London : – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commenced his visit to the United Kingdom with a tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Tavistock Square, central London. Marking his return after a 22-year hiatus, Singh, accompanied by Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and his delegation, laid floral tributes at the iconic memorial honoring the Father of the Nation.
The sculpture, depicting Gandhi in a meditative pose, serves as a site for commemorations of Gandhi Jayanti and Martyr’s Day by the diaspora.
Following this homage, Singh proceeded to Whitehall for an inspection of a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Horse Guards Parade. Subsequently, he engaged in a bilateral meeting with UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps. Their discussions are expected to cover a wide range of defence, security, and industrial cooperation issues.
Later in the day, Singh is scheduled to visit the Ambedkar Museum in north London to pay homage to Dr B R Ambedkar, a prominent Dalit rights activist and the architect of the Indian Constitution. He will also participate in prayers at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, also known as Neasden Temple in London.
Accompanied by senior officials from various divisions of the Ministry of Defence, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Service Headquarters, Department of Defence, and Department of Defence Production, Singh arrived in London on Monday night for a three-day visit. Besides the meeting with Shapps, he is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hold discussions with Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
On the following day, the Defence Minister is slated to engage with leaders from the defence industry at a roundtable event and later convene with representatives of the Indian community at a reception hosted by the High Commission of India in London.
Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, Strategy, and Diplomacy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, highlighted the visit’s aim to deepen military cooperation and foster defence industrial partnerships between India and the UK. He pointed to potential avenues for enhanced naval and maritime security cooperation, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, involving third countries like Oman and Kenya, where the UK maintains a military and naval presence, alongside increased involvement by the Indian Navy.
Singh’s previously planned visit to the UK in June 2022 was cancelled by the Indian side due to “protocol reasons.”
