India-America Relations (1942-62): Rooted in the Liberal International Order by Atul Bhardwaj

Author:Atul Bhardwaj [Bhardwaj, Atul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781351186810
Google: S_h1DwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2018-11-02T10:07:40+00:00

The Asia Foundation was not allowed to establish an office in India until 1961. In 1959, complaining against the Indian attitude that denied them a permanent presence in India, Robert Blum wrote to Vijayalakshmi Pandit, then India’s high commissioner in London, informing her that although N.R. Pillai, secretary general, MEA, was sympathetic of their activities and even encouraged them, he did not feel that the time was ripe for them to have a permanent representative in India. Blum indicated to Pandit that India could probably get annual grants to the tune of $500,000 if it authorized a resident representative.120

The Asia Foundation funded a number of Indians to study, travel and attend conferences abroad. Moreover, aid was given to organizations and institutions in India. For example, in 1957, the All India Writers Conference held in February 1957 at Baroda was funded by the Asia Foundation. The foundation supported social sciences at teaching and research levels, university education, social work, law and journalism.121

In 1955, a law commission was set up under the chairmanship of M.C. Setalvad, attorney general of India, to offer suggestions for improving judicial administration and making it more responsive and less expensive, and, ‘secondly, to examine the Central Acts and recommend their revision, amendment and co-ordination’.122 The Asia Foundation along with Stanford University Law School interacted closely with the Law Review Commission in the Ministry of Law. The Asia Foundation consulted a large number of individuals concerning the possibility of developing a law books program in India. A meeting was held with a select group of Indian legal specialists who spent a summer in Stanford University in a comparative law seminar.123 The Asia Foundation also funded law-related projects in 1957–58.124 Granville Austin, a renowned American historian, left a lasting impression on India’s legal system; he is a much cited and relied upon source in Indian constitutional jurisprudence.

It also consulted academics concerning the ways in which the foundation could assist social sciences research in India.125 The Asia Foundation gave grants to the director of the Delhi Public Library to attend conferences. Some dance troupes were also given grants to attend the PEN conference in Tokyo.126

In 1957, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an Indian private educational organization supported by the Hindu right wing, signed an agreement with the Asia Foundation to accept a $6000 grant. This was for research, writing and publication of some original documents relating to the Indian constitution that were in possession of K.M. Munshi. In March 1958, Munshi also got an opportunity to travel to the United States for a short tour of the America Law School and Research Institution at the expense of the Asia Foundation. Munshi was a conservative leader who was close to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel when he was the home minister.127 In 1959, Munshi along with Minoo Masani formed an right wing, neo-liberal political outfit named Swatantra party.128

In 1966, it finally came to the fore through a story in Ramparts, an American magazine, that the Asia Foundation along with Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) and the National Students Association were CIA outfits.

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