OCR
X.Asze September 526 - page four The Indian "comptoirs". Along the coastal line of India, a number of "establishments exist under French protectorate. Their total population amounts to «| nearly 300 thousand inhabitants; their main resources are their harbors, trade, a little agriculture and textiles. International speculation was once again awakened as to their future when last June, France definitely recognized the cessatio of the second-largest of these “comptoirs", of Chaidernagor to India. three years ago, indeed, on pressure of the young Indian State, France agreed to a referendum to be carried in this outskirt-city of Calcutta, While nearly haif the electors abstained, the other half, | to a very large majority, expressed its wish to rattached to Iiidia. | This hag now been definitely carried out. | Of the remaingng fbur harbors under French protectorate, | Pondichery, with its 53 thousand inhabitants, is by far the most importante These last months especially, New Delhi has started a violent campaign for the cessation of these territories to India. Indian pa 388 gat that the "goondars" = a troop of volunteers set | up by the Pöndic éry city administiration to maintain order, at the time of the communist-led violence campaigns of 1947 - supported by French police, had set up a terror regime. New Delhi claimed that supposed violences were due to lack of French cooperation ana that the solution to a tense situation was a referendum organized in the four comptoirs - Pondichery, Karikal, Mahé and Yanaon. ‘Thus the local population would be given a chance to express openly, whether it wished to chose indian citizenshipe Our observers in Pondichery - neutrals themselves - give a very objective picture of the actual situation. they claim that, had a referendum been organised in the remaining "“comptoirs" three years ago, the result would certainely have been favorable for india. At that time indeed the New Delhi regime was new and enjoyed all the glamor and attraction of a newly reached independence and nationalisti goal, in the meantime, with the unhappy innerpoliitical and administra tive situation prevailing in the country, India has entirely lost its appeal on all other populations. ‘the ihhabitants of Pondichery and of the other harbors see clearly that there are certain weaknesses inherent in the French and local administration; our observers are more than frank on that point. They compare however these weaknesses to the misery, the constantly decreasing standard of living and the very poor administration prevailing in india. Thefts attitude is uncompromising today: they unanimously want. the statu quo to be maintained. With the exception of the communists - who kayz see in an Indian solution a first step towards the ultimate realization of their aim - the population of the "comptoirs" prefer to stay with France and enjoy the economic and security advantages of such union, instead of chosing famine and misadministration under New Dalhie am mm ——..—