Himalayan Times (1959)

November 16, 1989

Ot ataman eji.nce

five

LONDON \fWS LETTER

BY B. B. RAY CHAUDHURI

( Our Loudon CorrMpondeat )
Loudon, November 1.

The Passport racket
baa caused a great aensa-
tion among Indiana and
the British public
interested in Indian
affairs. Deputation! of
the Indian Journalists
and members of the
Indian Workers' Associa-
tion met officials of tbe
High Commission for
India in London and
dieoussed the matter of
tbe entry of Indians into
this country with false
and forged Indian Pass
ports i he racket of
issuing forged Indian
Passports in this country
ha* been wiped out, due
to the vigilence of Soot-
land Yard, but the racket
out in the Fast is still
flourishing What amazes
both Indisns and British-
ers here is why these poor
Indians are so anxious to
come to this country on
expensive forged Passports
when there is so much
prejudice against employ-
ing tfil m due to the
colour of their skin.
Af'er oareful investiga-
tions it hss oom» to our
knowledge that th»re is
a greater eagerness
smongst tbe Bengalis and
Punjabis to oome to this

land. The streets of
London are no longer
paved with gold, even
for the Londoners, and,
let us face the faot, the
scourge of unemployment
is only just round the
corner. My colleagues
and I have urged from
time to time through the
columns of our Dailies
for the various State
Governments 10 take
strong action against i he
exodus of our nationals
in their own interests
Some of the Indisns who
arrive here cannot even
speak English and their
general knowledg is that
of a ohild of five or six ^
years of age. They are
no unofficial ambassadors
cf India What pains us
most to seo is the number
of educated Indians who
have genuine Passports
now forced hy circums-
tances to take up menial
work in the streets and
oafes here.

The Annual General
Conference of the Labour
Party which was post-
poned owing to the
General Eleotion is now
taking place in three
weeks time. Undoubtedly
there will be a general

inquest for the defeat of
the Party at the last
Kleotion, but there will'
be vary little fireworks.
Mr. Bevan is following
the leadear of tbe Party,
Mr. Gaitakell in his policy
of "keep to tbe middle
of the road " The Left
Wing elements ni the
Party will have very little
chance to air their revo-
lutionary idaas. There
ia no denying the fact
that the Right Wing
elements desire the La-
bour Party to bo a
Party of aocisl reform
and not a Party of So-
cialism. The struggling
days of Keir Hardy
are gone for ever. The
Labour Party has to
change its policy as in
this Welfare State there
is no possibility of hun-
ger march such as took
place in the 1930's. aud
which I vividly remem-
ber. With their pookets
full of money the workers
are veering towards
Conservatism as they like
to feel they arc
"gentlemen."

Tbe I960 editions of
the "Daily Mail" and
" Daily Sketoh " Annuals
are now been brought
out by the Publications
Department of Assorinttd
Newspapers, Ltd., just
in a time to provide
wonderful Christmas pre.
senta for the juvenile
readers. These Annuals

(Continued on psge 9)