Neither Here Nor There Split Psychology Wait and See India And

October 1, 1955 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY Neither Here Nor There leaves it the better." That is sound into Goa, albeit in an altered form, ONE of the most maladjusted of advice so far as those whose eyes and however much one may admire communities in India is that of are glued on other lands is concern the firmness of the Samiti's resolve Anglo-Indians; but this maladjust ed; but what about those who are to to free the Portuguese pockets by ment is largely due to themselves. stay on or who have decided to do such action, one cannot help doubt They have hot tried to belong deci so? Shri Anthony had not much ing the advisability of the move at sively anywhere; nor was it perhaps guidance to give them, and what lit this Juncture. The Samiti may no wholly possible for them at least in tle he gave was not exactly helpful. doubt derive solace from the fact the old days. When the British were He seemed to make out that the sal that it is doing its best to redeem still dominant in this country, they vation of the community lay in the Its pledge to the Goan people; but loved to flutter about them; but they hands of the Association, and that whether the pledge of freedom will could not escape an inner feeling it was through it, that the 'past and ever come to be redeemed in the that were not highly acceptable to present security' of Anglo-Indians process is more than can be visu that society, though the latter might had been ensured. alised at this moment. With our tolerate them as a sort of an outer One may not belittle the service Government bent on preventing the ring of self-protection. But being rendered by the Association to the entry of satyagrahis Into Goa, the rather proud of that role, and proud community so far; but one wonders campaign is bound to take the shape too of modelling themselves on their whether In secular India, with parties of a protest against our Government masters, they would not associate evolving on broad economic lines, rather than the Portuguese regime with Indians. Nor perhaps they felt with no racial, sectarian or linguis which may watch the resulting im the need for it, as quite a few must tic bias, a small sectional group, broglio with considerable satisfac have hugged the hope that the largely concerned with the security tion. And far from such a specta British would never clear out of the of a single community, its language cle having a morale-boosting effect country. and way of life, can continue to pull on the people inside Goa, it may its weight in the larger political well present our Government in a Freedom came all too soon for field. It may have a role to play strange light, which the Portuguese their way of thinking at least; and now; but that role, one feels, ought may be depended on to capitalise in the ensuing panic, some of them to be more In the direction of asso to the maximum extent. hurried out of India and a few at ciating Itself closely with the com tempted a last-minute adjustment, The only saving feature of the munity stream of national life than while the remaining found themsel new plan of the Samiti is that the of preserving itself as a unit apart. ves at sea. Without the means or campaign of satyagraha will not be No one will ever deny them the right the influence necessary to find a continuous. The new marches will to live as a separate cultural and berth in Britain or other congenial be attempted at fairly large inter social entity'; but if that means that climes, and knowing too that those vals; and in between, whatever little they are to remain isolated from the who had hastily sought shelter there public enthusiasm over the issue general current of national progress, were either uncomfortable or already might have survived Government's the 'split psychology', of which Shri on their way back, they knew that recent damper is bound to wane. Anthony has so eloquently spoken, they had no escape from the land The grim fact is that satyagraha will continue to bedevil' the com which had given birth to them, but as a means of liberating Goa from munity in one shape or another. which had hardly met with their the clutches of the Portuguese holds approval. To decide to belong here And real security for the com little hope. It is practically ruled finally, they thought, was an act of munity can come only from a volun out. And even if Government had condescension they could not permit tary act of association and harmo- not decided to ban it, it is doubtful themselves; but to belong elsewhere nisation with national trends and whether it would have prevailed seemed to be a feat that was beyond not from complex-ridden isolation, against Portuguese brutality. That their immediate power of decision. whether in the matter of language, is the one extenuating consideration Thus impaled neatly on the horns of acceptance of tradition or ordering that Government can find for its a dilemma, and making of their of social life. In other words, when present attitude. The other is that motherland merely a place of so the country proceeds on certain other and more promising measures journ, they have been living from agreed lines in these matters—and it are being tried. From the state of day to day, hope of the impossible is certainly proceeding fast the high hope and excitement which alternating with despair over the Anglo-Indian community would feel prevailed on last Independence Day, real. left out, insecure and perhaps un the nation has been reduced to the wanted too, should it wilfully con plight of "wait and see'. Split Psychology tinue to stick to its old habits of THESE facts have been cited here thought and demeanour. It is perhaps India and GATT not so much as points for a time that the community decided to To the question whether India charge-sheet against any section of belong somewhere, no matter where, would be doing the right thing by the community, but as background and strove to make a whole-hearted ratifying the revised GATT, the material for a better understanding job of it in confidence and faith. It Union Minister for Commerce and of Its psychology —or rather the cannot afford to be ever in a state Industry, Shri Krlshnamachari, pro 'canker of split psychology' which, of suspense. vided a conclusive answer in his pre- according to the outspoken President factory speech on the White Paper of the Anglo-Indian Association, Wait and See on GATT placed before Parliament Shri Frank Anthony, 'bedevils' a WHATEVER may be the circum last week. India's stand on this section of his community. And he stances that impelled the All- issue was further elucidated in his was quite unequivocal in his advice, Party Goa Vimochan S a h a y a k reply to the debate on the subject. "If an Anglo-Indian feels that India Samiti to decide on continuing its He outlined the part that India had is not his country, the sooner he campaign of Satyagrahic marches played right since the inception of 1164 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY October 1,1955 GATT to the revision of the same make. Putting it briefly, we have the Speaking broadly, the three main last winter, and analysed the Union freedom to withdraw all the tariff objectives of GATT are: (1) elimina Government's attitude towards such concessions which we have given, tion of discrimination, (2) abolition points as; (a) the position of under provided we do not mind losing all of unfair trade practices of all kinds developed countries (b) the question the concessions we get. We have and (3) removal of barriers to the of export subsidies (c) quota restric received tariff concessions, directly smooth flow of international trade. tions and the country's development or indirectly, on most of our impor Basically, Shri Krishnamachari plans; (d) flexibility of GATT pro tant exports, e.g., on jute yarn and averred, Government is in agreement visions; and finally (e) India's atti manufactures from the U.S., Canada, with the first two objectives. India tude to Japan's admission to the New Zealand and Australia; on cot believes neither in discrimination nor GATT Club. ton textiles from Australia, New in questionable practices like export Shri Krishnamachari countered Zealand, Canada etc.; on coir yarn subsidies and dumping. In this Communist criticism about India's and manufactures from the U. S., respect, GATT deserves our support, association with GATT, and said, Australia, Benelux countries etc.; on and its provisions need to be in effect, that the country had tea from the U. S., Canada, Aus strengthened. On the question of everything to lose and little to tralia, New Zealand and so on. On reduction of trade barriers, however, gain by not joining the organisa the eve of the revision of GATT last India has had to press for an amend tion. The primary aim of GATT winter, the Union Government care ment, but not because she does not is tariff reduction and no indi fully considered the pros and cons subscribe to the principle that obsta vidual country can obviously get of the proposals for amending the cles to trade must be reduced to the concessions from others, without a existing provisions, and it was con minimum.

Load more