New Delhi and Port Louis

WITH people of Indian descent predominating its 7-lakh population, the tiny island-State of Mauritius has deep ethnic links with this country. Mrs. Gandhi’s five-day official visit, preceded by the Mauritius Prime Minister’s tour of India, has strengthened the cordial relations which have been facilitated by common ideologies and the total absence of conflict. Maintenance of contacts is obviously in the mutual interests of the two countries, though in the physical sense, one is a giant and the other a pygmy. Years ago, Walter Lippmann described Indian foreign policy as “the natural expression of the vital interests of a new State.” The policy of Mauritius, also a new State barely

2 ¼ years old, follows the same pattern. Since the island is situated in the Indian Ocean, just off the African coast, New Delhi’s keenness to befriend the people and promote their development is natural. The accord just reached on sustaining and increasing the trade ties symbolises this happy trend. Spurred by the desire to offer whatever economic and technical assistance India can render to Mauritius, the officials who accompanied Mrs. Gandhi have speedily specified the channels through which aid will flow. The proposed establishment of joint ventures in the island will expedite the economical use of its industrial potential, with the least burden on the infant democracy. To guard against miscalculations and ensure the maximum benefits, the Union Government envisages careful screening of Indian business houses which are willing to start factories or other establishments in Mauritius. The decision to streamline the procedures for such consummation is well expressed. Similar schemes for other reasons have suffered greatly through bureaucratic delays and waning of enthusiasm after the initial fervour.