Today, India and France often speak the same language, both want a multilateral world. Apart from business, it was the main theme of President Jacques Chirac's recent visit to China. Unfortunately France still fixates on China for often-meagre results (President Chirac and its entourage used 5 planes to go to Beijing but they sold only 6 Airbus aircraft according to The Straits Times). A brief visit of Michel Barnier, the French minister for foreign affairs to India may not change the equation.
In many ways, a democratic India is more suited than China to be France's ideal geo-strategic partner in Asia. One can only hope that in the years to come the French leadership will realise the potentiality of closer collaboration, not only in the economic field, but also in the cultural and scientific. Father Ceyrac (a friend of Jacques Chirac) told us: "France should invest itself more in India. In the cultural field, there is so much between the two cultures, something very deep."
Until these deeper dimensions are found, it may take some time before Pondicherry really becomes the window of France in India, but the times are changing like the poet said.
Text: Claude Arpi; photograph: courtesy PTTDC