Goa's mini-Russia mirrors dilemma

Benaulim (Goa): Mario Carvalho pointed to the billboards adorned with images of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that line the freshly tarred roads leading to the hotel hosting them tomorrow, then picked out two leaders. "I know Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, and I know Russian President (Vladimir) Putin," Carvalho, a grocery store owner said. "I don't know the other foreign leaders but Putin - whether you love him or hate him - affects us." Five kilometres away, India's ambassador to Russia, Pankaj Saran, fielded questions on Russia's recent anti-terror exercises with Pakistan, and whether that represents a betrayal from an all-weather friend. "As far as India is concerned, the relationship with Russia is among its most important, and is based on mutual trust and respect," Saran said, before accepting that Modi was likely to articulate India's concerns over the drills to Putin. "I think all matters of interest will be discussed." For India, the 17th edition of the annual leaders' summit with Russia tomorrow comes at a time when their strategic partnership has developed wrinkles, but is also set to deepen. It's a paradox equally mirrored in the tiny state hosting Putin, which depends economically on Russian visitors so much that many store signs are in both English and Russian, yet blames these tourists for ills ranging from drug-peddling to corruption. "Our seasons start when the Russian charter planes start arriving, and end when the last one flies back," said Rafique Ibrahim, a taxi driver. "But Russians are responsible for a lot of the problems here." Over one lakh Russian tourists visit Goa each year - the highest from any country - and many of the state's most popular bars - like Tito's and Mambo's - are run by Russians now settled here. The explosion in Russian tourists visiting Goa over the past decade coincided with the high oil prices till 2014 that pushed the country's economy along. When Putin's invasion of Crimea led to US and European Union sanctions on Russia, pulling down the rouble and crippling the country's economy, tourists from that nation to Goa slumped too - by 40 per cent, according to Russian officials. "There aren't too many affordable tropical beach resorts, anywhere, other than Goa," said Vladimir Suslov, as he slipped on his goggles and settled on a bike he had hired. "Now, this feels like a mini-Russia - apart from the weather of course!" But the Russian tourists and visitors who drive the economy here are also accused by many locals of spawning a culture of open drug-peddling and corruption. Ahead of his visit to India, Putin, in an interview to an Indian news agency, had identified drug-running and corruption as key challenges for the Brics countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - who will meet, also here, on Sunday. That's a message that resonates more in Goa than Putin may have imagined. "President Putin should know that over a period of time, many of the ills that have rained in on Goa - drugs, prostitution and land grab - have Russian overtones," the Goan newspaperO Heraldo wrote in its editorial on Friday. "While the Russian establishment and organisations have denied this, ground realities point towards this." That interplay between an almost addictive dependence and growing tensions will also figure when Modi and Putin sit down for two hours of talks tomorrow - an hour just by themselves, and then an hour with their delegations. On their menu are opportunities to tighten the embrace that began during the Cold War, but cooled off since the collapse of the Soviet Union. A senior Indian official today said he had his "fingers crossed" that negotiators from the two sides would be able to finalise over the night the text of a General Framework Agreement and a Credit Agreement for the fifth and sixth Russian nuclear reactors in Kudankulam. These two reactors would represent the culmination of a dream pact inked by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and would help New Delhi pressure countries like France and the US to speed up their own reactor contracts with India. In addition, Modi and Putin will - via teleconferencing - lay the foundation stone for the construction of two other already agreed upon Russian reactors in Kudankulam. India and Russia are also expected to finalise and possibly ink a pact for the purchase of Moscow's cutting-edge S-400 Triumf missile defence system, apart from announcements on a slew of other defence initiatives. Modi and Putin have over the past two years also emphasised deepening trade and investment ties that have long remained challenges in the relationship - the India-Russia bilateral trade is a tenth of the India-US trade. And some results are showing. Russian oil and gas giant Rosneft is expected to lead a consortium that may buy Indian firm Essar's oil and gas assets and debts. "Today's India and today's Russia are more ambitious than ever before," Saran said. But Indian officials know that when they leave the meeting with Putin and the Russian delegation, they will face questions on Moscow's recent dalliance with Islamabad. "I do not think it is at all legitimate to reduce the relationship to what happened a few days ago," Saran said, when pressed repeatedly on the subject today. "As far as Pakistan is concerned, we have conveyed our concerns to the Russians." Saran conceded, however, that India will watch to see how Russia responds to these concerns. "I am confident that Russia will reflect upon our concerns," the diplomat said.