked photos with her mobile phone. People were seen waving Indian and Japanese national flags at several places. The road show, designed to showcase India’s cultural diversity, saw artistes from several states performing on 28 stages erected by the roadside. They performed folk dances in traditional attires, while at several places along the way people in customary Japanese ensemble carrying parasols were also seen breaking into a jig to welcome the visiting dignitaries. The road show, which began from Ahmedabad airport ended at the Sabarmati Ashram after traversing nearly eight kilometres. The visiting dignitaries and Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the ashram where the Father of the Nation lived for about 12 years. “Love and Thanks”, Abe wrote in a short message in Japanese on the visitors’ register which was also signed by his wife. The couple, dressed in traditional Indian attire, went inside ‘Hriday Kunj’, the small house where Gandhi lived, and had their photographs clicked with a ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel), which was emblematic of India’s quest for self- reliance during the freedom struggle. Modi, Abe, and the Japanese first lady then paid floral tributes at Gandhi’s statue. Like a courteous and indulgent host, Modi showed the couple around the ashram. The three later sat for some time by the serene Sabarmati Riverfront, developed by Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, chatting and laughing. Modi showed them the statuettes of Gandhi’s famous ’three monkeys’ that symbolised his philosophy of peace and tolerance, with one of them covering its eyes, the second its mouth, and the third its ears in the gesture of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. The three wise monkeys, also called mystic apes, are said to have their origin in Japan in the 17th century. They spent nearly 25 minutes at the ashram before visiting an iconic medieval era mosque — Sidi Saiyyed — an architectural marvel located in the eastern part of the world heritage city. The 16th Century mosque is known across the world for its intricate stone lattice work locally known as ‘jalis’. The mosque is popularly called ‘Sidi Saiyyed ni Jali’. Modi took the couple on a brief tour of the mosque and explained to them the importance of the heritage monument built in 1573. The iconic ‘jali’ on the wall of the mosque is the official logo of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad became the first city in the country to be included in the World Heritage City list by UNESCO in July this year. The leaders then headed to the nearby ‘Agashiye’ restaurant for dinner in the old city area. The restaurant is known for its elegance and kosher Gujarati cuisine. The two leaders will get down to business today when they jointly lay the foundation stone for the high-speed train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai which is expected to be completed by 2022. The train would cover the distance of over 500 kilometres in around two hours. Japan has extended a soft loan for the ambitious project conceptualised by Modi. The two leaders will hold the 12th Indo-Japan annual Summit meeting at Gandhinagar after which agreements will be exchanged. Later, an India-Japan business plenary meeting will be held. Fifteen agreements will be signed for investments in Gujarat during the visit of the Japanese prime minister, Gujarat chief secretary JN Singh had said on Wednesday. Abe’s spouse will be visiting a number of places including NGO Blind People’s Association. Modi had hosted Chinese president Xi Jinping and his wife in Ahmedabad in his home state Gujarat in September 2014. Abe’s visit comes amid rising tensions in the Far East where North Korea recently launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. Growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea is also a cause of concern in the region and could come up for discussion between the two leaders. With inputs from agencies
Shinzo Abe's Gujarat visit highlights: A strong India in our interest, says Japan PM at bullet train launch event
Crowds lining up the streets cheered lustily as Modi and Abe waved at them. Akie, meanwhile, happily clicked photos with her mobile phone. People were seen waving Indian and Japanese national flags at several places.
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Gujarat cherishes Japan’s friendship for being the first partner in Vibrant Gujarat
When I first visited Japan as CM of Gujarat, I had said that I want to see a mini Japan in Gujarat. Today that dream has come true: PM Modi
China says India, Japan ties pose no ‘grave threat’ to Beijing
China has always been wary of growing proximity between India and Japan with whom it has territorial disputes. The state-run Chinese media has often been critical of fast developing ties between India and Japan.
An op-ed in the Global Times said “the India-Japan intimacy is more like a contrivance” and both were “are unlikely to challenge China without giving it a serious thought”.
It said China would never follow India and Japan “who have somewhat lost themselves”.
Meanwhile.. Akie Abe visits the Vocational Training Unit at Blind People’s Association (BPA)
India, Japan sign agreement allowing airlines to fly unlimited flights between both countries
India and Japan on Thursday signed an agreement under which their airlines can operate an unlimited number of flights between the two countries. Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, and Indian carriers Air India and Jet Airways are the airlines that fly between the two countries.
‘Security diamond’ returns with a vengeance at India-Japan summit
On the second day of Shinzo Abe’s two-day visit, a familiar theme returned to the agenda: Asia’s Democratic Security Diamond as coined by the Japanese prime minister back in 2012.
“I envisage a strategy whereby Australia, India, Japan, and the US state of Hawaii form a diamond to safeguard the maritime commons stretching from the Indian Ocean region to the western Pacific. I am prepared to invest, to the greatest possible extent, Japan’s capabilities in this security diamond,” Abe had stated.
One of the motives of this proposed security diamond is to curb China’s increasingly expansionist attitude in the South China Sea region — something that directly affects Japan. Even if this eventually turns out to be a case of mere saber-rattling, Beijing appears to have already received the message.
Read Full article hereIndia, Japan ink 3 MoUs in science & technology sector
The first pact was signed for an international joint exchange programme between Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) at Japanese research institute RIKEN and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (Simons-NCBS), Bengaluru. The other two MoUs were inked between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan – PTI
‘In a way it’s free,’ PM Modi on cost of bullet train
In an apparent move to silence the critics of the muti-million ambitious bullet train project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reasserted that India’s gains from the project are much more than it’s cost.
