Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference, Cairo 26 December 1957 - 1 January 1958

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000700150013-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 47
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 2, 1997
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: December 10, 1957
• Content Type: DISP

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THE ASIAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE
ROM
FILE
D , it
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.CONTENTS
I. Origin.
A. Historical Background,
1. World Conference for the Relaxation of
International Tension, June 1954.
Page
1
2. Plenary Session of the Worl_d.Peace
Council (WPC), November 1954.
4
3. The Conference of Asian Countries,
6-10 April 1955, New Delhi, India,
5
B,
C.
Sponsorship.
Aims and Purposes.
II,
Organizational Structure and Officers,
A.
B.
Headquarters Organization.
National Committees.
1.
Japan
16
2.
China
19
3.
India
21
4.
The Soviet Union
27
5.
North Korea
29
6.
North Vietnam
29
7.
Burma
30
8.
Indonesia
30
9,
Ceylon
30
C. Relations With Other Communist Fronts and
With National Communist Parties.
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III. Action Program and Implementation. 34
A, Activities of the Indian Committee. 34
B. Activities of the .Japanese Committee. 37
C. Activities of Other National Committees. 37
D. The Asia-Africa Review. 38
IV. :Potential Effectiveness of the Asian Solidarity Committee. 40
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THE ASIAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE (ASC)
1.. The Asian Solidarity Committee (ASC) is a new, major Com-
munist front organization, conceived and created by the World Peace
Council (WPC). It is the first front to be organized on a regional basis,
rather than on the basis of a profession, class, group or issue, In a
sense it might be termed a front for a front, since it seemed originally
destined to replace the WPC in Asia and Africa., As it has developed,
however, its work appears rather to be supplemental to that of the WPC,
or perhaps it is the first step in the reorganization of the "peace" move-
ment on a regional basis.
2. The ASC has endeavored, with considerable success, to bring
into its ranks numbers of non-Communists, although Communist control
is ensured by the presence of party members and fellow-travellers in
key positions, The fact that participation by members of legislative
bodies of Asian governments has been sought and in some cases achieved
may indicate plans to win for the ASC a quasL officiar status in these
countries, to exert the influence of the ASC upon the formulation of
government policies, and even to appear to speak for such governments.
3. The purposes of the ASC are to provide an environment in which
Communists can win acceptance by non-Communist nationalist forces,
to exploit the issues of independence, neutralism and anti-colonialism
in support of Sino-Soviet foreign policy goals, and to aid in the elimi-
nation of Western influence in Asia and Africa. The targets are non-
Communist nationalist intellectuals, political leaders, and workers
who may be vulnerable to the appeals of an ostensibly non-Communist
organization based on traditional themes of racial. pride and unity,
neutralism, and hostility to the West,
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THE ASIAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE
1, ORIGIN
The Asian Solidarity Committee (ASC) originated in April 1955
in New Delhi, India, at a conference which originally was called the
Asian Conference for Relaxation of International Tension., a title
later changed to the Conference of Asian Countries, in order to dis-
sociate it from its actual sponsor, the Communist World Peace Coun-
cil (WPC), The first suggestion of such an Asian meeting, to be
convened by the Asian delegates to the earlier meeting, was made
at the World Conference for the Relaxation of International Tension,
held in Stockholm in June 1954. An Asian meeting was discussed
again at a WPC meeting in November of that year in the same city.
A, Historical Background
(1) World Conference for the Relaxation. of International
Tension, June 1954
This conference was reportedly first proposed by WPC Vice Presi-
dent Pietro Nenni at a WPC session in Vienna in. November 1953, but
the first organizational steps for the gathering were taken at a meeting
of representatives of various French political parties in May 1954,
The project was then taken up by representatives of pacifist forces
in many countries. The World Conference for the Relaxation of
International Tension was a noticeable departure from previous "peace"
meetings which openly fulfilled their role as propaganda events, It
was obvious that the Communist policy for this conference was to
make no direct propaganda out of it, and to conceal the WPC sponsor-
ship, although care was taken to insure WPC control. * Invitees were
Of the twenty individuals chosen to act as the official committee
for the event, five were from Communist-controlled countries, and
seven more had connections with Communist front organizations.
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p _ o zli.sed nothing would be published concerning the meeting except
by unanimous consent of the delegates. Headquarters, set up in
Stockholm prior to the meeting, Issued no statements. Mr. Duncan
Jones, former secretary of the British peace committee but.at the
time of the meeting a full-time WPC employee serving in the tem-
porary Stockholm office, answ :.d no phone calls, received no
visitors, and made none of the usual strident Communist propaganda
statements.
Speeches at the conference were much more restrained than at
previous "peace" meetings.. Although nothing was said in any way
critical of the Soviet Union, an attempt was made to appear impartial
and to avoid blatant abuse of the West, except in a. few cases. Ac-
tually, the proceedings seemed to be the first reflection of a warning
Pierre Cot, editor of the WPC publication Horizons, had given con:.
cerning the near-failure of the Vienna Peoples for Peace Congress
in. December 1952--that the organization would have to adopt new
methods and speak a new language if it was to be successful in attract-
ing new audiences. The general resolutions of the Relaxation Con-
ference repeated the main Communist themes: peaceful. coexistence,
admission of Communist China to the UN, a ban on tests and use of
atomic weapons, limitation and control of armaments, expansion
of East-West trade, cultural exchange, "free" elections for Korea,.
and resumption of negotiations on Germany. In addition, appeals
were addressed to the UN on Guatemala (much in the headlines at
the time), and to the Summit Conference demanding a cease-fire in
Indochina.
This World Conference for the Relaxation of International Ten-
sion marked a high point in Communist efforts to enlist non-Com--
munist.support for a program whose hidden purpose is to further
Soviet international designs. It succeeded to a greater extent than
such meetings had for several years, although, surrounded with
secrecy as it was, it is difficult to determine the full extent of non-
Communist participation. Among the 200 delegates claimed by the
Communists (150 is probably nearer the truth) were many prominent
persons not generally associated with the WPC or the Communist.
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movement. For instance, there were sixteen Diet members in the
Japanese delegation of forty persons. Nevertheless, the attendance
was a disappointment to the organizers, as is revealed in one of the,
resolutions which stated:
It. , . the participants of this Meeting:.... regret that the
invitation sent out by the organizers has not been more
widely followed in certain circles of certain countries.
They agree to make known in their respective countries
the conclusions to which they have been led and they
decide to instigate at the beginning of the year 1955 a
new Meeting which should be still larger than this one.
The Meeting charges its Bureau and Secretariat to make
all useful arrangements, "
As yet this new meeting has not materialized.
Instead of focusing attention on the dissemination of mass pro-
paganda after the usual pattern of peace meetings, this conference
was both experimental and organizational in nature--trying out a
new form of camouflage, and laying down a different approach to
future activities, particularly in Asia. Asians and their problems
were prominently featured both in person and in discussions.
Although it was not an official resolution, a "communique"
issued by the conferees announced the plan for an Asian. Conference
to Relax International Tension. Tass reported, as early after the
conference as 28 June, a statement of Professor YOICHI Fukushima,
leader of the Japanese delegation, that the Indian, Chinese, and
Japanese delegations had met separately and discussed in principle
the proposal. for an All-Asian conference at which measures aimed
at the alleviation of tension in. Asia could be cons idered. On Z4
August, Akahata, the official organ of the JCP, announced that Asian
delegates to the Stockholm conference were calling an "Asian Peace
Congress" in India in November. The leader of the Indian delegation,
Mrs. Rameshwari Nehru (relative by marriage of the Prime Minis-
ter), upon her return to New Delhi confirmed that "on the initiative
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R-11.1 1_1 1PR"
of the Indian delegation" the conference had decided to explore the
possibilities of holding a conference of Asian countries in order to
create a climate of peace based on the?Panch Shi.i.a -the five prin-
ciples agreed upon by Nehru and CHOU En~~lai. She stated that
the Stockholm meeting "was not sponsored by Communists.
