Renewing old ties

A new link in the bond between Iran and India was forged with the launch in April 2005 of the Indo-Iranian Friendship Society. Earlier known as the India-Iran Cultural Society, the renamed society has Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Minoo Shroff as president.

"The volume of bilateral trade (between India and Iran) has risen enormously, so much so that it is today in excess of three billion dollars,” stated Mohammed Shokrani, consul general of Iran in Bombay, speaking at a dinner hosted by the Iranian consulate general at Hotel Marine Plaza on April 15, reports The BPP Review, Summer 2005. The oil ministries of the two countries have recently signed an LNG (liquefied natural gas) deal valued at around 40 billion dollars. The four-and-a-half-billion dollars gas pipeline project between Iran, Pakistan and India is also on the anvil, stated Shokrani.

"I have been instrumental in setting up several Indo-Japanese collaborations and I would certainly like to contribute my expertise in establishing technical and industrial collaborations between my motherland India and fatherland Iran,” Shroff asserted.

It was then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Tehran in 2001 that laid the groundwork for better economic cooperation. President Khatami’s visit to India two years later, accompanied by a high power delegation, was followed by the signing of numerous trade agreements and the convening thereafter of 14 joint economic commissions in New Delhi and Tehran, stated Shokrani.

Among the goals of the Indo-Iranian Friendship Society are the promotion of commercial relations through trade delegations, conferences, etc, the furnishing of data to entrepreneurs/chambers of commerce and the establishing of contacts with governmental and non-governmental organizations. Among its cultural objectives are the promotion of tourism, the translation and publication of the work of scholars, writers, poets and artists, holding exhibitions of books, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts and ancient manuscripts. Besides exchange programs in fields such as music, movies, arts and sports, the Society hopes to generate the give and take of scientific, educational and research information with students and academicians in both countries.

"It would be in the vital interest of both nations if our latent strengths are brought to the fore… Let us build bridges of friendship and restore our great historical bonds,” Shroff exhorted. BPP public relations officer Godrej Dotivala is secretary-general of the Indo-Iranian Friendship Society. While Dr Hassan Vejdani, economic counselor of the Iranian Consulate General in Bombay conducted the proceedings, Ghulam Mohammed Banatwala, former Member of Parliament and Prof S. M. A. Hussaini, managing trustee of the Anjumane Fotowat Yazdian, were among the speakers.