Magic in the  brit moonlight

Long after the sun set on the British Empire, the Commonwealth of Nations subtly kept its flag flying in former colonies, a diverse bunch of nations which house nearly a third of the global population and half of its top emerging cities. The big players in this grouping include India, Australia, Canada, South Africa and of course, the UK. The leaders of these 53 nations which “work together to promote democracy and peace,” meet every alternate year at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

But over the years, the movement lost its steam and critics started describing the summit as “Chaps Holidaying on Government Money.” Since 2011, Indian PMs have politely sent a representative. This year, however, PM Narendra Modi, who skipped the last meeting in Malta in 2015, will be attending the summit in London. Modi will arrive in the UK after co-hosting the first India-Nordic Summit with Sweden in Stockholm on April 17, to be attended by the PMs of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway. In London, he will hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with British PM Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II, on April 18, before joining the CHOGM discussions on April 19-20.

The meet comes at a time when the world faces major trade wars and increasing belligerence by aspiring superpowers like Russia and China. It also comes when the UK faces an uncertain—some say bleak—economic position after Brexit. Though it is neither a unified political body nor a trade grouping, some in the UK apparently hope to replace the massive EU market with former colonies.

Despite issues like stringent rules for student and immigration visas, the UK is the fourth largest inward investor in India, accounting for around 7 per cent of all FDI, while India is the third largest investor in the UK and the second largest international job creator, creating over 1,10,000 jobs in the island nation. Though the sun may have set on the Empire, Britain is apparently hoping to create some magic in the moonlight.