(2) Plenary Session of the World Peace Council (WPC),
November 1954
Perhaps partially to maintain the fiction that the June meeting
was not a WPC activity, a month later invitations were issued by
the WPC for a plenary session in November, also to take place in
Stockholm. Again, Asian problems were prominent, as these items
of the agenda indicate:
(a) The situation in various parts of As La as. a result of
foreign pressure and the establishment of a system
of blocs and war coalitions; and,
(b) A resolution on the situation arising in the dependent
and semi.-dependent countries as a result of foreign
pressure and the system of military blocs and coali-
tions,
In addition, the agenda suggested by this session of the council
for a "Great World Assembly of the Forces for Peace" to. be held
in May 1955 (actually held in Helsinki in June 1955) devoted three
of its four items to. Asian subjects:
(a)
US intervention in Southeast Asia;
(b) The struggle against colonial regimes,;
(c) Peaceful coexistence; and the "five principles"
governing relations between China, on the one hand,
and India and Burma, on the others
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This important WPC session made no offic!al, announcement
of an Asian conference, but Romesh Chandra (member of the Indian
CP Central Committee, member of the WPC Bureau, and former
editor of Crossroads, Indian Communist publication.), revealed at
a dinner party given for the Indian delegation during the Conference
by the Chinese mission in Stockholm that an "Asian Conference for
the Relaxation of International Tension" would be held in New Delhi
in February or March 1955. Arrangements for it were in the hands
of an Indian Preparatory Committee and "other Asian people.
(3) The Conference of Asian Countries, 6.10 Aril 1955,
New Delhi, India
After some preliminary national appointments, a preparatory
group met in New De].hi 9-10 February 1.955 to set up a Secretariat,
a date and venue, and to outline the aims and. objectives for the
Conference of Asian Countries, as this projected meeting was now
becoming known. This group, which named Mrs. Rameshwari Nehru
as chairman, consisted of representatives from Burma, Ceylon,
India, Japan, North Korea, and Syria. New Zealand reportedly
was represented by an "observer". Two Israeli delegates who came
were "persuaded" not to attend lest their presence dissuade Arab
delegates from participating in the conference. Messages of support
were received from the Chi se People's Republic, Indonesia, Israel,
North Vietnam, and the Soviet Union, From the origin the project,
the composition of the committee, the agenda drawn up, the state-
ments. issued, and especially the timing, it soon became evident
that the Conference was designed as a Communist propaganda device
to exploit the theme of Asian unity and to do what it could to produce
an atmosphere favorable to Communist aims at the Afro-Asian Con-
ference (held in Bandung the following week) as an. immediate target,
while also creating a permanent organizational unit for future Com-
munist campaigns.
It was decided that the aim of the Conference would be to afford
an opportunity for an. exchange of views on the common problems
affecting Asia. Such an exchange of views would assist in securing
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greater common undexsta!ding and close contact in all. fields among
the people of Asia, and would thus help in lessening present world
tension. It would assist in. creating that climate of peace for which
we all yearn. 11
The Conference would aim, a. ove all, to help in bringing about
a greater understanding of the problems of Asia and. to further a
peaceful and cooperative effort, in common with other countries
of the world, in solving these Asian problems. To this end, the
Conference would place at the Head of its. agenda a discussion of
'Panch Shila, the Five Principles of the joint declaration of the Prime
Ministers of India and China, namely.
(1)
(2)
(3)
Mutual respect for each otherts territorial integrity
and sovereignty;.
Non--aggression;
Non-interference in each otherts internal affairs;
,(4) Equality and mutual. benefit;
(5)
Peaceful. coexistence.
The Conference "'would plan concrete steps to secure an intelli-
gent understanding and appreciation of these principles among the
peoples of Asia, with a view to securing their acceptance by all
countries of Asia and the' world, so that they may form a solid
foundation for peace and security. to
Political questions to be. considered were.
Colonialism and foreign interference in the internal affairs
of Asian countries;
The admission of the People's Republic of China to its
rightful place in the UN;
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The prohibition a;.Id control of weapons of mass destruction;
The danger to Asia from military alliances and pacts which
divide the countries of Asia;
Racial discrimination;
Discrimination against Asians in the matter of immigration,
etc. , and the problems of equal rights for immigrant
citizens.
CulL'ral questions:
The study of the common cultural heritage of Asian coun-
tries with a view to reviving and strengthening old cultural
ties;
The preservation of national cuLures;
The development of cultural exchanges between the countries
of Asia,
Economic and social questions:.
The development of trade relations between Asian coun-
tries, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit;
The economic development of Asian countries and the
raising of living standards;
The status of wo--en and the protection of children.
The Stockholm conference had decided that "all delegates
will pay for their board and lodging in Delhi and also make
a small contribution towards the general expenses of the
Conference,. " Mrs. Nehru was able to get some contri-
butions of this sort, but a relatively large deficit was fi-
nanced from some unknown source.
7
m T A T
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MISSING PAGE
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT MISSING PAGE(S):
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that it had the approval of the Prime Minister. Part of the Japanese
delegation publicly expressed their disappointment that the confer
ence was not handled as t ey had been led to believe it would be. It
was clear that although the gathering was termed a "Con.ference of
Asian Countries, " only delegates from Communist states were
officially appointed and entitled to speak for their countries; the
others had no official status and could only profess to do so. This
latter group consisted chiefly of rank-and-file Communists or pro-
minent fellow-travellers. Leading figures of the Indian CP came to
New Delhi but stayed in the background. One Indian paper reported
that "the Conference irritated the Government, disappointed its spon-
sors, and embarrassed the people associated with it" because of the
increasingly obvious Communist domination. and guidance.
After this inauspicious start, the Conference, with Mrs,, Nehru
presiding, launched into effusions of praise for Panch Shila, Asian
solidarity, and peace; denounced aggression, foreign, interv. en.tion .
and the "bellicose French and intervent:ionis.t Americans'", and
military alliances formed "under the aegis of Western Powers",
It also declared the Asian people's desire to be saved from their
"self-styled friends'".
Statements made by members of the Conference covered many
favorite Communist themes. Rene Capitant, a French "!guest", pro-
posed that the headquarters of the United Nations be moved to Geneva
to: escape US domination. Dr. Dawalibi of Syria, speaking for the
combined Arab delegatio.n.s, marked the conference as the unification
of Arab and Asian efforts in the struggle against imperialism. The
Arabs felt that they had gained tangible success at the conference.
As-Salah, member of the Jordanian Parliament, and a known Com-
munist, upon his return home spoke enthusiastically of their having
forced the expulsion of an Israeli delegation which had already reached
New Delhi. '(This referred to the Preparatory Committee. Four
Israelis attended the Conference itself, two of them members of
MALI, the Communist Party of Israel.) As-Sa.l.ah declared that the
Arab governments should encourage such conferences as. affording
an opportunity to propagate the Arab cause on a world-wide scale.
