Security of Indian High Commission increased, confirms UK minister Tariq Ahmad

The United Kingdom's Minister of State for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmad has confirmed that security of Indian High Commission has been increased in the backdrop of the recent incident of vandalism. Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Minister Ahmad who is on an India visit said, 'We have security provisions in place. We are also looking at added security structures within the framework of the diplomatic mission'.

During the Indiavisit, he met India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant & G20 Coordinator Harish Shringla. Asked about updates in the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations, he pointed out, 'FTA is progressing well..', & 'We are making good progress, several chapters have progressed and being closed, and we remain hopeful on reaching an early agreement.'

An India UK FTA would boost current trading relationship, worth £36 billion in 2022.During the India visit, he also visited the state of Rajasthan. This was his first trip to the birthplace of his mother. He also visited Hyderabad.

Watch | UK MoS Lord Tariq Ahmad on 3-city tour

WION: What was the key focus of your India visit? You met with top officials here.

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Thank you for inviting me. Delhi is my third stop. I was in Mumbai where I was updated by the state commissioner and deputy high commissioner on the FTA negotiations which have been a key part of what I was discussing, including with FM Jaishankar earlier today. I then went to Jodhpur where the focus was on important issues of meeting with empowered women leaders.

I also saw some projects which were run by women and girls and communities around Rajasthan. And there was also an opportunity to see a real deliverable of the UK-India friendship and partnership whenI visited one of the clinics that benefited from the strong support we were able to give in terms of factory provisions, oxygen, utilities in terms of Rajasthan's needs during the covid crisis.

Here in Delhi, I had a very constructive conversation with my longstanding friends. I have known Jaishankar ji for a long time. He is a great asset to India as a foreign minister, but he is also a great friend to the UK. And we discussed a wide range of issues including G20. We congratulate India in that respect. Halfway through as the report card says, I was also able to meet Amitabh ji as the sherpa on the G20 and my friend Harsh Shringla ji who also was overseeing many of the arrangements.

I equally had a very strong meeting and a constructive exchange with the foreign secretary and indeed with the home secretary. We had discussions on range of issues.

I mentioned FTA, the G20, the importance of the strength of the UK-India bilateral partnership but also spoke on how we collaborate on important issues as we did around the Covid crisis.

So, all in all, there has been a focussed visit on these key deliverables. But underlying all of these is the science and technology partnership between UK and India. And indeed, just before this interview, we were celebrating a whole range of innovations with entrepreneurs.

We have been looking at cutting-edge AI technology delivering health outcomes in terms of early diagnostics. We have also been looking at practical solutions which would revolutionise healthcare.

WION: Can you update us on the India-UK free trade agreement? Why is the British side refusing to accept the plea of the spirit makers in India to reduce the maturity age of whiskey?

Lord Tariq Ahmad: First of all, the FTA is progressing well and my colleague, who is a trade secretary, is engaged with minister Goyal on important aspects of this. It is a very technical question about spirits. And you are posing this technical question on spirits, to a teetotaller. Someone who doesn't touch alcohol. So I can't say I declare an interest.

What is important for sectors and industries, companies on both sides isto not just be protected but to be provided with the opportunities to expand further and that is the essence and use the phrase the spirit of the FTA. So, there will be details which various officials are working on currently. We are making good progress. Several chapters have progressed and are being closed, and we remain hopeful on reaching an early agreement.

It is important, the FTA and the framework that is set across different sectors. It is important in a sense of collaboration between our two countries and is a key deliverable of our partnership. I have already illustrated through the example of these entrepreneurs and as I have seen already in time when we needed a friend India stood with us. When India needed a friend, we stood with India and that's how you define a true partnership and friendship.

WION: How will you characterise the India-UK ties, considering both, ups and downs? There have been concerns about vandalism at Indian High Commission

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Every relationship is defined by good days and days which could have gone better. But the UK and India's relationship is in a very strong place and that's demonstrable by the strong relationship shared both professionally and personally between our two prime ministers.

You saw strong sense and a communique that came out of the meeting they had (in Hiroshima). It wasn't just warm words; they had some very practical deliverables and indeed both prime ministers stated their ambition to deliver upon what we were just talking about the free trade agreement.

You have mentioned the issue of the attack on the High Commission. The attack was deplorable. Let me be absolutely clear with you, we take the security of India and indeed the security of every mission in the UK in the court of St James, extremely seriously. It is our responsibility.

I immediately visited your excellent high commissioner as well as the security minister to ensure that the response indeed showed solidarity but importantly the response that was needed came very quickly. We have security provisions in place. We are also looking at added security structures within the framework of the diplomatic mission.

