An Indian who Loves Indonesia .Navrekha Sharma intends to write a book about Indonesia.

VIVAnews - Navrekha Sharma’s love for Indonesia has brought her back to this country. However, her return did not regard her duty as a diplomat, but her mission to write a book.
“This is my third mission in Indonesia. Unlike my two other previous missions, which were state duties, this time my mission was based on personal interest which is writing a book on the contemporary relationship between India and Indonesia,” Sharma said at a discussion and a small reunion with scholars and Indonesian diplomats at the Postgraduate School of Diplomatic Sciences of Paramadina University, Jakarta on Thursday, November 19.
For Sharma, Indonesia is not a foreign country. The diplomat, who was born on January 7, 1948, first worked in Indonesia while serving as Indian Deputy Ambassador for the period of 1993-1996. On June 26, 2006, Sharma returned to Indonesia, as the ambassador.
That was the second time Sharma was trusted to lead Indian diplomatic corps overseas after previously becoming the ambassador for the Philippines. “The first assignment in Indonesia in 1993 was based on the appointment [from the leaders]. But, the second assignment in 2006 was my choice,” Sharma said.
It turns out that Indonesia was Sharma’s last resort in her career as a diplomat. After completing her duty in Indonesia in early 2008, the mother of two retired after 38 years serving Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Regardless, Sharma felt there was still one more thing to do. The thing that has been her obsession while working in Indonesia. “Now I have enough time to write about the relationship between Indonesia and India. I’m determined to gather data and write the book until at least next year,” Sharma said.
Her decision to write the book was based on the irony that she feels. There are more Indonesians who know India from the rapid flow of cultural products to the country such as Bollywood movies and various Indian literary works. Indonesia is also increasingly interested in other Indian products.
In the contrary, a lot of Indian leaders and residents do not know about Indonesia. “Literature on Indonesia is relatively rare. In book stores, Indonesia is only known from Lonely Planet Travel Guide,” Sharma said, referring to a popular tourism guidebook.
“Literature on Indonesia can also be found at Jawaharlal Nehru Library in New Delhi. But, references on Indonesia ceases at the story about the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1955,” she said.
That is why Sharma’s upcoming book aims at introducing Indonesia to the Indian public and the world. “I wish my book could tell about the real Indonesia to the Indian leaders. I want them to know more about Indonesia,” the English and French speaking diplomat said.
In the book, Sharma will not only discuss about both countries’ political relations after the independence days, but also on various sides of the relationship during the last twenty years.
According to Sharma, after the 1955 conference in Bandung up to the end of 1980s, the relationship between the countries has been stagnant. During the period, India tends to close itself while Indonesia was facing political and economic instability.
Now, the countries are rising to be new powers in Asia. “India started to open up and actively influence global economy in 1990s while Indonesia keeps on developing since applying political and bureaucratic reform over the past ten years”.
“Both countries, together with China and other developing countries, have proved to be able to survive the global crisis based on their stable economic performances,” Sharma said.
However, it is impossible to maximally use the potentials of the countries as long as they have not known each other and formed solid collaboration. “Therefore, I think the key to improve the relationship is tourism promotion. Indonesia has the potential to attract Indian tourists because it has several historical sites of Hindu and Islamic heritages.
“I also expect that one day, there would be direct flights from Jakarta to New Delhi and the other way around, or other flights connecting other cities in India and Indonesia,” Sharma said.

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source: vivanews