Foreign correspondents generally have quite an influence in the power corridors of the capital. Their presence in any drawing room in the capital has its own significance. However, Mark Tully of the BBC is not one the regular foreign correspondents. Over the years, he has a created a space for himself in the hearts of Indians. Sixty years of Indian independence has its own meaning for the Kolkata-born Sir Mark Tully, who came back to settle in India after completing his schooling. He received the ‘Order of the British Empire’ in 1985, followed by the Padmashri in 1992 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005. In conversation with Ajay Sharma, Sir Mark Tully reviews the last sixty years of India and its future.

How would you describe the journey of half century and what do you feel?

The best and the most important thing about India is that it became a republic 60 years back, has remained a republic and will remain one in the future too. Look at China on the other hand. The very basic nature of India is democratic and I do not see any danger to this arrangement. Secondly, India has made tremendous economic progress, very speedily, but…. has not been able to conquer poverty. India has also not been able to control its population. People have to think about this. Because poverty exists, population keeps increasing. India’s root problem is poverty. A few days back, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said in Oxford that when the British left India, it was the poorest country in the world, however, today it is on its way to becoming a global economic power. But, in my view, poverty still remains.

Where does India stand on the world platform today? Would it be included in the world’s super powers?

In my view, Indians give too much importance to international acceptance. I would say to them, first think how to fight the internal problems. You tell me, does a rickshaw puller care what is India’s image in the world? Even whether it has an image or not! Even if India manages to get a place in the Security Council, the question would still remain, whether everything inside the country is peaceful, if the people are living comfortably. Instead of worrying about international recognition, India should firstly try to solve its internal problems.

Which 60-year-old problems hamper India’s growth?

The most difficult thing here is the administration, which is still like it was in 1947. The British regime never thought about this country’s common man, neither does the today’s administration. Secondly, though it is correct that development happens from top down, it should also happen from bottom up.

Some people think that there will be a revolution one day and everything will change. What do you think?

India is a huge country. People of varied culture and languages live here. That’s why they cannot be tied to a similar ideology. And that’s why no dictator can sit over them and rule them. Secondly, during the Emergency, there was a fear of dictatorship, however that fear has also faded away. The Army here is very disciplined, it never interferes in politics, and neither will it in the future. So there’s no danger from it. Naxalism too is not a danger for the nation’s unity. It has become difficult to manage it because the police here still function on the lines of the British regime.

We have been struggling to save our borders for the last 60 years. Will there be any changes in India’s borders in the future?

There may be changes in Kashmir. A Line of Peace can be made there. India’s neighbours want to be friendly but are also afraid of her. And India shares the blamed for that. It should also extend the hand of friendship.

What do you have to say about India’s border issues? Is there any particular person responsible for this? Is it Nehru?

It is not only Jawaharlal Nehru’s fault that India is facing the border issues till date. The British raj and Indira Gandhi are also to blame. These could have been solved some time back. May be Delhi had its own compulsions. The problem is that India has not been able to cultivate friendly relations with its neighbours.

Which are the first images that come to your mind with regards to 60 years of independent India?

Firs, the elections after the Emergency, and then Indira’s return. Secondly, demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya, when people said secularism has ended in this nation. Third image is of a meeting with a dalit 10 years back in a village in Poorvanchal. He sang a song which said that this country got its freedom 50 years back, but I have not got it yet.

How does Britain look at India now?

Initially, Britain was quite hopeless when it gave freedom to India and a few big leaders had said that they were not very hopeful of this country. However, today, Britain looks at India with a lot of respect. The new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that Britain has to think of India specifically while forming its foreign policies.

Sir Mark Tully

Born on October 24, 1935, in Calcutta, Mark Tully was a correspondent of the BBC in New Delhi for 22 years. Having completed his studies in England, Tully has toured the whole of South Asia. In 1985, the British government honoured him with the ‘Order of the British Empire’ award for his work. In 1992, he was honoured with the Padmashri by the Indian government. This is a rare honour given to a non-Indian. Britain gave him the Knighthood in 2002, after which he became Sir Mark Tully. And in 2005, India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan.

Born to an accountant working in the British-owned Gylender Corporation in Calcutta, Tully’s upbringing was in a very disciplined environment. He had not seen Britain till he was 10. Later, he had written somewhere that he thought of Britain as a very strange place, which lacked an open, clean sky. Tully studied history and theology at Marlboro College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. After this, he became a priest in the Church of England. He left studies after completing only two terms in the Lincoln Theological College.

In 1964, BBC appointed him as its India correspondent. After this, he covered all the big stories like the Indo-Pak wars, the lives of beggars in Calcutta, the Bhopal Gas tragedy, Operation Blue Star and the mosque demolition in Ayodhya. He had to face a lot of public outrage during his job. He left the BBC in 1997. He also had to face a lot of criticism with regards to Hindu philosophies. Now, he lives in Nizamuddin, Delhi with his girlfriend, Gillian Wright.