'India Global Business' caught up with India's minister of state for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar, during a recent London visit to attend the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting. The Commonwealth must become more people-centric and find ways of creating meaning for the citizens of the 52 member countries, India's minister of state for external affairs M.J. Akbar believes. In his message at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the minister also highlighted India′s hope that the organisation will work towards increasing the things it has in common. “The Commonwealth should not just be an exercise in meetings between governments. It must become more people-centric,” Akbar said. “We have no hostility towards any one. We believe that the Commonwealth is a values-based organisation and should really keep on doing what its name suggests... it should increase the things that it has in common, rather than reduce, and certainly it should add something to the wealth of this group and find ways of cooperation and creating meaning for the people who live in the Commonwealth,” he noted. The author and Rajya Sabha MP also held talks with UK ministers Priti Patel and Alok Sharma and addressed an audience of MPs and peers at the House of Commons complex on 'India in the changing world'. “India is on a mission that is a search for prosperity. But prosperity and its first cousin development are not enough to describe what Indians want. India wants a prosperity that is shared, it wants it within and internationally,” Akbar said. Making a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first speech in Parliament, he articulated the government's vision as “poverty elimination” over poverty alleviation. “And, this is not an open-ended objective but one defined within a time-frame... to take India to the high table of world affairs and knowing that the steps to that high table are not built by a military framework or war but built through economic policies and people's prosperity,” he said.

The senior BJP leader highlighted how Modi′s "radical thinking" had led to reforms across different sectors, which were transforming the lives of ordinary people. “Miracles are happening ... the mobile phone is becoming the greatest instrument, not only of literacy but economic transaction. The digital revolution is bringing about a radical change in the lives of the poor,” he said. Singling out terrorism as the major obstacle to such a prosperity, Akbar stressed that India will not allow the forces of violence in its neighbourhood to succeed. “India has become the pivotal power of the 21st century because this century will be controlled by which shape Asia takes... If the forces that inspire violence begin to expand, the implications are very grave. We won't allow it, because of our security prowess, our belief system, our philosophy. The world must recognise, participate and join India in this battle,” he said. The minister also expressed dismay at the United Nations′ continued struggle to find a definition for terrorism since 1996. “How do we fight an enemy we can't define,” he questioned, calling on multi-lateral frameworks like the UN to recognise the need to reflect the realities of the 21st century. “No international institution can remain mired in the past. We believe that there has to be, in all international fora, a re-examination and finding a purpose for the 21st century,” he said, making a reference to India's aspirations for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. At the CMAG meeting in London earlier in March, India reportedly pushed for sustained support for terrorism and radical extremism to be added on as grounds for disqualification from the Commonwealth. There are currently eight grounds on which the Commonwealth can take action against a member-country, including violation of democratic values and good governance. India stressed that this must be expanded to nine, to include “sustained support for terrorism and radical extremism”. India was also successful in keeping action against Bangladesh off the agenda against Pakistan's concerted efforts at the CMAG meeting. It was also agreed that India will play a key role with the Maldives, which had left the Commonwealth last year after CMAG had put it on notice for undermining democratic institutions. The CMAG decided that regional countries should continue to engage with the island nation to try and bring it back into the fold of the Commonwealth. Pakistan ruled itself out from playing a role until the Maldives government improves its conduct. However, the Indian side was in agreement with other member countries to play the role of interlocutor and continue the process of dialogue in the region. The central message from the Indian side was of a more “people-centric” approach within the Commonwealth, with a focus on development and poverty elimination. The CMAG is held for ministers from the 52 Commonwealth countries to raise important issues and action points for the benefit of the organisation′s membership.