Note on the entry of Foreigners into India.
This one is for K.
I have been going through bulky volumes of Nehru's papers at the Teen Murti Library in Delhi. Came across this fascinating 'note' from 13 November, 1946.
Excerpt below -
It is obvious that it is desirable to prevent or restrict the admission into India of undesirable foreigners. The Home Department has put up a note showing that their past experience with various types of people has been far from happy. They mention especially Arab, Iraqi and Irani traders. They say that Iraqi Jews have been notorious for their black market activities in Bombay. The Arabs have often indulged in smuggling activities... The restaurant trade in Bombay has suffered also because of the large number of Iranians.
Suffered? Because of Brun Maska? Becuase of Berry Pulao (Iranian berries, Parsi resturant)? Because of Irani Chai?
And this was twenty odd years before Bal Thackeray became big...
I have been going through bulky volumes of Nehru's papers at the Teen Murti Library in Delhi. Came across this fascinating 'note' from 13 November, 1946.
Excerpt below -
It is obvious that it is desirable to prevent or restrict the admission into India of undesirable foreigners. The Home Department has put up a note showing that their past experience with various types of people has been far from happy. They mention especially Arab, Iraqi and Irani traders. They say that Iraqi Jews have been notorious for their black market activities in Bombay. The Arabs have often indulged in smuggling activities... The restaurant trade in Bombay has suffered also because of the large number of Iranians.
Suffered? Because of Brun Maska? Becuase of Berry Pulao (Iranian berries, Parsi resturant)? Because of Irani Chai?
And this was twenty odd years before Bal Thackeray became big...
posted by Anand at 10:57 AM
6 Comments:
Bach gaye... And what about sali boti? That in my current estimation, is three and a half times better than berry pulao.
As you mentioned, the Allahabad did this to him.
I had the opportunity to read Discovery closely, once. It was interesting to interpret two running threads in it: first, Nehru's belief in a deeper structure of "inside-outside" relations (e.g. a five millenia pervasive 'Indianess' of India.) Second, his seeming estimation of himself as ze Chosen One (would "kaal purush" be an appropriate translation?) - next up for greatness after a long line of Ashoka, Akbar, and Angrez.
Somewhere else, I read he was known not as Jawaharlal, but, say, an anglicized nickname (e.g. Johnny?) till into his 20s or 30s. That's ok, considering where he studied yadda yadda yadda. What's strange is that he referred to himself this way.
This was, of course, (just) a reading, so...
In 'light' of it, the ease with which he seems to have launched into what seems a self-righteous defence of the motherland against the ravages of the outsider, is absolutely characteristic/predictable/expected...
that was an amazing extract. but arent nehru's papers supposed to be inaccessible at NMML? can anybody access them then? are these bound volumes? sorry for deluging you with questions but wanted to know. thanks
hi ravi.
this is in the bound volumes of the 'selected works of jln'
this is from the first volume of the second series, which begins from when nehru joins the interim government in 1946...
The first sentence of your post caught my eye. You remind me of the narrator in Shadow Lines :)
i feel like the narrator of shadow lines sometimes. '... one part of my life was over, except as a chronicler...'
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