The Hindu : 'India ready to help Iraq in constitution-making'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 26, 2003

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'India ready to help Iraq in constitution-making'

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI July 25. India is ready to help Iraq in the making of a new constitution, well-placed sources said today. Copies of the Indian Constitution were handed over recently to two key members of the Anglo-American "governing council" by the Indian Ambassador to Iraq, Brij Bhushan Tyagi.

The sources said that while details were still to be firmed up, India was willing to organise workshops in New Delhi and Baghdad to help Iraqi experts in constitution-making and the creation of a new electoral process.

There has been considerable interest from a number of Iraqi "personalities" on account of the multi-religious, multi-ethnic character of India and the country's long experience of being a democracy.

"We would be ready to offer assistance if a firm proposal is made on a meeting of constitutional experts," the sources said. Also, they said India was responding to the humanitarian appeal made by the United Nations to help with relief and rehabilitation in Iraq.

As part of the Rs. 100-crore (about $ 20 million) announced by New Delhi for these efforts, a consignment of milk powder valued at roughly $ 1.25 million is being sent to the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr to be distributed through the World Food Programme.

India has also agreed to participate in the "adopt a hospital" programme of the Iraqi Health Ministry. "An existing maternity and paediatric care hospital at Najaf in Iraq has been identified for this project.

The project envisages around 75 doctors and support staff being deployed in Najaf," the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

"This project will be undertaken jointly with Jordan which will also be contributing some personnel.

The terms and conditions, including sharing of costs, are being worked out jointly. The contribution by India is estimated at approximately Rs. 20 crores for running the hospital for six months," he said.

The Indian doctors and support staff were ready to leave for Iraq "soon" even as the Government was maintaining a close watch on the security situation there.

The sources said India was ready to respond to the "needs assessment" as prepared by the U.N. to help the Iraqis.

For instance, India had announced that it would send 50,000 tonnes of wheat but deferred the shipment as the U.N. had informed New Delhi that Iraq had sufficient quantities for several months.

The humanitarian actions taken by the Government only go to indicate that India can do a lot for the Iraqi people without necessarily deploying its military personnel on the ground.

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