“Ek prakar se muft mein (In a way it is free),” Modi said reminding that the project was made possible thanks to the Japanese loan of Rs 88,000 crore at an attractive 0.1 per cent interest to be repaid over 50 years, The Indian Express reported.
In Pictures: PM Modi, Shinzo Abe at Bullet Train simulator
India-Japan to explore possibilities of boosting infra projects in North East
Behind high optics infra projects, India-Japan slowly strengthening defence cooperation
While the cheer and aplomb around bullet train is dominating headlines, India and Japan are quietly strengthening defence cooperation. Speaking to the press, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said, “Till now the thrust of the contacts and cooperation have been on maritime security only. We agreed to explore cooperation and exchanges between our Armies/ Ground Self defence force and Air Force and Japan’s Air Defence.”
India, Japan sign 15 deals, agree to strengthen cooperation in India-Pacific region
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held wide-ranging talks on key bilateral, regional and international issues and discussed ways to deepen ties in trade, security and civil nuclear energy.
During the talks between the two leaders, India and Japan inked 15 pacts to give a boost to cooperation in various key sectors, including civil aviation, trade and science and technology.
Despite euphoria, bullet train project still has land acquisition hurdles to cross
Even as the nation is cheering and rejoicing over India’s first high speed rail project, the enthusiasm will soon be sullied because the railway authorities are yet to acquire the required private land. Of this entire stretch, 92 percent will be elevated and six percent will be tunneled, The Asian Agereported. The remaining two percent, about 825 hectares of land, may become a major hurdle for completing the bullet train project by 2022.
Rail authorities are also facing a tough time convincing villagers near Virar to give away their land for the project. The rail officials were abused by villagers when they went to discuss the matter.
Some initial reports have identified 163 villages in eight districts of Gujarat, 44 villages in three districts of Maharashtra and some areas in Dadra and Nagar Haveli for land acquisition. About 2,761 families will be affected.
India, Japan team up against terror
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in Lok Sabha that his party was not against any development project, but added that the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project was not economically viable. “We are not against any project, but what is the aim? This project is not economically viable,” Kharge said.
“The air fare between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is Rs 2,000, and the bullet train fare would be between Rs 2,800 to Rs 5,000… Only if one lakh passengers travel in the train the project will be economically viable,” said Kharge.
He added that Rs 60,000 crore was being spent on land acquisition, and the cost of the project which has been pitched at Rs 1,10,000 crore may further escalate during implementation.
The fact that the bullet train will be completed only by 2022-23 was lost on most of those present at Thursday’s event.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seemed so excited that he wanted Modi to inaugurate the train in Mumbai, even though he noted that the ground breaking was taking place in Gujarat.
Gujaratis are known to lap it up with great awe when a foreign dignitary calls Narendra Modi a friend. In this case, Abe started his speech with ‘Namaskar’ and went on to say that he “loved Gujarat” and he would wish to “come here again with Narendra Modi in the bullet train, chatting and looking at the beautiful countryside from the window.” He not only called Japan an old friend of India, remembering how he addressed the Indian Parliament ten years ago, but Modi a “dear friend and a world leader.”
Read hereSmriti Irani hails bullet train project
In a series of tweets, Union minister Smriti Irani praised the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, saying that it symbolised growth in the country.
The 15 MoUs signed at the India-Japan Summit meet:
-Disaster Risk Management
– Japanese Language Education in India between MEA and MOFA, Japan
– India Japan Act East Forum
– Arrangement between India Post and Japan Post on Administrative Instruction for the Implementation of Cool EMS service
– India-Japan Investment Promotion Road map between DIPP and METI
– MOC between METI and the State of Gujarat on ‘Japan-India special programme for Make In India’ in Mandal Bechraj-Khoraj in Gujarat
– Exchange of RoD on Civil Aviation Cooperation (Open Sky)
– Agreement for International joint exchange programme between interdisciplinary theoretical and mathematical sciences programme (iTHEMS), RIKEN and National Centres for Biological Sciences (Simons-NCBS)
– Joint Research Contract between National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan and Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
– Between DBT and National Institute of Advanced Science & Technology (AIST)
– International Academic and Sports Exchange between Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE)and Nippon Sports Science University, Japan (NSSU)
– International Academic and Sports Exchange between Sports Authority of India and Nippon Sports Science University, Japan (NSSU)
– Letter of intent between Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) and University of Tsukuba, Japan
– Letter of intent between Sports Authority of India and University of Tsukuba, Japan
– Between RIS and IDE-JETRO for promotion of Cooperation in Research Related Activities
Abe pins hope on popularising Japanese language in India
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that with the signing of MoU on Japanese language, he hopes that the language will find a way among the common people in India.
He also thanked India for a warm welcome. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank India and the people of India,” he said.
Abe speaks on ties between India, Japan and US
“India, Japan and US conducted joint maritime exercise in Malabar for the first time, based on strong ties of trust between Modi and US president Donald Trump. It will further deepen cooperation between India, Japan & the US,” Abe said.
India is transforming, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that with initiatives like ease of doing business, Skill India or Make in India show that India is transforming.
He also announced a delivery service between the two nations to serve the Japanese diaspora in India. “India Post & Japan Post to start a ‘cool box service’ for Japanese living in India so that they can order their favorite food from Japan, said Modi.”
Modi address India-Japan summit meet
“I am happy to welcome Shinzo Abe to India. We have met several times on the sidelines of international events. Yesterday, we attended Sabarmati Ashram. Today we went to Gandhi Musuem,” said Narendra Modi.
Exchange of agreements takes place
The following agreements were exchanged:
– Japanese Language of India
– Act East
– Record of discussion civil aviation authorities
Modi, Abe in Dandi Kutir