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In fact, it was intimated that if the delegates returned from Ban-
dung with less to show for the Arab cause, the Communists would.
have stolen their thunder. Dr. Anup Singh (India), former pro-
fessor at Catholic and American Universities in Washington, for-
mer Public Relations Officer of the Indian Embassy in Washington,
D. C., and the chief Indian delegate to the UN Commission on
Korea, listed eight world problems affecting Asia and called for
their solution in terms consistent with Communist objectives:
banning and control of atomic weapons, end of colonialism and
foreign interference (citing Indochina, West Irian, Taiwan, Goa,
Mala.-a, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, and "other parts of Africa"),
abolition of military pacts, removal of foreign troops (claiming
there are seven hundred bases in Japan), admission of Red China
to the UN and to the Security Council, normalization of diplomatic
relations, unification of Korea, and the end of racial discrimination
(particularly in South Africa) KUO Mo-jo, the most prominent
delegate (President, Chinese Academy of Science; Vice Chairman,
Standing Committee of the National Peoplegs Congress.; Vice Presi-
dent, WPC), concentrated on Taiwan as the greatest threat to peace
and made many allegations of American aggression. Japanese
speeches called for mobilization of public opinion against atomic
bombs and were strongly critical of the West, especially the US,
whose aid program was allegedly designed to increase the econo-
mic dependency of Asia. Mikhail Nesterov, USSR, declared that
unrestricted trade would serve the cause of peace.
These sentiments were embodied in resolutions presented under
six headings political, economic, scientific, social, cultural, anal
religious--the last being cast in the form of an appeal. One of these
resolutions supported by the two Israeli Communists expressed
support for the Arab people against "the aggressive policy of the
ruling circles in Israel. " Another announced the creation of the
Asian Solidarity Committee.
B. Sponsorship
Thus the Conference of Asian Countries at New Delhi, from
6 to 10 April 1955, was the apparent (at least the immediate)
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sponsor of the Asian Solidarity Committee, although. It is. seen from
the preceding account that the original initiative came from the WPC.
After definite preparations for the conference were under way, no
public mention. was ever made of any WPC connections:; indeed, there
had been very little officially from. the beginning. However, WPC
affiliates in. the area were instructed to send representatives to the
conference.
C. Aims and Purposes
The aims and purposes officially outlined for the Asian Solidarity
Committee were contained in a resolution passed by the Conference
of Asian Countries as follows.
".The members of the Presiding Committee and Secretariat
of the. Conference constitute themselves into a committee
to maintain liaison between the various national. committees
in Asian, countries, formed to support the conference and
its. decisions. The members of the committee will be
responsible for ensuring the popularization of the resolutions.
of the conference in their own countries, through national.
committees. to be set up for the purpose by the preparatory
committee in each country. The Indian members. of the
Secretariat of the conference are entrusted with the respon-
sibility for the time being of coordinating the work of the
committee and exploring the possibility of setting up a
permanent Asian Secretariat at some suitable time within.
three months, consisting of representatives of Burma,
Ceylon, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, the
Soviet Union, and the Arab countries.
The Communist press outlined the aims of the national. Com-
mittees. in the participating countries to be (1) to solve common
problems of As Lan nations through collective action based on the
Five Principles of Peace; (2) to strengthen friendship and inter-
course among these nations.; and (3) to contribute to world peace
by abolishing colonialism in Asia and establishing a free, inde-
pendent, and peaceful Asia and Africa.
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These are the words which could be said to be sung to a current
Communist tune. The real Communist purpose in setting up an Asian
Solidarity Committee was to organize a ready channel to popularize
Communist propaganda throughout Asia and Africa and to create an
organizational unit for the Communist campaign to destroy Western
power and influence in Asia. Soviet representation in the Secre-
tariat was intended to keep the Soviet foot in the Asian door (espe-
Tally at the time when the USSR was excluded from the Bandung
Conference) and, at the same time, . to place the USSR in the fore.-
front as a promoter of unity and cooperation among Asian nations.
"Asian solidarity" is a concept with which. the Communists hope
to supplement and reinforce the "peace" theme -which, long equated
with the defense of the Soviet Union, had lost much of its appeal.
Asian solidarity:- -against the West and in support of liberation move-
ments as.well as other forms of anti- colonialism-?-is a rallying cry
which International Communism has clearly stated it would here-
after exploit at every opportunity.
II. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND OFFICERS
A. Headquarters Organization
The Headquarters of the Asian Solidarity Committee is in New
Delhi, India, and its liaison work is entrusted to the Indians, This
was announced as. a permanent location by LIU lying-L, one of the
Chinese Communist members of the World Peace Council, on 7
February 1956.
Since no roster of the Asian Solidarity Committee has been
officially issued, at least in the West, it is necessary to identify its
membership from available information about the Preparatory Com-
mittee, which became the Presiding Committee, for the Conference
of Asian Countries. It had been announced that representatives sent
by national preparatory committees to the February 1.955 gathering
of this group in New Delhi would serve as the Conference Committee.
These representatives presumably spent much of the intervening
_ K t
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time in..New Delhi working for the Ap ?'l Conference, and several
of them presided at various sessions of the Conference. As listed
by the New Delhi press, these :: Pp.? .sentatives were:
Mrs. Rame.shwa.ri Nehru - :telative by marriage of the Prime
(India) Minister; President and. adviser of
the Rehabilitation Board of the
Ministry of Rehabilitation; social
worker; delegate to WPC; former
president of the All.-India Women's
Conference.
Dr. Choithram Gidwani President .of the All-India Refugee
(India) Association; former president of the
Sind Congress Party Committee;
Praja Socialist Party member of
Parliament.
Gurmukh Singh Mussafir -? Congress Party representative from
(India) Amritsar in the House of the People;
social worker and journalist.
Dr. Anup Singh Member of Indian National Congress;
(India) former professor at the Catholic and
American Universities in, Washington,
D. C.; former Public Relations
Officer of th.e Indian Embassy there;
former chairman of the UN Com-
mission to Korea.
Ramesh Chandra Member of the Central Committee of
(India) the Communist Party of India (CPI);
editor of Crossroads; member of the
WPC Bureaus
Pandit Sunderlal
(India)
Editor of pro-Communist Naya Hind;
led Goodwill Mission. to China in 1951;
WPC Bureau member.
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Syed Nausher All
(India)
Gurrnukh N ikal Singh.
(India)
Violet Alva
(India.)
H. C. Mathur
(India)
Mr. Youren
(New Zealand)
Thak in Lay Maung
(Burma)
Theja Gunewardene
(Ceylon)
LEE Mong-gee
(North Korea)
Mme. PAX Chong 4ae
(North Korea)
Former president of the Indian Sea-
men's Union; former member and
speaker of West Bengal Legislative
Assembly; former Minister of the
West Bengal Government; Congress
Party member of Parliament.
Principal of Sri Ram;College of Com-
merce; speaker of De.hl State Legis-
lative Assembly.
Member of Parliament, Congress
Party; Vice President of the. Inter
-
national, Women Lawyers Associab
tion; farmer editor o f Be gum.
Democratic Party leader in the
Upper House of Indian Parliament;
former minister in Jodhpur State.
Farmer; designated as an "observer".
- Secretary General. of Burmese Peace
Committee; visited WPC Headquarters
and USSR.
- Chief organizer and Vice President
of th.eAssociation of Women's Institutes;
visited the US on State Department grant.
Top-level Korean Communist leader;
born Asiatic Russia; Deputy Chairman,
Korean Labor Party (CP); Chairman of
Korean Democratic League of Women
(WIDE affiliate); WPC Bureau; Stalin
Peace Prize winner.
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Dr. Mustafa Amin
(Syria)
HAN Sol-ya - Chairman, Korea National Peace
(North Korea) Committee.
