Indo-African Relations must now be urgently elevated to the official pedestal of "India-Africa Partnership", IAP. Other key world players have one such platform or the other, pray, what are Indian and African leaders waiting for?

The case is self-made, but if anyone need be told, the interwoven bonds between India and Africa are old and legendary - across the board. Go to East Africa, come to Nigeria and see.

By the way, Mahatma Ghandi, father of modern India, practised and matured in South Africa before returning to free his homeland from colonial rule and pernicious imperialism!

IAP Permanent Secretariats in India and South Africa should be named after this dear legend.