“It's no longer the image of Gandhi. The Egyptians see in India an image that has changed against all expectations,” said Ali Eddin Hilal, a prominent Egyptian professor of political sciences. Hilal was speaking at a lecture in Cairo this week about how India has changed in the eyes of Egyptians in the past 20 years.

“Such lectures help people understand each other, leading, of course, to a new age of thought and interconnected relationships between my country, India, and Egypt,” Indian Ambassador to Cairo R. Swaminathan said on the sidelines of the event. “When I was in India, I learnt that if you want to start anything in the Middle East, start in Egypt,” he told The Gazette.In his lecture, Hilal pointed to some facts that have helped conjure up a new India in the minds of Egyptians.“Firstly, India is the largest democratic country in the world. It's really amazing that there are 300 political parties and 417 million citizens voted in the Indian elections in May 2009. In addition, India is the oldest democratic country in the developing world,” he commented.Hilal added that India was the world's second largest country in terms of population. “It enjoys religious, ethic and sectarian plurality and is the oldest democracy among the countries of the south.” India has a good educational system and has been successful in several advanced technology domains, including space and telecommunications, he noted. “There are, in India, 342 universities, including 18 central universities, 211 state universities, 95 'deemed' universities, five institutions established under State legislation and 13 institutes of national importance.”The second fact, according to Hilal, is the development that has happened in the blink of an eye. “India is growing by 9 per cent annually and this growth is impressive when compared to its neighbours in the Asian Continent.”The third fact, according to Hilal, is modern technology. “India is unrivalled when it comes to banking and administration. The Indian Technological Institute is one of the best 50 institutes in the world,” said Hilal, who is a senior politician in Egypt's ruling party.India's population is estimated at 1.12 billion, about 14 times that of Egypt.“There is no sort of harmony in religions or even languages in India,” said Hilal. Hindi is the official language, but English is also widely used as well as 18 languages recognised by the Constitution of India. India is a secular country with no state religion. Major religions include Hinduism (82 per cent), Islam (12-15 per cent), and there are Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.In the 20th century, India was involved in a war with China, as well as two wars with Pakistan. India paid dearly for these wars. “In spite of all these differences and challenges, India has managed to achieve great political and economic development,” stressed Hilal, who referred fourthly to the will of society and fifthly to priorities and goals. “In India, society does the developing, not the Government.”Significantly, India's development, which is centred in the major cities and towns like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and Bangalore is selective not totalitarian.