The Hindu Communist

On the birth anniversary of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, here is a look back at how Indian diaspora was formed during the colonial times, the consequent concerns of India and foresighted dealing of the situation, especially by Nehru. 

Nehru loved children. India's position on its diaspora is brainchild of Nehru.
Image Courtesy: Wikipedia. 

Slavery and after

Slavery was abolished in Britain (1834), France (1848) and the Dutch (1863). Ex-slaves either demanded more wages or wanted not to work anymore. This increased the demand for new labour force for the colonial plantations. India was the best choice since workers from other sources could not withstand the tropical climates of plantations. 

Hence large number of Indians was lured to emigrate by sea. Better not to speak on how badly people were treated – at depots, ships and plantations! The sea voyages were hazardous and tiring. ‘Salsette’, a ship that carried more than 300 people on board had around 120 died enroute! And this is just a sample of the regular hardship that prevailed. 

This recruitment got polished in the form of ‘indentured labour’ (contract labour) and continued from 1834 to 1920. Within this period the number of Indian emigrants to major destinations was Guyana (240000), Trinidad (144000), Surinam (324000), Mauritius (451000, Fiji (68000) and South Africa (142000). Fearing the frightening sea voyages, many indentured labourers of India decided not to claim their right for free return trip after their contract period. Thus they became permanent settlers. 

One of the early batches of Indian indentured workers in Trinidad and Tobago. 
Image Courtesy: Wikipedia. 

‘Hindu Communist’

In pre-Independent India, the main demand of Indian leaders was that the colonial forces should give Indian labourers a status equal to that of the white settlers in the plantations. Since the independence of India was imminent, this demand was a huge headache for the colonial forces. They feared that once independent, India would emerge as a strong force to establish influential power upon their colonies including South Africa and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda). Hence rumours were deliberately spread against India to the tone that ‘Once India attains freedom, Nehru, the Hindu Communist would capture the African nations’. This was more than enough to unleash clashes between Indian settlers and the blacks. Remember, mouth publicity has got more spread at that time when communication technologies and transport facilities were the least. 

It’s a historic truth that all such misgivings later mounted into forcing the liberated East African nations to give ultimatum to Indians to go out. ‘You come to India with all your assets or try to assimilate with the people of soil and their sovereign laws’ was India’s position. What else could have India offered at a time when she was just getting her economy evolving! Moreover, Nehru was on a mission to gather all developing countries including the African, to take a safe stand during the cold war time. Since many of the Indians had British passports, instead of coming back to India, many flew to North America and the UK by 1960s and 1970s. 

South African twist

There was interesting twists with Indian position on its diaspora in South Africa. Sentimentally roused by the connection Mahatma Gandhi had there, Indian stand was at first strong and sharp against the racist discrimination against its people in South Africa. Nehru voiced strongly and even presented it in the UN forums. But it was soon proved that moves solely for protecting human rights of Indians alone would not bring any considerable support. Later India ratified that she stands for the human right cause of not only Indians, but the native blacks also.

Indian composure

India, with such a large number of diaspora spread over the world hence has been extra careful in conceiving its world relations. Majority of its old diaspora are formed out of a colonial stage it had passed through. Majority of the old diaspora were lured by an offer for emigration without knowing where they go and what work they had to do. 

Led by Nehru’s tutelage, nowhere India had attempted to benefit its diaspora at the cost of the native people – not even in Fiji where many bloody coups removed the democratically elected governments led by the Indian origins. Instead, India used the world platforms to augment resistance against the undemocratic rioters. At least she could see that Fiji was ousted from the Common Wealth. In Sri Lanka also, India sent its peace keeping forces not to bring any exclusive benefit for the diaspora, but to assist the peace process and amicable solutions. Examples are there when countries took violent measures in sake of its diaspora. 

Nurtured at its infancy by Nehru, today the Indian approaches towards its diaspora stands brighter and stronger. Atal Bihari Bajpayee during his tenure as the Prime Minister convened the first ever convention of NRIs and PIOs. Now India celebrates January 9 of every year (the day Gandhi returned to India from South Africa) as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas and confers awards by the name, Bharat Samman to PIOs and NRIs for their exceptional achievements. The sustainability and decency of Indian foreign policy as well as its finely composed approach towards diaspora, is today well appreciated.  

- K.P. Sivakumar