India has lost a great friend with the passing away of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was assassinated on Saturday in Nara, Japan’s former capital, while campaigning near a railway station. Political killings usually do not happen in a country like Japan and when the news of the attack came, the whole world was shocked.
The killer, standing a meter behind Abe, aimed his hand-held gun made of two pipes and a board, and two bullets hit the Japanese leader’s neck and chest. Abe died of severe blood loss six hours after the attack. The killer, who was a former National Defense Force soldier, was soon caught. He admitted that he had come to kill Abe. The police raided his house where they found a hand-made pistol and an arsenal of explosives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared a national day of mourning in India. “In the passing of Shinzo Abe, the world has lost a great visionary, and I have lost a dear friend,” Modi said. He said, Abe was a great supporter of India-Japan friendship.
In a blog titled ‘My Friend, Abe San’, Modi paid tribute to Abe and wrote: “His foresight in recognizing his greatest gifts to us and his vision in his most enduring legacy and for which the world will forever be indebted.” The changing tides and storms of our times and their leadership in response to it…”
“He was determined to pursue a civil nuclear deal with India – the most difficult for his country – and decisive in offering the most generous terms for high-speed rail in India. …”
“..Quad, the ASEAN-led Forum, the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, all benefited from their contributions”, Prime Minister Modi wrote.
There is no doubt that Abe’s absence would affect political equations around the world, as he had tried hard to redefine the balance of power in the world. Abe’s departure will certainly be a setback for India. Abe had a strong personal bond with Narendra Modi, and the latter mentioned how they became friends over the years, even before Modi became prime minister.
“Every meeting with Abe San was intellectually stimulating,” Modi wrote in his blog. “He was always full of new ideas and invaluable insights on governance, economy, culture, foreign policy and various other items… His counsel inspired me in my economic choices for Gujarat. And his support led to Gujarat with Japan. Played a vital role in building a vibrant partnership of
The last time a Japanese prime minister was assassinated was in 1932, and that too during a coup attempt. There had been no political assassination of this scale in Japan in the last 90 years.
Abe was instrumental in launching the bullet train project in India under a soft loan given by Japan. He visited India four times and addressed the Indian Parliament twice. He laid the foundation for the Indo-Pacific Initiative, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2021.
Modi and Abe have a lot in common. Both the politicians were very proud of their respective culture, heritage and ancient traditions. After becoming PM, when Modi went to Japan, a plan to develop Kashi was started on the lines of Kyoto. Abe visited the ghats of Varanasi during his visit to India in December 2015. Sitting next to Modi, Abe witnessed the famous Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. The famous Rudraksh Convention Center in Kashi Vishwanath has been built with Japanese assistance.
Abe laid the foundation for the India-Japan Strategic Partnership during his visit to India in 201. The following year, Modi concluded the civil nuclear deal during his visit to Japan. Remember, Japan’s foreign policy has a tradition of opposing nuclear weapons, as Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered two nuclear bombs. It was Abe who sought a nuclear deal with India, bypassing the old ideas and recognized India as a responsible nuclear power.
The friendship between Abe and Modi became evident in 2017, when the Japanese PM along with Modi took part in a road show in Gujarat. This was the first time that a foreign leader took part in a road show in India. The two leaders visited the famous Sidi Sayyed Mosque in Ahmedabad and spent time at the Sabarmati River Front.
Abe knew that India was destined to become a world power in the years to come. In his 2007 speech to the Indian Parliament, Abe described the India-Japan friendship as a “confluence of two seas”. In December 2015, Modi and Abe agreed to start a bullet train project in India at a cost of one lakh crore rupees with a soft loan from Japan. Bullet train is expected to run in India in 2026.
It was Shinzo Abe who, to counter the growing Chinese influence, proposed the establishment of the Quad – a four-nation initiative between the US, Australia, India and Japan. The previous UPA government of Dr. Manmohan Singh did not show much interest in this initiative.
Chinese nationalists celebrated Abe’s assassination on social media, and state media said there was great resentment among the Japanese at Abe’s policies. With China showing its dominance in the Pacific, Abe decided to establish the Quad to counter Chinese influence. China has been claiming the Senkoku Islands which belong to Japan. It was Abe, as prime minister, who decided to provide ballistic missiles, jet fighters and naval ships to the Japanese defense force, despite an agreement not to arm his military with the US after World War II. Abe had realized China’s threats and was keeping his country ready to face all challenges.
In Abe’s death, India has lost a well-wisher, Modi has lost a friend and the world has lost a great statesman. Shinzo Abe came from a political family. His grandfather was the Prime Minister of Japan and his father was the Finance Minister. Shinzo was the youngest prime minister of Japan and served as prime minister four times. Shinzo Abe loved India and Indians, and he fully supported Narendra Modi’s ideas for building a New India.
Japan was funding the Bullet Rain Project, the Delhi Metro, the nearly 1,500-km-long Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project, the Kashi Vishwanath Project, the North-East Development Projects, the Smart Cities Plan. The reason for this was the personal chemistry of Modi and Abe. Abe brought political stability to Japan and was the longest-serving prime minister of his country. He was the only Japanese Prime Minister to visit India four times during his official term of nine years. It is because of this deep personal connection, Modi said, he has lost a true friend, India has lost a well wisher and the world has lost a great statesman.
Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9:00 pm
India’s number one and most followed super prime time news show ‘Aaj Ki Baat – Rajat Sharma Ke Saath’ was launched just before the 2014 general elections. Since its inception, the show has been redefining India’s super-prime time and is numerically far ahead of its contemporaries.