India Today: Relations with Australia and the Region

Hosted by: AIIA Victoria

The event will start on: Thursday, 01 March 2012 5:30 PM

And will end on: Thursday, 01 March 2012 7:00 PM

At Dyason House

124 Jolimont Road East , Melbourne Victoria

03 9654 7271     events.vic@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: vic   

With a population of 1.2 billion people and a rapidly developing economy, India seeks to play an increasingly significant role in the international community.  Traditionally focussed on its relations with its neighbours, India has more recently sought to position herself as a significant international player, particularly in East Asia. A rising global power, India is focusing on ‘economic diplomacy’, with particular emphasis on securing energy supplies and lobbying for a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Although India and Australia have generally maintained good relations since Indian independence in 1947, the relationship has not received high priority in either country until fairly recent times, as evidenced by the fact that no Indian prime minister has visited this country in the last twenty-five years.  With India’s rapid growth Australia now sees burgeoning trade opportunities - India is now Australia’s fourth largest export market.  The relationship has, however, been strained by Australia’s only recently reversed ban on the sale of uranium to India and a number of highly publicised assaults on young Indians studying in Australia.
 
In this talk MJ Akbar, one of India’s most prominent and influential journalists and a prodigious author, will discuss India’s relations with Australia and the region more generally. Beginning his career at the ‘Times of India’ in 1971, he has since launched a number of newspapers, including ‘The Telegraph’, regarded as India’s first modern paper, and ‘The Asian Age’, India’s first newspaper catering for both the domestic and international markets, with editions in Delhi, Bombay and London.  Today, Mr Akbar is the Editorial Director of 1.1 million-circulation ‘India Today’ and ‘Headlines Today’.  He is also a senior non-resident fellow in foreign policy at The Brookings Institution, Washington DC.  From 1989 to 1991 he served as a member of parliament for the Congress Party.  Mr Akbar is the author of a number of books, including India: The Siege Within, Challenges to a Nation’s Unity; Nehru: The Making of Modern India; Kashmir: Behind the Veil; The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict Between Islam and Christianity; Blood Brothers; and Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan.

Event flyer:   AIIAV-2012-Akbar-MJ-Mr-01.03.12 (142.56 kB)

Refreshments will be served.

Pre-payment welcomed, or payment at the door:

• AIIA members $20
• Non-members $30
• Student AIIA members $10
• Student non-members $15

If you plan to attend this function, please advise us at least 1 day before the event.