COUNTRY FOCUS
accommodate the fl ag car and chauff er’s accommodation, was
initially quite intimidating! Build in Tudor style; with wood
panelling and six functional chimneys which provide much
comfort during the long winter, I spent some of the happiest
moments of my life in that house and gardens.
Dutch footprints in India go back more than 400 years
when the fi rst ship of the Netherlands East India Company
reached the famous Malabar Coast in Kerala, known as a Spice
Coast. There was no looking back.The history is fascinating.
The Dutch East India Company founded in 1592, sent Admiral
Van der Hagen to India in 1603. By 1713 the Dutch had
brought the erstwhile state of Cochin under their political
control. Succumbing to pressure from the British, the Dutch
withdrew from India.
Off the beaten track, one can fi nd remains of the Dutch
period in our history along the entire coastline from Surat to
Kolkata and from Visakhapatnam to Kochi and Pulicat. This
includes the historic Bolgatty Palace in Kochi, now a heritage
hotel. Today this ancient connection is being developed by
India and Netherlands through the ‘Spice Route’ which seeks
to bring together 22 other countries that had travelled the
oceans in a quest for the famous spices of Kerala.
It is no wonder that successive Dutch envoys to India
proudly recall that when India attained Independence on 15th
August 1947, the Dutch Ambassador was one of the only
three Ambassadors present in Delhi at Prime Minister Nehru’s
famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech. At a launch of the coff ee
table publication ‘Dutch East India Company in India’ and
the shared heritage by Bauke van der Pol, the former Dutch
Ambassador H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga, a dear friend, noted:
“Our shared heritage is both a compelling and tangible reason
for us to ponder on the past and on its signifi cance for the
present and the future. This can lead to mutual understanding,
a reinforcement of ties and the intensifi cation of fruitful
cooperation between India and the Netherlands.”
Netherlands is a founder and an important member of the
EU. Despite its size, the Netherlands continues to exercise
considerable influence over decision making within the
Councils of the European Union. This is not only due to
the size of its economy, but also because it has managed to
maintain, through fi scal prudence and fi nancial discipline, a
marginal growth of its economy, despite the austerity measures
and an economic slowdown.
At a time when the EU is in crisis, due to the rise of populism
and populist parties, who are increasingly questioning liberal
democratic values based on tolerance, respect for minorities
and multiculturalism, Netherlands remains fi rmly committed
to the values enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty including
democracy, the rule of law and human rights. This is despite
the challenges posed by terrorism and uncontrolled migration.
The Netherlands is an important strategic partner of India.
This strategic partnership has its basis in strong business and
economic links. India is the 5th largest source of FDI into the
Netherlands and the Netherlands is the 4th largest source of
FDI for India. Over the years, Dutch fi rms, more than 115 in
number, have discovered new investment opportunities in
India. Philips has a 150-year presence in India. In fact, many
Indians believe that Philips is an Indian company!
There are more than 400 Indian companies in Amsterdam.
With a looming Brexit, the numbers are increasing with
companies relocating from London to Amsterdam. With
Rotterdam as Europe’s biggest port, Netherlands is increasingly
India’s ‘Gateway to Europe’. The profi le of Indian business has
become progressively diversifi ed. A notable trend is the merger
and acquisition activities, with Indian companies taking over
some important Dutch business portfolios such as Tata Steel
and Corus, Apollo Tyres and Vredestein, along with TCS.
The Dutch are aware of the need for a shift from their
‘Eurocentric’ foreign policy and to move to a new focus on
Asia and notably India. They remain defensive about their
close links with China, linkages which have endured despite
occasional glitches on human rights, and acknowledge
privately the need to focus on India. Successive Indian envoys
to The Hague, including myself, have tried to shift the focus
to India, with limited success.
Netherlands has the largest community of Indian Diaspora
in Continental Europe, outside the UK. Numbering 220,000,
they are referred to as the Hindustani community, who came to
the Netherlands from India via Suriname. They are proud of
their Indian heritage and culture and very supportive of India.
The former Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Rabin Baldewsingh,
was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2014.
In May 2011, the Dutch joyfully commemorated the
150th anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. A
prolifi c traveller, Tagore was much infl uenced by Western
liberal thought. He had visited the Netherlands late in his life.
‘Gitanjali’ (an off ering of prayers) for which he received the
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 4 • April-May 2019, Noida • 21