Abe’s assassination: A big jolt as India loses a great friend

India had found a great ally in Abe and he had over the last three decades ensured that Indo-Japan bond strengthens and flourishes

In the assassination of former Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe, India has lost a great friend. It would be hard for the nation to make up for the loss of his tragic departure from the world scene.

Observers say that Abe had a long and deep association with the successive dispensations in India. In 2007, he visited India, met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressed Parliament, and set up several mechanisms for intensifying relations between the two nations.

In his historic speech to Parliament in 2007, he laid the ground for the emergence of the Indo-Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality. In 2014, the Manmohan Singh government invited Abe to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade. It is said that Abe considered Prime Minister Singh his 'mentor' or 'guru'.

Abe's association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi dates back to 2007 when the latter visited Japan as Gujarat Chief Minister. During his Japan visit, the then Chief Minister Modi discussed with Prime Minister Abe several investment projects. Since then they had been very close friends. Their personal bond remained uninterrupted even during the period between 2007 and 2012 when Abe was not the Prime Minister of Japan.

After Modi became Prime Minister, he made Japan his first bilateral destination outside the neighbourhood. He and Abe worked hard to bring about "an unprecedented transformation of the strategic partnership" between India and Japan. The two leaders came to turn "a largely narrow" India-Japan economic relationship into "a broad, comprehensive one."

Prime Minister Abe was resolute in pursuing the civil nuclear agreement with India. This was then being considered somewhat impossible, given Japan's nuclear sensitivities and India's refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It could be possible largely due to Abe's persistence with his Parliament. Also, Prime Minister Abe offered to India the most generous terms for the High Speed Rail in the country.

The Modi-Abe personal bond continued to flourish after Abe resigned as Prime Minister in 2020. Modi last met him in May this year, when he travelled to Tokyo for the Quad Summit. In 2021, the Modi government awarded him the second prestigious civilian award 'Padma Vibhushan'.

Former Prime Minister Abe had just taken over as the chairperson of the Japan-India association. It was being hoped that he would use this chair to further boost Indo-Japan ties.

No wonder, tributes for the departed Japanese leader continue to pour in from across the country. Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said, "Abe played a crucial role in strengthening India-Japan ties. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted, "His role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India & Japan was commendable. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific." Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "He played a key role in strengthening the Indo-Japan bond."

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

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