THE word “merdeka” in Indonesian and Malay languages means independent or free and is derived from the Sanskrit maharddhika, meaning “rich, prosperous and powerful”.
Can there be a better link between the ancient Indian language and its contemporary, universal context for Malaysia?
Sadly, even the educated in India, once a prominent football nation, connect it mainly with the football tournament Malaysia hosts. But, that need not take away the essence of the expression and ought to be used to consolidate the connectivity between two people.
Having just moved past the 70th landmark of independence from the British, it is easy for Indians to appreciate the 60th that Malaysians will touch on Aug 31, ending the rule by the same coloniser.
If ancient cultural ties kept the Indians and Malaysians connected down the centuries, the contemporary common experience of colonialism has strengthened these ties and rendered them more relevant to the challenges of the present and the future. This should explain the growing cooperation on an increasing range of issues.
Their destinies were conjoined by the events of the World War 2. The Indian Army’s prisoners of war organised into an anti-British force under Subhas Chandra Bose and formed the Indian National Army (INA).
Aided by people of Singapore, Malaya and Burma, INA fought valiantly. It did not win the war, but definitely jolted the British into realising that they could not suppress for long the subjects they had ruled for centuries. For, they had taken up arms.
INA triggered the hastening of the British withdrawal from India. And that set in motion the process of de-colonisation across Asia and Africa.
Rabindranath Tagore looked for the cultural connect. Jawaharlal Nehru set India’s global policy for diaspora when he urged those in Malaysia to prosper and contribute to the prosperity in their adopted homes.
Not just the two nations, the Indians settled in Malaysia have also come to acquire a critical position in the life of the country they live in.
Where else does a head of the government applaud the population of long-time settlers saying, “without Malaysian Indians, Malaysia simply would not be what it is today”?
In an opinion piece that appeared in The Hindustan Times, and published widely elsewhere, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said: “…these Malaysian Indians have played a vital role in building our country.”
At some seven per cent of Malaysia’s 32 million (according to 2017 population projection) multi-ethnic population, the Indians, with huge ethno-religious and linguistic diversity of their own, are also the largest diaspora outside India. That makes them unique to India and to the society they live in. This is a given.
Malaysian Indians, according to Najib, “constitute a very special reason why it is so natural for our two countries to forge ever closer and friendlier relations”. This, too, is a given.
Najib’s observations came on the eve of his India visit in March-April this year. That was his third visit as prime minister. It set the tone for the talks he had, not just with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team, but also for a wide variety of people he met.
With majority Tamils among the Malaysian Indians on his mind, Najib, during his Chennai visit, met megastar Rajnikanth, whose film Kabali was shot and co-produced in Malaysia.
In focusing on India, Najib has corrected an aberration. The cold vibes of the cold war era have vanished. Many in the Indian government and its strategic community agree that bilateral ties under long-time premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were unsatisfactory, mainly due to a perceived tilt towards India’s regional rival Pakistan.
Come January, Najib’s fourth visit is likely. Hopefully, he will be among the 10 Asean leaders being invited to participate in the Republic Day celebrations. The proposed multiple invitations are unprecedented even for India as it seeks to embrace Southeast Asia.
More is on the cards with Malaysia before that. Besides marking 60 years of their establishment of diplomatic relations, India also plans events to mark 25 years of dialogue partnership with the economically vibrant Asean later this year.
Yet, another given is that, along with Singapore and Thailand, Malaysia is a critical player in India’s Look East/Act East push.
According to retired Indian diplomat Rajeev Bhatia, the India-Malaysia partnership “is in the pink”.
“India views its ties with Malaysia as a core element of its Act East Policy, while the Malay-
sian leadership has taken note of India’s geopolitical importance and the many attractions of its market. This is because both nations share a strong commitment to multiculturalism, democracy and inclusive development,” says Bhatia.
Formally, the two nations have forged an “enhanced strategic partnership” that covers technology and trade (target US$15 billion, or RM64.3 billion), to counter-terrorism and boosting tourism (no visa fee). Malaysian companies have completed 53 road and other infrastructure projects worth a billion dollars.
Leave aside official stuff. Old timers recall that Malaysia’s Maria Menado starred opposite Shammi Kapoor in the film Singapore, and in the 1950s, Bollywood biggie Phani Mazumdar made a dozen films in Malay, Chinese and English.
Indians are proud of Delhi and Hyderabad airports and Malay-
sia cannot but share it. Tony Fernandes’ AirAsia flies them around, so does Malindo.
Malaysian palm oil feeds millions of Indian homes. Much of the computer hardware they use is from Malaysia.
All this can conclude with reference to India’s only Datin Gauri and Datuk Shahrukh Khan. But, is there a last word?
The writer, NST’s New Delhi correspondent, is the president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association 2016-2018 and a consultant with ‘Power Politics’ monthly magazine