Ties with Argentina

Imagine being offered a cup of coffee when you visit an embassy to obtain a visa and receiving the endorsement stamped in your passport valid for five years without any fee just as you finish sipping your beverage. This is what the Indian embassy in Buenos Aires is offering Argentine citizens who wish to visit India. Sumit Mullick, principal secretary and chief protocol officer of the government of Maharashtra mentioned this at a reception on May 25, 2010 at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the South American republic.

Deputy consul general Jorge Lidio Vinuela told the gathering that on that day 200 days ago the country overthrew the Spanish viceroy and Argentina "was born. We no longer had foreigners as our rulers.” The Argentine revolution inspired other countries in Latin America such as Bolivia and Ecuador to successfully aspire for freedom. Argentine consul general Fernando Luis Ras spoke about how literature and sports had brought the elite of Argentina and India together in the first half of the 20th century with people like Rabindranath Tagore visiting Argentina. In the second half of the century the non aligned movement brought the two countries together. "Both worked hard to enhance bonds,” he averred.

(Top row, from L): Priyahas Jani, Kiran Shantaram, Viraf Chiniwala, Jorge Vinuela, Adi Godrej, Fernando Ras, Vinuela; (alongside) Ras and Sumit Mullick (right)

It takes "two to tango,” said Mullick. Noting that visas for Argentina also were issued for five years and "we don’t pay anything.” To further strengthen ties and organize celebrations the Indo-Argentine Society was formed under the presidency of Viraf Chiniwala a week before the anniversary. "The new body was created under the auspices of the Consulate General and Promotion Centre of the Argentine Republic in Bombay with the objective of fostering closer ties between India and Argentina,” notes a two page feature in The Times of India of May 25, 2010. "This non-government (body) was created to undertake such activities as the organization of academic, artistic, cultural and promotional events… Its members represent a diverse cross-section of Indian companies, organizations and individuals in one way or another related to and interested in strengthening their ties to Argentina.” Chiniwalla said that he had been active with the Indo-Swiss Society as a result of which the Argentine consul general’s office approached him to head the new organization.

Amongst the guests present was Adi Godrej, chairman of the Godrej group who noted that his company had bought over a cosmetics concern making hair dyes in Argentina on May 23 this year. A few days later, on June 2 the group made a second acquisition in that country, a hair care company. "The two companies provide us with a tremendous platform for establishing a strong presence in the fast growing hair color markets in Latin America,” read Godrej’s statement reported in The Economic Times on June 3, 2010.

The Indo-Argentine Society is located at Corinthian Building, 17 Justice D. Vyas Marg, opposite Fariyas Hotel in Colaba (http://www.cgmum.co.in)