We are in the same boat, two of the world’s greatest civilizations need to collaborate, udnerstand and come closer a lot more. We are blessed to have come across both communities and can certainly try to make our little efforts.

Please feel free to email me. I will refrain from the putting it here, but please ask the moderator to pass on my email to you privately or you can google me (wont be hard to identify the right Vishal Dhillon).

Thanks.
Regards,
Vishal

I can surely see a sense of bitterness in you for whatever reasons, which is much evident from the tone of your comment, you sort of implied ‘I’m victim of your brothers and sisters’, by doing so you are painting everyone with a broad brush and generalizing. Such things may be manifestation of many things e.g. anger, helplessness, deflection on other innocent people, and so forth. Perceived or real discrimination may have happened due to the China’s betrayal to Panch-sheel and principal of co-existence against India. But, I am not a subject matter expert, I am in no position to know the reasons and comment. Having said that, regardless of the background and context, I am in full support of unconditional apologies to innocent victims of any crime, be it victimization of Indians or dalits or other Indians by Indians or even at international level such as PRC Communist atrocities against Tibbatians or PRC atrocities against Democratic Republic of Chinese Taipei, or colonial masters against natives and the list is endless.

Saying apologies tends to heal wound but it requires a lot more.

Coming back to the topic of treatment of minorities in India or elsewhere, I am against it. If you consider yourself as an Indian then bear in mind, India is a secular, multi-religious, plural, multi-racial, multi-lingual country and conflicts, biases and differences among them are bound to happen. Hence the need for mutual respect, co-existence, a civilized and constructive dialogue, a privilege citizens of democratic and secular India can enjoy, something a large mass of humanity is deprived of in many regimes specially in India’s neighborhood.

As to your suggestion for my research topic, I choose a subject that interests me, that is bringing humanity together, seeing through both sides of biases and hardliners and understanding cultural similarities and differences and harness those to build good human relationships and ties, something hopefully others can use for the betterment of humanity via various means including trade, cultural exchange, et al; all of this is inevitable in the increasingly globalizing world where both India and China each have 1/6th of the humanity.

Peace to the world, empowerment and equality to the humanity, justice to the victims, prosperity and good health and well being to all.

Regards.
Vishal

Thank you

You have an excellent grasp and understanding of the Chinese plight in Kolkata. Every sentence in your comment is true to heart.

I do not understand why the Indian authority will not do as other governments had done before, i.e. giving an apology. Is there any reason or suspicion behind this ? Remember, most of those who were persecuted were Indian citizens. What good is it of a Government that lay their dirty hands on innocent citizens and hurting them.

Lastly, I agree that most former Chinese residents will not return to even VISIT let alone to live in India again after the painful experience.

India (British India) indeed did her best in accommodating the new arrivals then and they really made a good living had it not been the kindness of the then administration. what happened later was a sad story every Chinese have to endure. Today most are happy where they are (western world) and the ones still remain in Kolkata too. Sure I agree with most Chinese that Kolkata is still the place to be despite the ugly authority and the unhealthy environments etc. .

Being a PhD sholar specialising in cross-cultural research, it is closer to heart to take up a project on Chinese settlers’ survival in India – their sweet-bitter-sour existence from early settlements through the years of proserity, persecution, exodus and what remains today.

Surely, you will then know what really happened at home (in India) better; about Indian Chinese than those Chinese folks you met across the world – from China or outside China like places you mentioned in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada etc…

You will then realize with emotions and guilt how your brothers and sisters at home had so inhumanely treated the Chinese, be it Chinese settlers or those Chinese born in India (as Indians) during 1962.

Many Indian scholars and historians have written on their plight and there were requests for an apology from the Indian authorities to the Chinese that still remain in India. As of today, this is still not forthcoming.

When that day shall come, I believe India will see more Indian Chinese who had settled abroad for a few generations to revisit India to find their roots and beginnings with a welcoming gesture.

Unfortunately I never had any interaction with Chindian (Indians of Chinese heritage) community in India but I have met and made friends of Chinese race in Sydney, Singapore and Canada, ranging from Haribin in the north to Hong Kong in the south, Shanghai in the east to Tibet in the west, as well as Malaysian-Chinese, Singaporean-Chinese and Australian-Chinese. Most are hard working and peace loving people and I truly admire the colorful and beautiful Chinese culture.

Hard-working Chindians are as Indian as any and are integral part of our such diverse heritage of India. Keep it it and well done.

Vishal
a PhD scholar sprcialising in cross-cultural research.