British Empire’s Rhodesia has its journey from being dominated by a minority-white community to being known as Zimbabwe after liberation in 1980. In strap, it is missed forests for the woods than missed woods for trees when democracy churned under the political sphere in the country. Unlike India which achieved freedom in 1947 and thereafter continued to pedal growth in relations with the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe lost its spirit under the ‘authoritarian regime’ of Robert Mugabe. The country’s first Prime Minister continued from 1980 – to 1987. And thereafter rotated his political sphere in the country as a President. Till 2017 had little to do anything positive with the UK post-independence.
Zimbabwe in heat with the UK
After Mugabe held the reign of the country, his relations with the UK turned sour. In fact, in one of his speeches in April 2008. Mugabe delivered a fiery speech against England. “Down with the British. Down with thieves who want to steal our country”. A report from the Reuters suggests how to hold authority on the country’s population. Mugabe day in, day out pressing the nerves of the UK to stimulate a rush of patriotism in the Zimbabweans. In multiple attacks on Britain, Mugabe pulled down the UK’s politics in Zimbabwe and ensured his government was always around the electoral gains when the economy kept failing until the country threw the rule, Mugabe, out of power and let the Mnangagwa lead the country who understood that more than violence, businesses have to make a sound for the economy.
India on the other hand has always shared healthy relations with the UK that lasted beyond independence. The recent visit of Borris Johnson served as a gleaming example of how strong the Indo-British tie-up appears. Even when the British PM makes no demands. To India to condemn violence in Ukraine as a condition for his visit. British PM sounded optimistic about the economic and cultural add-ons to the existing relations shared by the two countries. Both the countries are regular members of the commonwealth of nations. In fact, India is the second-largest foreign investor in the UK. The UK is also a major trading partner of India. In 2005, both the countries floated another tie-up to boost bilateral investments. In the form of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).
British Empire’s Rhodesia to modern Zimbabwe
On the contrasting side, India and Zimbabwe share a long history of cordial relations. According to the information shared by the Ministry of External Affairs, during the rule of the Munhutapa Kingdom, Indian merchants shared a strong connection with Zimbabwe. The then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, had attended the independence day celebration of Zimbabwe under the leadership of Robert Mugabe and was then going to run the country as a Prime Minister for seven years. Zimbabwe and India have been the members of G-20 summit and Zimbabwe has always shouldered unconditional support to India at UN elections and resolutions.
It is rather intriguing that both the nations achieved independence against the British. But the Zimbabwean rule continued to look at the UK with an evil eye until 2017. The time when Zimbabwe overthrew the government of Mugabe. Zimbabwe 2017 adapted to the ‘look west’ policy and has been having decent relations since then. The UK never extended understandable support to Zimbabwe until 2017 when it merely succeeded in throwing Mugabe out of power, as claimed by his political circles, but it was the Mugabe’s personal failures and exfoliating allies that made him powerless.