A later report named LIU Ning-i of China and Mrs. KORA Tomi,
IKEDA Masanosuke, and MATSUMOTO Jiichiro of Japan as also
serving on the "presiding" committee. Other prominent presiding
chairmen were KUO Mo-jo (later selected as chairman of the Asian
Solidarity Committee of China), K. S. Kalelkar (member of the
Indian National Congress), and Marouf el-Dawalibi (former Prime
Minister of Syria). The actual composition of the Preparatory Com-
mittee (whi:h presumably became the Asian Solidarity Committee)
was further confused by the arrival in New Delhi of the Chinese and
Soviets after the close of the meeting, They remained there to work
for the conference. These included CHEN Shen-yu (Chinese writer),
Colonel Nikolai Semeno.vich Tikhonov (chairman of the Soviet Pre-
paratory Committee, member of the Union of Soviet Writers and of
the WPC Bureau), A V. Sofronov (former editor of Ogonek), and
Oleg Skalkin (Pravda representative in New Delhi). There was a
reliable report that the WPC had asked its branches to see that their
representatives were in New Delhi for the Preparatory meeting and
that they remain to assist in the work of the Conference, The branches
agreed on the condition that the Preparatory Committee bear the expense
of the delegates' prolonged stay. Their names were not published;
they probably served on the various "staffs".
The Secretariat for the Conference, as announced from New
Delhi, consisted of representatives from six countries- India, Burma,
Communist China, Japan, Pakistan, and the USSR, F Note-. The
Stockholm "suggestion" for this body had listed Indonesia instead of
Burma, which was probably changed due to the absence of Indonesia
.rorn the Preparatory meeting. However, Indonesia was added to
the list of the Permanent Asian Secretariat. / Later, it was announced
that an Arab representative would be "co-opted" into the Secretariat.
So far, the known Secretariat members are Aa V. Sofronov, USSR,
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Rameshwari Nehru, India, HATANAKA Masaharu, Japan, and
CHEN Shen-yu, Chf a. This leaves Burma, Pakistan, and Indo-
nesia to be accounted for. According to the resolution establishing
this Secretariat, the names of the Indian Secretariat "entrusted"
with the liaison work with the parent body should be added to the
above list. They are: President, Mrs. Rameshwari`lqehru,
General Secretary, Syed Nausher Ali; Secretaries, Dr. Anup Singh,
Dr. Choithram Gidwani, and Mrs. Violet Alva; and Treasurer,
H. C. Mathur.
B. National Committees
National preparatory committees for the Conference of Asian
Countries were established generally throughout'the area. The Con-
ference resolved that the original preparatory committees should be
responsible for setting up the national Asian Solidarity Committees.
It is probable that the preparatory committees themselves will form
at least the nucleus of the national Solidarity Committees, as hap-
pened in the cases of the seven such Committees officially formed
so far: Japan, Communist China, India, USSR., North Korea, North
Vietnam, and Burma.
1. Japan
The Asian Solidarity Committee of Japan (.ASCJ) was established
on 31 October 1955 in accordance with the resolution passed at the
Conference of Asian Countries. Preparations to organize a soli-
darity committee in Japan started in July 1955 at a meeting of 114
representatives from various circles, but the matter was deferred
because of the World Rally for Banning Atomic and Hydrogen Borribs,
held in August 1955 in Horoshima, Japan, on the tenth anniversary
of the dropping of the bomb. The Rally, "suggested" by the Asian.
Conference, has become an annual event. However, with the assis-
tance of Anup Singh (India), Gidwani (India), LIU Ning-i and HSIE]H
Ping-hsin (China), and Eugene Zhukov (USSR), all of whom attended
the aforesaid Rally, the ASCJ was finally formed on 31 October 1955
at a meeting held at the Josui Kaikan in Kanda, Tokyo. In line with
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the aims outlined in the resolution made in New Delhi, the ASCJ.pro-
posed (a) to promote friendship, good will and normalization of dip-
lomatic relations with nations of Asia and Africa; and (b) to help
solve mutual problems of Asian and African nations, particularly
their liberation from American and British colonialism.
Co-Chairmen-
NAGANO K un i suke
IIYAMA Tahe i
Business Bureau Chief-
Lawyer; member, International
Association of Democratic Lawyers
(IADL).
Chief of International Committee of
Dal. Nippon Marine Industry Associa-
tion (Dai Nippon Suisan Kai).
DAN Tokusaburo
member, Japan Peace Protection
Committee; WPC member.
Advisers-
KUHARA Fusanosuke
Chairman, People's Council for
Restoration of Diplomatic Relations
with China and the USSR (Nitchu
Nisso Kokko Kaifuku Kokumin Kaigi).
KATAYAMA Tetsu
MATS UNAGA Yasuzaemon
Supreme adviser of Japan Socialist
Party (JSP); WPC member; adviser
to Japan-China Friendship Associa-
tion.
Chairman of the Board of Tokyo
Electric Power Company (Tokyo
Denryoku K. K.).
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HOSOKAWA Karoku
Committee Representatives:
MATSUMOTO Jiichiro
KAZAMI Akira
YAMAGUCHI Kikuichiro
OTANI Eijnn
AKI Koichi
NAKABE Kenkichi
YAMAMOTO Kumaichi
- Japan Communist Party (JCP)
member.
- Liberal Democrat Party (LDP)
member.
- JSP member; WPC member; Presi-
dent, Japan-China Friendship Associa-
tion.
- JSP member, WPC member; adviser
to Japan-China Friendship Associa-
tion.
- LDP member; World Federation of
Scientific Workers (WFSW) member.
- LDP member.
- Hitotsubashi University professor.
- President of Taiyo Fishery Company.
Secretary General of the International
Trade Promotion .Association (Kokusai
Boeki Sokushin Kyokai), Japanese
affiliate of the International Committee
for the Promotion of Trade (ICPT);
adviser to Japan-China Friendship
Association.
- Secretary General of the Japan Peace
Protection Committee; member, WPC,
WFSW, and IADL.
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KAWASAKI Natsu
Adviser of the Japanese Society, for
the Protection of Children (Nippon.
Kodomo wo Ma :~-i Kai), Women's
International Democratic Federation
(WIDF) affiliate; WFSW member;
vice president of Japan-China Friend-
ship Association.
LIU Ding-i, member of the WPC Bureau, Vice President of the
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and member of the China
Peace Committee, made a lengthy speech to the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) (instrumentality of the
organized united front in Communist China) on 7 February 1956, in
which he proposed the formation of the Asian Solidarity Committee
of China "as commissioned by the China Preparatory Committee for
the Asian Countries Conference. " The Committee, of which he was
the Secretary General, was thus sponsored by the CPPCC. rather
than by the Communist Party or Peace Committee. Present at the
meeting which set up the permanent committee were CHQU E-i--lai;
the vice chairmen, and delegates to the Second Plenary session of
the CPPCC, totaling over a thousand persons. KUO Mo-jo presided.
It was declared that, in order to enhance further the friendly soli-
darity and peaceful coexistence among all Asian people; it had been
considered necessary to set up an organization of a permanent nature..
The meeting' unanimously adopted a resolution to establish the Asian
Solidarity Committee of China and approved a list of officers and a
committee of eighty-one persons ',from all. walks of life. "
The list of committee members and officers, which includes
several CCP Central Committee members (e. g., LIAO Cheng-chih
and LIU Ning- i) and most of the prominent front personalities in
China, is evidence of the importance which Peking attaches to the
ASC. The Chinese Communists can be expected to utilize the ASC-
to promote further their claims to leadership in Asia.
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Chairman:
KUO Mo-jo - WPC member.
Vice Chairmen:
MAO Tun
(true `hame:
SHEN Yen-ping)
- Minister of Culture; WPC member.
LI Te-ch'lian
LIAO Chreng-chih - WPC member.
