Dr SP Mukerji
There is some nervousness in certain quarters that through foreign aid India might lose her economic independence. Obviously if there are any economic or political strings attached to any such aid, India must reject it outright. We need not, however, suffer from an inferiority complex. There is no reason why our economic freedom should be affected, unless our Government is weak or surrenders directly or indirectly to any foreign power.
The basic conditions for foreign aid are
1. Indians must be trained abroad within a prescribed period and the necessity for appointing foreign hands should be reduced to the minimum. Imparting of technical Knowledge and know-how according to a national plan is very important.
2. There should be no condition for purchasing materials from foreign countries except those which may not available in India.
3. Wherever possible at least half of the shares should be held by Indians.
4. While no discriminations will be made between Indian and foreign concern working in India, there should be a stipulation that after a given period, the Indian Government may nationalize a particular concern after payment of reasonable compensation.
| Kashmir Lost? In a Statement Regarding the Kashmir agreement Shree Mauli Chandra Sharma, General Secretary, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Say: Sheikh Abdullah has secured the most unreasonable of his demands, like the one for a separate State Flag, without conceding anything substan tial except the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Every other concession that Shree Nehru has secured is limited by a proviso which almost nullifies it. An agreement on the principles of financial integration could at least have been secured, even if details were to be worked out. It has all along been a surrender of the interest of India. There will be grave anxiety for the future of Jammu, as under this agreement people who have migrated to Pakistan have been permitted to return and regain Indian citizenship, while Indians can not secure property and live in the State without permission. It is a repetition of the usual story of appeasement of Muslim intransigence and communal separatism. This is not likely to gain Kashmir for India but will certainly endanger the security and development of Jammu and Ladakh as well. n |
I personally feel there is great room for collaboration between the Indian people and American people. India, naturally, would not like to be indentified with any bloc as such, but she stands for democracy and her sympathy will always be for the upholding of democratic principles in all parts of the world.
There are certain matters in respect of which India has not appreciated America’s stand. One is the Kashmir issue; the other is Tunisia, especially the manner in which this question is being prevented even from being discussed by the Security Council. Last but not the least is the question of recognition of China.
No country, naturally, wants the outbreak of a Third World War. If it comes it may well destroy large parts of the world. Yet suspicions, bitterness and lack of understanding are the common factors in the discussion of many international problems. India has stood for the doctrine of ‘Live and let live” and that alone can give us the clue to world peace. Let each country develop its own pattern, social and economic, according to the choice of its people. Let there be no domination, direct or indirect, of any of the big powers on the weaker ones. Let colonialism disappear permanently from the face of this earth and millions of people, especially in Asia and Africa, who have remained as unwilling victims of exploitation for centuries past regain their economic and political freedom.
