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India, a friend in need?
If India has ambitions to send men into space, surely it could devote more resources to alleviating poverty on Earth.
(Telegraph View)
14 Feb 2011
On the face of it, the decision of Andrew Mitchell, the Secretary of State for International Development, to continue to give aid to India – more than £1 billion of it over the next four years – has some logic. The country is home to 456 million poor people, a third of all the world's poverty-stricken, while our unique historic links with the subcontinent perhaps leave a residual sense of obligation. The two facts help explain why India has for years been the leading recipient of UK aid, with the British taxpayer currently stumping up almost one-third of all the foreign contributions the country receives. Yet India's economy is now the world's 11th largest, as well as one of its fastest growing. It has an annual defence budget of £20 billion, is this year spending £760 million on its space programme and has its own overseas aid budget. Its soaring economy has produced more than 125,000 dollar millionaires, while the richest man in Britain is Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian steel tycoon. In these circumstances, is the continuation of British aid hand-outs, particularly at a time of immense pressure on the public finances, really defensible?
Mr Mitchell argues that we have a continuing obligation to help India's poor if we are to meet the UN millennium development goals. Surely the real obligation must lie with India itself. Continuing reliance on foreign payments is demeaning to such an economically vibrant country, a fact recognised by some Indian politicians. A country with ambitions to send men into space could perhaps devote more resources to alleviating poverty here on earth. Mr Mitchell's department used to be part of the Foreign Office. This wilfully irrational decision suggests that it should be returned there so that it can be made to pursue an aid policy that is more in tune with this country's national interest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8324257/India-a-friend-in-need.html
If India has ambitions to send men into space, surely it could devote more resources to alleviating poverty on Earth.
(Telegraph View)
14 Feb 2011
On the face of it, the decision of Andrew Mitchell, the Secretary of State for International Development, to continue to give aid to India – more than £1 billion of it over the next four years – has some logic. The country is home to 456 million poor people, a third of all the world's poverty-stricken, while our unique historic links with the subcontinent perhaps leave a residual sense of obligation. The two facts help explain why India has for years been the leading recipient of UK aid, with the British taxpayer currently stumping up almost one-third of all the foreign contributions the country receives. Yet India's economy is now the world's 11th largest, as well as one of its fastest growing. It has an annual defence budget of £20 billion, is this year spending £760 million on its space programme and has its own overseas aid budget. Its soaring economy has produced more than 125,000 dollar millionaires, while the richest man in Britain is Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian steel tycoon. In these circumstances, is the continuation of British aid hand-outs, particularly at a time of immense pressure on the public finances, really defensible?
Mr Mitchell argues that we have a continuing obligation to help India's poor if we are to meet the UN millennium development goals. Surely the real obligation must lie with India itself. Continuing reliance on foreign payments is demeaning to such an economically vibrant country, a fact recognised by some Indian politicians. A country with ambitions to send men into space could perhaps devote more resources to alleviating poverty here on earth. Mr Mitchell's department used to be part of the Foreign Office. This wilfully irrational decision suggests that it should be returned there so that it can be made to pursue an aid policy that is more in tune with this country's national interest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8324257/India-a-friend-in-need.html
Ever heard of Hong Kong, a.k.a the Queen's crown jewel? even after 150 years, China still got it back. 