LIU Ning-i - WPC and WFTU member.
HU Kto-ping
Secretary General:
LIU Ning- i
Committee Members:
TING Hsi-l in; TAO Ching-pan; HSIEN Hstieh-wen; WANG Ytin-
sheng; WANG YLtan-hsing; T'IEN Fu-ta; PAX Lang; Y*EH Sung-
sheng; SUN Hsiao-tslun; TA P'u-sheng; CH'X Pai-shih; LIU Ning-i;
LIU Kto-ping; LIU Lin-jul; CH'ENG Fang-wu;'.LI Chu--ch'en;
LI Wei-kuang; LI Te-ch'ttan (WPC); LI Fu-jen; TU Kuo-hsiang;
YANG Han-sheng; CHOU Shu-chia; CHOU Kang-ming; CHI H.sien
lin; La-min i-hsi chu-ch.en (4-ic); CHIN Ytieh--lin; CH'EN Wen.-kuei;
CH'EN Pai-shen; CH'EN Chfi-yu; CH'EN Ching -yi CH'EN Han-
sheng (WPC);SU Pu-ch'ing,?- OU Te-pang (WPC); YU Pting-po;
NAN Han-ch' en (ICPT) ; SHIH Ju-chang; Cha kan ko ken (sic) ;
HU Tzu-ang; MAO I-sheng; MAO Tun (WPC); CHAO P'u-chu;
CHAO I-m in (WPC) ; CHENG Chen-to; C HENG.. S en-yti; NI F e i ?- chtin;
Hsia-au... -mo-tse-aen-to-chi (sic); KAO Chtung-min; JUNG. I-jen;
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CHANG Kuang -tou CHANG Chili-jang; CHANG Yen; CHANG Jui
fang; CHANG Ytteh-hs is CHANG Chin-hsiang; LIANG Hsi; MEI
Lan-fang; MEI Kung=pin;. CHANG Tz'u-kung; CHUANG Ming-li;
HStT Kuang-ping; HSU Pao-chti; HSe Te-heng KUO Mo=jo;
FU Lien-kaun; Hsi-jao-chia-tslo (sic); TANG Hstao-tan; FENG
Yu-lan; HUANG Chang-shui; HUANG Chi-h.s tang; YANG Hsien-tung;
WEN Chi-tse; LIAO Ch?eng-chih (WPC); NING Wu; HSIUNG Fu;
PAO Erh-han; HSIEH Ping-hsin; HSIEH Min-kuang; SAI Fu-ting;
TAI Ai-lien.; LAN Ling; I Mei-hou.
Letters on official s'ta.tionary were emanating from a well-set-up
Indian Preparatory Committee by October 1,955, A permanent Asian
Solidarity Committee was formed for India in February 1956, which
includes some members of the Indian Preparatory Committee for the
Asian Countries: Conference. It consisted of the following persons:
Officers (Secretariat)-
Mrs. R ameshwar i Nehru - President
Syed Nausher All - General Secretary
Dr. Anup Singh - Secretary
Mrs. Violet Alva
Dr. Choithram Gidwani "
R omesh Chandra
Harish. Chandra Mathur Treasurer
These names are as given by NCNA in a broadcast on 7 February
1956.
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Committee Members:
Dr. Zakir Hussain - Member (nominated), Council of
States; Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh
University; respected educator;
has in past praised Red China.
Dr. G. Mahajani - Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University.
R. N. Aggarwal
President, Delhi Municipal Com?_
mittee; at time of election attacked
by Communists as "big business"
stooge.
Gurmukh Nihal Singh - Chief Minister, Delhi State.
Mrs. Ammu Swaminadhan Congress MP, Madras; returned
from visit to Red China in 1954 with
praise for regime and conviction
West exaggerating Communist peril.
S. V. Ramaswamy - Congress. MP, Madras.
P. S. Rajgopala Naidu - Member, Council of States,. Inde-
pendent, Andhra.
Uma Charan Patnaik - Independent MP, Orissa.
V. Parameswaran Nayar - MP, United Front of Leftists,
Travancore-Cochin.
J. V. K. Val.labhrao - Member, Council of States, Andhra.
Ramananda Das
Congress MP, West; Bengal; mem-
ber, General Council Congress-
sponsored Indian National Trade
Union Congress; attended Interna.-
tional Labor Organization Conferences
at San Francisco (1948), Geneva (1951).
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Balwant Sinha Mehta - Congress MP, Rajasthan; welfare
worker.
Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew - Long-time Congress Party Muslim
stalwart; active peace-fronter.
Pandit Sundexlal - WPC member,
Bhupesh Gupta
Member, Council of States, West
Bengal.; Communist; member, C om-
munist Party of India Central Com-
mittee,
Pandit Chatur Narain Malviya - Congress MP, Bhopal; All-India
Peace Council official; general
secretary, India-China Friendship
Association.
Amarnath Vidyalankar - Congress MP, Punjab; State Presi-
dent, Indian National Trade Union
Congress; member, trade union
delegation to Red Cf.ina, 1954.
Chandhary Hyder Husein - Congress MP, Utt;a.r Pradesh.
B egum Qudsia Zaidi
Major General S. S. Sokhey
Mrs. Hannah Sen Well-known education and social
welfare imorker; well inclined toward
West; has expressed resentment
at being pres.su.red into the Conference
by her friend, Mrs. Nehru,
Mrs. Manmohini Sehgal
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Dr. Joseph C, Kumarappa
Dr. Mulk Raj Anand
Hira Singh Chinaria
Mrs. Gyan (Anasuyabai)
Chand
Communist labor leader in Delhi
State; elected to Legislative Assembly
on Socialist ticket, later expelled.
from Party.
Social worker; Gandhian; attended
Moscow Economic Conference, 1952,
and Berlin Peace Conference, 1952.
- Well-known Communist-line author;
Vice President, All-India Peace
Council; attended WPC at Berlin,
1954.
- General Secretary, Lalit Kala
Academy.
- MP, Assam.
Congress MP, Patiala and East
Punjab
- Congress MP, Uttar Pradesh,
Attended Women's International
Democratic Federation Congress;
Committee member, All-India
Cultural Conference,,
Satyendra Narayan Mazumdar - Member, Council of States; Com-
munist Party of India member; West
B engal.
Mrs. Sushima Sen (Gupta)
- Congress MP, Bihar.
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Radha Raman
Congress MP, Delhi; Vice President,
Delhi Congress Committee; member,
India-China Friendship Association.
Fakruddin Ali Ahmen - Member, Council of States, Assam.
B. Da.s Congress MP, Orissa,
Prof. Satyen Bose Member (nominated); Council. of
States; outstanding theoretical physi-
cist; Dean of Faculty of Science,
University of Calcutta; active In
India-China Friendship Association;
attended WPC at Budapest, 1.953.
Mrs, Bonily Khongmen Congress MP, Assam.
C. Krishnan Nair
P. G. Shah
Congress MP, Delhi.
Anthropologist,
Kakasaheb Kalelkar Member (nominated), Council of
States; long-time social worker;
Chairman, Backward Classes Coma
mission; attended World Pacifist
Conference in Tokyo, 1954.
Bheeka Bhai - Congress MP, Rajasthan.
Narayan Sadoba Kajrolkar - Congress MP, Bombay; scheduled
caste leader.
Barkat Ullah Khan - Member, Council of States; Congress,
Rajasthan.
Drs M. Mujeeb - Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia
(Muslim school); visited Red China
as member, goodwill mission.
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 Ark
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Nettur P. Damodaran - Congress (former KMP) MP,
Madras; Vice President, Tellicherry
Branch of India-China Friendship
Association.
