NEW DELHI: There are nearly 40 countries in which India does not have a formal diplomatic presence. In a deeply globalised world, absence of cadre diplomats is fulfilled by honorary consuls. To bring uniformity into the appointment of such consuls who are usually well-networked citizens of those countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) working on a uniform set of guidelines for over a year.
India has 38 honorary consuls in various countries/regions where it cannot set up full-fledged missions. Half are in Africa, followed by 11 in Latin America and the Caribbean, six in Europe and one each in the Indian Ocean and Central Asia. The guidelines will cover tenure, performance review and objectives for appointing an honorary consul.
In recent times, the role of the honorary consul was highlighted during Operation Raahat in April 2015, when 4,640 people were evacuated from Yemen after Saudi-led military coalition began airstrikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The base of operation was Djibouti, just across Yemen on the Gulf of Aden.
Most of the honorary consuls, especially in Africa, are Indian-origin businessmen who have deep roots in their country of domicile. It is an unpaid job, but has substantial value as a status symbol, with honorary consuls allowed to use national insignia, flags and exemption from customs for official discharge of duties.
An Indian ambassador recalled that the protocol department had sometimes objected to appointing Indian-origin consuls. “When there is a large Indian diaspora, it is best to pick someone from the community. But, it is also important to be careful about selection, as there is lot of factionalism,” he said.
At the same time, in several countries, where the Indian community was tiny or non-existent—like in Latin America—foreign businessmen have the honour to take forward Indian objectives.
Absent Abroad
■ India does not have a formal diplomatic presence in nearly 40 countries
■ To bring uniformity into the appointment of such consuls, the MEA working on a uniform set of guidelines
■ Most of the honorary
consuls, especially in Africa, are Indian-origin businessmen who have deep roots in their country of domicile. It is an unpaid job, but has substantial value as a status symbol.