But I assure to show you that the UK takes all responsibility very seriously because these are very much the representatives of different governments on the soil of the UK, and we need to ensure they are fully protected. And I am sure if you speak to the high commissioner, he has been reassured also of the steps we have taken in this regard.

WION: How much is Khalistan extremism a concern? Pro-Khalistan Elements...aren’t they a risk to UK itself?

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Well, first and foremost, you know, we need to really unpack this. Any form of extremism is a challenge. It's a challenge to the society in which it is being practised.

We've suffered as India has from the whole onslaught of extremism of different kinds, but we've got to be very clear. There is no religion that justifies violent actions against another on the basis of difference of opinion. Let's be absolutely clear about that. I was a former minister for countering extremism in the United Kingdom. And we must tackle that extremist ideology, which sometimes, infiltrates vulnerable minds or communities, and addresses it head-on. You mentioned pro-Khalistan extremists. Any kind of extremists are to be condemned.

There are of course, laws and structures and the law allowing people the right to peaceful protests, to demonstrate a particular view or opinion, is celebrated in any democracy and celebrated here in India, celebrated in the United Kingdom. But those who demonstrate a particular point of view and maybe contrarian to a particular country or a particular issue must do so within the parameters of that law. And we must ensure that there is no space for those who support extremism. Such extremism leads to division. It leads to discord, it leads to hatred, and worse. And yes, when you talk of extremism and those who challenge the very fabric of democracy, whether it's India or the United Kingdom, it's a common challenge we must face and address.

WION: So, you mentioned the security measures which have been taken for the Indian High Commission, can you assure that there will be no such instances of vandalism?

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Everyone has a right to protest and demonstrate but they must do it within the parameters of the law and when you overstep that mark there is action to be taken against the perpetrators of the action. You know when we talked about the extremistthreats or even more, you can never eradicate it because these extremists' minds will always be looking at means to circumvent. We need to ensure cooperation and that the measures we take to mitigate further actions act as a direct deterrent to those who are planning these actions. But where the law is overstepped, we will ensure that there are prosecutions.

WION: So now coming to Indo-Pacific, we know about UK's Indo-Pacific tilt. How do you see India playing an important role when it comes to London's Indo-Pacific tilt? If you can shed some light on that.

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Our friendship is based on something which I feel very passionate about, our people-to-people contact. The contributions of the British-Indian community are not just recognised, indeed, they're celebrated and you see people of the heritage from this part of the world very much in evidence in every facet of British society with every professional including the profession that I represent in public life. However, it's also important that we look at new innovations, new ways of moving forward. I talked about the FTA technology, AI research partnerships, the factoring crisis, what we saw during Covid When the cooperation between AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute, which has now resulted in a major investment in research facilities in the UK. That is a deliverable of aliving bridge which even PM Modi has talked about. So, our ambition about both countries I know is very high. India is very much part of heart of our Indo-Pacific terms.

WION: But in the Indo-Pacific we have seen aggressive actions by certain countries, which includes China. How do you see this aggressive action by China with respect toIndia and with other countries in the region? Because we have seen contestation in the region.

Lord Tariq Ahmad: Well, you may recall, when those skirmishes broke out in the northern region around Ladakh etc, I was one of the few ministers who quite publicly, and as a representative of my country, called for support for India in terms of its territorial sovereignty and integrity. India is an important partner. You mentioned China and the threat posed. Let's be very clear. As the foreign secretary general several years also said, we recognise China has an important role to play. It's the P5 member of the UN Security Council.

It has an important role as it demonstrated when it comes to dealing with pandemics as we saw during the COVID-19 crisis. We talk as we're talking about the G20, about climate change, and its impact on communities across the world. We recognise that but however, when we have differences with China, when we see China needs to be called out publicly, we don't hesitate to do so. But our partnership with India, our collaboration with India, as two functioning democracies, inclusive democracies, democracies that represent a rich diversity of people and communities is reflective of our ambition to do so much more.

WION: Any plans to return the Kohinoor diamond?

Lord Tariq Ahmad: One thing is, you know as part of, yes, I recognise the history of it, but it's very much part of our heritage. So, there are no plans in that respect. But what we also recognise is strong cultural ties, and the importance of issues that have a shared heritage. You know, we have a living bridge, and that living bridge is the real heritage. I don't need to gofurther than our own prime minister right now. You'll see the living bridge and the true heritage of what we celebrate in the United Kingdom. And as we look forward to a flourishing partnership and deepening friendship with India, God willing, we will be very much strengthening our work across all sectors and all areas. And it's important to look at now as my late father who was like we're never late, but always, God bless his soul, used to say to me, focus on the present, because it's the present that defines our future. And for me, the future between India and the UK is a bright one.