B. Sanyal
Shankar Lal Jain
H. K. L. Bhagat
Principal, Art Section, Delhi
Polytechnic.
Member, provincial Legislative
Assembly.
- Congress member, provincial
Legislative Assembly, Delhi;
self-styled progressive with
"leftist" leanings.
Dr. Rishi Member, provincial Legislative
Assembly.
D. R. Mahajan Principal., Law College, Jullundur.
Braje.shwar Prasad
Shiv Charan Gupta
Congress MP, Bihar; long-time
advocate of Delhi-Moscow-Peking
axis.
Congress member, provincial
Legislative Assembly, Delhi;
Vice President, State Congress
Committee; executive of New Delhi
Branch, India-China Friendship
Association.
Onkar Nath - Member, Council of States; Con-
gress, Delhi (resigned).
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Member, Council of States;
Congress, Punjab; former Indian
Ambassador to Turkey; defended
Jomo Kenyatta.
Journalist, one-time editor of Times
of India; holds strong anti-American
views,
Free-lance journalist.
- Commonweal Party MP, Madras.
4. The Soviet Union
This committee was set up in May 1956-ma delay possibly to allow
non-Communist countries to set up committees before the organization
became too openly associated with the Sino:g'Soviet bloc. Its headquarters
is in Moscow, although it is staffed principally by individuals from
Soviet Asia.
Chairman:
Mirza Tursun-lade
Secretary:
A. Sofronov
Members:
P. Az imov
Writer of the Tadzhik Safi.
- Chief editor of the newspaper Ogoneke
- Rector of the University of the Turk-
men SSR,
Writer of the Kazakh SSR.
- A deputy chairman of an organization
of the Moslems of Kazakhstan.
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T. Berdeyev
B. Bultrikova
A. Guber
K. Konduchalov
M. Nesterov
K. Satpayev
S. Sevunts.
M. U. Topchibashev
D. Hodzhayyev
A. U. Khorava
K. Yulvashev
B. Yunysalyev
President of the Turkmen Academy
of Science.
- Minister of Social Insurance of the
Kazakh SSR.
Director of the Institute of Oriental
Studies. of the USSR Academy of
Science.
Kirgiz SSR.
- Chairman of the presidium of the
All-Union Chamber of Commerce.
President of the Academy of
Sciences of the Kazakh SSR.
Writer of the Armenian SSR..
Writer.
Vice President of the Academy of
Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR.
- Chairman of the Trade Union Council
of the Uzbek SSR.
People's Artist of the USSR;
Georgian SSR.
Architect; member of the Academy
of Sciences of the Tadzhik SSR.
- Rector of the University of the
Kirgiz SSR.
28
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5. North Korea
Vice President of the Academy
of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR.
Formed in May 1956, this Committee is comprised of thirty-
five members, "including cadres of various political parties, social
organizations, and workers of science, culture and art.''
Chairman:
HAN Sol-ya
Chairman of the Korean National
Peace Committee.
Vice Chairmen:
PAEK Na-un
PAE Tong-kun
General. Secretary:
President of the Academy of Sciences
of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea,
Vice Chairman of the Central Com-
mittee of the Korean Red Cross
Society.
6, North Vietnam
Vice Chairman of the Korean Demo-
cratic Youth League.
Founded in October 1956, this Committee has forty-nine
with the following officers-
Chairman.
Ton Quang Phiet
Vice Chairman of the National
Assembly Standing Committee.
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Vice Chairmen:
Dr. Nguyen Van Huong - Head of the Vietnamese delegation
to the Conference of Asian Countries
in New Delhi.
Dr. Nguyen Viem Hai
Xuan Thuy - Member of the Politburo of the
Lao Dong (Communist) Party.
Mme. Nguyen Thi Thuc Vien
7. Burma
An "organizational committee" for this group was reported in
the newspaper Burman in March 1957. The only officer named was:
U H1a Djo - Attorney; Secretary General of the
Organizational Committee.
8. Indonesia
During a visit to Indonesia in September 1956, Isabelle Blume,
a Belgian national and active member of the WPC, urged the for-
mation of an Indonesia Committee for Asian Solidarity.
9. C eylon
An Asian Solidarity Committee of Ceylon is also reported to exist.
C. Relations with other Communist Fronts and With National
Communist Parties.
The Asian Solidarity Committee aspires to be considered non-
political and makes claims of being representative of all walks of
life and of all shades of opinion. It especially seeks, non-Communists
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(prominent ones) to exploit as members. However, it is thoroughly
under the control of active Comrn.u.n.ists and fellow-travellers con-
nected with the Communist front organizations. Members of all the
major Communist fronts (World Peace Council., International Union
of Students, World Federation of Democratic Youth, Women's Inter-
national Democratic Federation,. International Association of Demo-
cratic Lawyers, International Organization of Journalists, Inter-
national Committee for Promotion of Trade, World Federation of
Scientific Workers, and the 1'friendship" societies) can be found
on the lists of the various Asian Committees. The ASC relationship
with the WPC has been pointed out in the historical account of the
origin of ASC, Al]. Asian members of the WPC are also on. the
Solidarity Committees. To the dozen Asian Solidarity Committee
members already serving on the WPC Bureau, the WPC meeting
in Colombo in 1957 added five more, Three of these joined the two
previously serving as members of the WPC Secretariat. Addi-
tional ASC members are active in. the national peace committees.
News of the Solidarity Committees is reported regularly in the WPC
Bulletin.
To illustrate the interrelati.onshi.p of the Asian. Committees and
other Communist fronts, the following specific examples are cited'
LIU Ning-i, Vice President of the WFTU, member of both the WPC
and ICPT Bureaus, Secretary General of the WPC Liaison Bureau
for Asia.and the Pacific Regions, is concurrently General Secretary
of the Asian Solidarity Committee for China. Further involvement
with the WFTU was evident when S. A. Dange, an Indian Vice Presi-
dent of the WFTU, entertained labor delegates to the Asian con-
ference in the name of the New Delhi. Trade Union. Council.
Persons with dual, membership in other fronts include-,
Nguyen Cong Hoa Member of Vietnamese Labor Con-
(North Vietnam) federation.
LIU Chang-sheng 4 Member of the All-China Federation
(China) of Trade Unions and a former Secre-
tary of the WFTU,
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Dr. Cryan. Chand
Sahib Singh Sokhey
Ngu',,1 Thi Thuc Vien
(North Vietnam).
Nguyen Xran Thuy
(North Vietnam)
Hoang Minh Chinh
(North Vietnam)
Kha Van Can
(South Vietnam)
KORA Tomi
(Japan)
Diwan Chaman Lal
(India)
KAORU Yasui
(Japan)
TOZAWA Tetsuhiko
(Japan)
India-China Friendship Association.
Stalin Peace Prize winner, 1953;
member, World Congress of Docto.rs.-
World Federation of Scientific Workers
(retired Indian. Army doctor); Chair-
man, International Student Relief
Committee of I.US; WPC Bureau member.
Vice President of the Union of Viet-
namese Women (WIDF affiliate).
Chairman of the Association of Viet-
namese Journalists (IC.J); active in
Vietnam-China and Vietnam-Soviet
Friendship Associations; member of
WPC.
- Executive Committee of WFDY.
Active in Chinese and Soviet Friend-
ship Associations.
- Vice President of the All-Japan
Women~s Federation (WIDE affiliate).
- IADL member.
- IADL and WPC member.
- IADL member.
- IADL, WPC, and WFSW member,.
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HIRANO Yosh.itaro
-
1ADL and WPC member.
