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9/4/1947
- Flight to and First Impressions of India
by A. Doak Barnett
ADB I West End Hotel NOT FOR PU LIC TION Bangalore ysore India eptember Nr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New New Dear Rogers One Week today Thursday August I climbed aboard Constellation Flying Eagle LaGuardia Field A route India Today I wriing lysore Banga heart south central India The fleeting impressions which I gathered during vivid varied heterogeneous correct coherent account difficult Snatches conversations local color images geography scenery merge together Nevertheless I write account little My flight New Earachi quick Because bhind schedule taking New York Sha Ireland After brief delay there proceeded stops London Istanbul directly Farachi where landed A Saturday In respects I because portion journey urope unexpectedly daylight Our route Paris northern Corsica Rome Naples Athens From Islanbul proceeded brilliant moonlight Anatolia Cyprus straight across iddle Arabia rabian Sea It tantalizing frustrating places historic contemp orary significance without opportunity along continuous flight impression contrasts between national regional patterns geography develoment From differences terrain number appearance cities towns organization distribution cultivated areas strik country country Our plane crowded stage during heavy bullion carrying passengers interesting varied group Included among passengers three American engineers going Afghanistan building contract TurkiSh student returning after graduate U S British machinery dealer returning Punjab Bombay businessmen aharajah laharani Jaipur Advocate General Bombay first glimpse India olate desert Of Sind sprawling Karachi isolated between desert Our plane landed commercial airport outside after health police customs clearance I servation flight Bombay India Q The Tara Line A somewhat Chaotic evacuation Hindus capital state Pakistan process I seats available until September With however I finally obtain cancelled reserva In meanwhile I struck acquaintance rgeant airport customs police He nglish speaking Portugese educated Rogan Catholic Indian The upshot I acquired personal guide companion short Karachio Together Goan friends first toured modern caton distric which streets odern homes exten sivemilitary barracks although completely inadequate government buildings scattered apartment houses This smething spacious frontier atmosphere conspicuous green white akistan flags shiny official evidences political status The crowding caused influx officials workers government particmlarly evident I streets crowded usual ecause people staying indoors anlicipation communal disturbances No riots taken place Karachi itself clashes reported within forty fifty miles I wanted incidentally attend session Pakistan Constituent Assembly recess In evening after visits Goan homes Indian supper various curried dishes native called I interested Goan pauions attemted dramatize dangers entering admitted never there during twelve years Karachi ctually through intensely interest It entirely different aspect frown The streets narrow crowded milling people We passed through separate uslim Hindu other ditrists including interest ingly enough district Bagadi police friend there strong Hindu uslim tension crowds I seemed sense certain amount Our completed industrial which Eashmir products conspicuously feature finally dance given Karachi Goan ssociation atended Goans Anglo Indians Brilishers still police force Perhaps first impression India evening awareness variety complexity mixture peoples languages customs These immediately pointed obvious foreign newcomer I talked I impressed readiness people I talked describe group characteristics classify people members religious linguistic provin group Pat generalizations about fierce Pathans brave Punjabis cowardly Gujeratis I needed about person adjective I aware various groupings India I expected counter thinking terms group slereotypes clear fashion first opportunity converse length Indi member small Indian minority Christian Goans conversation membrof another minority group Parsees migrated Persia India centuries On plane larachi Bombay I wealthy Bombay Parsee businessman literate extremely westernized He conversed 2eely about community described pride their wealth proninenceo He talked their close relations British relative isolation currents Indian nationalism expressed fears discrimination agains government India He invited unfortunately going Bombay enough accep invitation I given welcom Bombay Fhil Talbot Dick iorse airport ildred little Susan later They wonderful already I I known I immediately place myself Phil capable hands since followed schedule observig asking questions learning great As suggested I several weeks profit experience knowledge India I Bombay hardly enough receive impression except westernized often baroque buildings atmosphere comercial industrial activity Phll something serious economic problems which authorities there grapling I opportunity investigate observe conditions myself On onday Phil I train Baugalore followed later ildred The tensely interesting I I could describe I restrict letter reasonable length After green monsoon soaked coastal around Bombay spectacular climb Western Ghats dryer Deccan plateau impressed relatively crops I failures uncommon often occur successive years Lack water effected crops which appear indeed resulting shortages tightened rationing helped situation politically confused disorganized tense surpris region I tivated country large population relative scarcity The quality soils availability water obviously among causes I would I about possibilities reclamation Since arriving Bangalore Phil already number useful visits interviews Three stand highlights The first Shri Gurjali General Secretary Seva A shram which carries social educatioaal among outcaste lower caste workers their children nrahman Hindu married caste broken tradition shows great intelligence friendliness He showed through Ashram through nearby workers houses described their program financial support public grants private philanthropy later invited It interestihg emotional virus communal feeling recently effec despite education Another extremely inleresting interview Sir Ismael distinguished uslim served Prime inister three Indian ysore Jaipur Hyderabado Both Gurjali expressed might called essimism tempered concerning presen situation India Gurjali believes comnunal outbreaks would serious achieved independence unity rather present division since bifurcation taken place solution reciprocal deportatio Hindus Pakistan uslims Hindustan violence inevitable expected Sir rirza while giving Britain credit sincerity withdrawal believes gradual withdrawal would facilitated shift administration prevented present disorder Although uslim believes ultimate unifica feels unity should constant exchanges ppulation solution problems solved within existing frame reference This morning Phil I conversation Vrie iniser ysore A Ramaswai udaliar office Yesterday satyagraha violent resistance aainst governnent ysore State Congress Paty which calls reactionary ostensibly pressing imedito achievement fully sponsible government In addition satagraha railw strike threatening situation serious shows strai worry responsibility talked length about issues present trouble ysore He think constitutiona issue fundaental because aharaja promised responsible government another The issue behind satyagraha according interpretation struggle between Brahmans Brahmans He described Brahmans monopolize education government service efforts including better Opportunity members other castes I claims Congress Party dominated Brahmans using their struggle aintain doinat position their caste evidence would obtained before could accep contention interesting indication compleilies subtleties underlying Indian politics Ithough called reactionary impressed being ather sincere conser Vative share impression The blings political ocsal changes sorts india today J going offer neophyte comments about current developments about which I particularly Phil undoubtedly describe detail press reports terrible Punjab riots Gandhi twelth Calcutta widespread repercussions other important events developents throughout country This fascins India I fortunate petent observer interpreter Talbot I still process formulating future plans I write concerning later meanwhile I continue accompany Phil Sincerely yours Doak Barnett