Nettur P. Damodaran
Officer of the India-China Friend-
ship Associationo
Satyen Bose
Officer of the India-China Friend-
ship Association.
B. N. Gangul i
-
President, Friends of Soviet Union.
FTTKUSHIMA Yaichi
m
WSFW member.
The close relationship of the ASC with the Communist Party is
shown in the same manner. Communist Party members are present
in all the Solidarity Committee lists. Most of the Chinese and Soviet
members are Communist Party members, many of high level. A
few are claimed not to be Party members, as in the case'of Colonel
NLkolai Semenovich Tikhonov. He was an officer in the Imperial.
Russian Army, but supported the Bolsheviks during the Revolution
and has represented Soviet peace and cultural causes abroad since
the 1930Ts, Examples of active Party members in other Asian Com-
mittees are:
Bhupesh Gupta
Ramesh Chandra
Dr. Mulk Anand
Mme. PAK Chong-ae
(North Korea)
Member of the Central. Committee
of the Communist Party of India (CPI)
Member of the Central Committee
of the CPI.
Member of the CPL
Nguyen Xuan Thuy Member of the Politburo of the Lao
(North Vietnam) Dong Party (CP) a
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Hoai Thanh
(North Vietnam)
Hoang Minh Chinh
(North Vietnam)
Le Dinh Tham
(North Vietnam)
LIAO Ch'eng-chih
- Member of the Permanent Com-
mittee of the Lien Viet front.
- Member of the Permanent Com-
mittee of the Lien Viet front.
- Vice Chairman of the Lien Viet
front.
Deputy Director, United Front
Department, CCP; member, CCP
Central Committee.
III. ACTION PROGRAM AND IMPLEMENTATION
Although a main function of these Asian Solidarity Committees
will be the popularizing of Soviet projects and bringing all levels of
the various populations into contact with Sino-Soviet propaganda,
specific events have taken place which offer an indication of how the
programs will be implemented.
The Indian Committee held an All-India Conference for Asian.
Solidarity in Hyderabad, 21-23 October 1955 on the eve of the Foreign
Ministers' Conference in Geneva, providing a propaganda platform
for Communist views on the Conference. Because of her illness,
Mrs. Nehru's presidential address was read by Dr. Anup Singh, In
it she pointed out the standing issues in Asia, such as alleged attempts
to sabotage the cease-fire agreements in Indochina and Korea, mount-
ing tension in the Middle East, instances of colonialism and racialism
in Africa, continued Portuguese occupation of Indian territories, the
question of the restoration of Taiwan to the Chinese People's Republic,
Communist China's rightful place in the United Nations, and restoration
of sovereign rights to Japan. She declared that a "Geneva-style con-
ference" such as proposed by Prime Minister Nehru to discuss Far
Eastern questions "would go a long way towards solving the pressing
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problems of Asia and would put an end to foreign domination and inter-
ference in the internal. affairs of Asia... '`' / Note; A summit, or at
least foreign minister level, conference on Asia is certain to be.
pressed for by all the Solidarity Committees. /
A letter signed by some twenty "eminent" writers read as, follows-
gab ..An All-India Conference of Asian Solidarity is being convened
by Mrs, Rameshwari Nehru and the Indian Solidarity Committee
to. consider ways and means to implement the program outlined
by the Asian Conference in New Delhi, It has been suggested
that a number of Indian writers meet on this occasion in Hydera-
bad in order to discuss the possibility of calling a conference of
Asian writers, for which much feeling exists i t only among the
various sections of opinion in our country but also among the
intelligentsia. of the different countries of Asia, , o o For hundreds
of years the peoples of Asia have been. subjected to foreign ruler.
our ties with our brothers. of Asia have just begun to be renewed
after having been severed u.n.der imperialist domination.. (we
must) pool, our energies so that we can outline a program for
immediate action and call a. conference of Asian, writers; such
a conference is necessarily intended also to enable our many
European. friends to participate in our deliberations, " /-Note,
This Conference of Asian Writers was. convened in New Delhi
/
In December 1956.
A "Workers Midnight Rally for Asian So:l_idari.ty" for workers
who could not attend the daytime sessions of the Conference was
held 25 October 19550 The Asian Solidarity Committee for India also
participated in a "Peace Fortnight", 1.6-30 November 1955, in con-
junction with the All-India Peace Council.. The purpose was to
popularize the Nehru -Dulgani.n declaration. On behalf of the Soli-
darity Committee, Chaudhary Hyder Hussain (Congress Party mem-
ber of the Indian Parliament) sent a telegram to the Foreign. Minis-
ters in Geneva, demanding that negotiations result in. agreement.
Members of the Indian ASC were active in, promoting the All-
India Peace Conference for Disarmament, 23-26 December 1,955,
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in New Delhi. The meeting was held during a big industrial fair and
while Parliament was in session in order that Communist-slanted.
discussions on economic and technical exchanges might have the best
effect.
In the following February (1956), Mrs. Nehru, ASC President,
addressed a letter to the various branches inviting them to "an
emergency meeting, since the situation in Asia has taken a serious
turn. " She outlined this situation as consisting of moves to destroy
the spirit of Bandung and Geneva, the "maneuver" of a SEATO Foreign
Ministers' meeting in Karachi, efforts to expand the Baghdad Treaty,
hydrogen bomb tests in the Pacific, and aggravations of issues in
Indochina and Korea. April or early May was the date suggested
tentatively for this emergency meeting in. one of four countries--
Syria, Lebanon, Japan, or China--at which time the ASC hoped to
begin preparations for the second Asian Nations Conference. The
ASC of Japan met immediately upon receipt: of the letter and signified
their concurrence with the plan, but stated their preference that the
meeting should be held in India. No information is available that this
meeting was ever held.
On the domestic front, the Indian ASC has recommended to the
Lalita Akademy that it follow its International Exhibition. of Buddhist
Art with an annual traveling exhibition of ancient and modern art of
the various Asian countries. To the Sahitya Akademy and the National
Book Trust it recommei:ded the translation of ancient and modern
classics of Asian countries for publication in India, and likewise
translations of the best Indian works into the various Asian. languages.
The ASC request to the Ministry of Education was that i.t g' ' ve .special
attention to the writing of Indian history in the light of India's rela-
tionship with other Asian countries "to bring out the inter-Asian
cultural ties established in the past, against the imperialist misin.-
terpretations.''" The Committee also asked that schools for Asian
and African studies be established in all universities, that there be
an exchange of teachers, facilities for research :scholars, and inclu-
sion of Indian scholars in Government delegations to other Asian
countries. Finally, the ASC recomme:-..ded that a Permanent Cultural
Section be set up in the Committee for implementation of these aims..
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B. Activities of the Japanese Committee.
The AS.C of Japan, early in 1956, organized an. Asian Solidarity
Delegation to make a two-month tour of Asian and African. countries
"for the promotion of solidarity between the Japanese people and
other people in Asia and Africa." This Delegation was entertained
extensively. The Committee also sent Japanese experts to the geo-
graphical .seminar held in India in. January 1956 under the auspices
of the IUS. The Committee has cooperated with other organizations
{both Communist and non-Communist) to create a movement against
US bases on Okinawa and to protest atomic tests. in the Pacific. The
Asian Countries Conference organized the first conference in Hiro-
shima on 6 August 1955, in commemoration of the tenth. anniversary
of the dropping of the bomb in 1.945. This event was repeated in
August of 1.956 and 1957, and it. is clear that the day will be perpe-
tuated as a Communist date. Other announced plans of the Japanese
ASC include a two-week conference of Asian architects in Tokyo; an.
Asian youth conference organized by the Japanese Council of Youth
Organizations; invitations to Nehru, Mme Pandi.t., and I UO Mo-jo
to visit Japan; and meetings to promote the exchange of culture,
organized by fisheries, scientific, and cultural circles in Japan,
C. Activities of Other National. Committees.
Throughout 1.956 Asian Solidarity Committees busied themselves
in activities, such as vigorous support of Egypt in the Suez conflict,
continued stress on "insidious and vicious new colonialism of the
United States, " through military and economic aid to SEATO coun-
tries; meetings and declarations. against atomic tests; denunciation,
of the "Eisenhower Doctrine"; an Asian Writers Conference, which
failed to end in the new front; envisaged by its originators 5a second
Asian writers conference, however, is now scheduled for. the Soviet
Union where control will be easier/ ; and much "cultural exchange"
and talk of the "Bandung spirit".
In the labor field., an effort was made, after attracting some
two hundred Asian labor leaders to the May Day celebration in Peking
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in 1955, to organize a Confederation of Asian Trade Unions. How-
ever, some of there--the Indians especially -were affronted at the
obvious ruse to organize them and refused to cooperate. The Con-
federation is still only a "friendly association. "
Some of the other targets for these committees will be:
1. A "Geneva-type" conference on Asian. problems,
2. An Asian collective security pact.
3. An Asian teachers meeting.
4. Opposition to SEATO and the Baghdad Pact.
5. An Asian Economic Conference,
6. More economic and political. agreements between all
Asian countries. (The Sino-Soviet bloc is conducting
a determined and increasing drive to extend their
influence by economic means in the non-Communist
countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Special emphasis has been laid on. countries. where
the economic drive will have the most useful political
effect, such as Egypt, India, Burma, Afghanistan..
This is largely accomplished by offers of trade oppor-
tuniti..es and technical and financial assistance. )
7, Winning over the uncommitted states to neutralism,
at least. The Bloc is clearly trying to set up India,
the foremost of the neutral states, as the "sixth great.
power" in world affairs, wA:i.ch could be pursuant to
Lenin's idea that a Moscow-New Delhi-Peking bloc
would be invincible on the Eurasian. continent.
D. The Asia-Africa Review
The first issue of '.:11- Asia-Africa Review, A Quarterly Magazine
38
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Devoted to Afro-Asian Resurgence and Solidarity, the official organ
of the Asian Solidarity Committee, appeared in January 1957, pub-
lished from the Asian Solidarity Committee office at 14 Janpath
Barracks, New Delhi. The staff was. listed as follows:
Editorial Advisor Board:
Mrs. Ram.eshwari Nehru Chairman
(New Delhi)
Kaka Kalelkar. - Member
(MP, New Delhi)
Prof. M. Habib
(Aligarh)
Dr. Gyan Chand
(New Delhi)
Maj. Gen, S. S. Sokhey
(New Delhi)
Feroz Chand
(New Delhi)
SATO Shigeo
(Japan)
LIN Sung-hak
(Korea)
CH'EN Han- sheng
(China)
Munir Suleiman
(Syria)
P. A. Vishnyakov
(USSR)
- Executive Editor
- Contributing Editor
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The Review contained "News of Our Movement, " a, summary of
the movement's progress in various countries, some forecasts of
future issues, an editorial by Mrs. Nehru regarding the Committee,
an Asian Commentary, Notes for Discussion. on the Cultural Prob-
lems of Asia and Africa, an. editorial "About Ourselves, " and articles
on Asian questions.
"About Ourselves" stated that the original name for the review
had been New Asia, but delegates who had met while attending the
Asian Writers' Conference, in December 1.956, found the consensus
of opinion to be that the Asian Solidarity Movement must extend its
scope to become an Afro-Asian movement. The first issue of the
Review had already been written at that time; therefore, the next
number would have a more truly Afro-Asian character, emphasizing
the theme currently engrossing both areas--the fight against colonial-
ism and racialism.
IV. POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ASIAN SOLIDARITY
COMMITTEE
The establishment of the Asian Solidarity Committee accentuates
a trend already evident in Sino-Soviet treatment of Asia and Africa.
Coming at a time when both Moscow and Peking are making new,
elaborate approaches to the area, especially to India. and the Arab
countries, this propaganda organization may be expected to cultivate
all sorts of manifestations ofu.:,iity and historic friendship between
them and the Communist blocs This will. be done through various
devices, such as:
(1)
Exchanges and visits at all levels of society, to propa-
gate the notion that Asian countries do in fact have a
common tradition and "shared experience" (without
mentioning the traditional conflicts), especially with
Communist China and the USSR.
(Z) To shift attention s~:.:;tly from war, as emphasized in
the "peace" campaigns, to this "shared experience"
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(3)
and thus to make the Solidarity Committee appear as
quasi-official spokesman for the new "concert" in Asia.
To create a sort of Asian Security Pact if agitation for
a Far Ea stern Conference of the Geneva type is s ',c `ess 7ul
(and through the ASC to plant delegates friendly to the
Communist cause in such a Conference, as was done in
New Delhi).
(4) To call for Asian conferences of all types, high on the
list of which is an Asian economic conference (one has
already been unsuccessfully attempted) and a teachers'
conference.
(5)
(6) To reorient the influential Socialist parties of Asia to-
wards philosophical acceptance of Sino-Soviet foreign
policy and Soviet internal economic practices.
(7)
To identify the Solidarity Committees increasingly with
parliamentary democracy in Asia, as a means. of in-
fluencing and penetrating governments of the area, and
to draw into membership representatives of all social
and political elements from the Asian countries.
To identify the USSR in the minds of Asians as an Asian
country and through cultural exchange and publicizing
economic aid to make the Sino-Soviet orbit countries
appear as the true proponents of Asian freedom and
progress.
With its able leadership among all types of persons capable of
farreaching contacts and influence, the Asian Solidarity Committee
has launched a propaganda campaign that could prove as deadly to
the cause of the Free World as open warfare. It is already evident
that the West has lost some of its former friends in the area in
Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Syria, a loss not due entirely
to the Solidarity Committees, of course, but certainly aided and
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abetted by their activities to an increasing extent. The disruptive
potentialities of the organization are therefore very great. "Asian=
ism" is used by the Communists. to keep alive old animosities and to
exclude and humiliate the West. Lenin used the concept of a unified
Asia in his thesis on "enslavement" by colonialism. The present
Communist twist of this thesis into "new colonialism" helps to create
credibility for Communist propaganda and to hinder the efforts of
former Western colonial powers to assist in the development of
viable, democratic governments in former colonial areas.
To this end Communist propaganda may be expected to invoke
such. themes as attacks upon "remaining enclaves of Western colonial-
ism", such as. Goa and Irian, and upon American bases in Asia; the
"threats" to peace in Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the "menace"
of Western economic penetration to the independence and develop-
ment of the new Asian states; the "re-entry" of Japan into the Asian
community; and the "loss" of Asian culture and traditions.
The Asian Solidarity Committee, with its national counterparts,
is designed by the Communists as a new front organization to sup:ple_
ment the Peace movement, which seems to be losing some of its
appeal, and the anti-colonial, national liberation themes which. will
decline in importance as the last remnants of old-style Western
imperialism disappear. The immediate objective of International.
Communism in Asia being the elimination of Western influence and
the alignment of Asian governments with the Communist bloc, rather
than the immediate establishment of Communist governments, the
issues of common race and geographical origins which the Solidarity
movement exploits to unify Asians against the West are particularly
useful for Communist purposes. The issues are especially well-
suited to bridge the ideological and political gaps between Communist,
neutralist, and anti-Communist Asian nations, thus implementing;
the Communist unity-of -action tactics on the international level.
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