|
Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organization and the Asian Region
Prepared by E.A. Vidyasekera
Secretary Co-ordinator and Incharge of the Asian Section
**********************************
Solidarity Movement was a historical process. It was the Asian Region
which was mainly instrumental in the initiative for the creation of the
Solidarity Movement. The reasons were quite obvious as the
decolomisation process started in Asia with India becoming free in 1947
followed by her neighbours, Pakistan, SriLanka (Ceylon) Mynmar (Burma)
and Indonesia.
The
Indian freedom struggle has its unique characteristics. Even before
India attained independence, the leaders of the
Indian freedom Movement- Mahatma Gandhi and Javaharlal Nehru had
stipulated the importance of co-operation with the Asian and African
people. As part of this vision, Asian Relations Conference was convened
in Delhi under the patronage of Javaharlal Nehru in 1947 before
independence. Nehru charted the philosophy of future India of Solidarity
with African and Asian people when he became the prime Minister in 1947.
Despite enormous hardship and difficulties the government of India
decided to provide large number of scholarships to Asian and African
students to study in Indians universities. This was the first practical
step followed by any developing country at the time for enhancing
co-operation and economic development.
This
step was further extended when the five independent countries in the
region - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Mynmar (Burma) and
Indonesia formed the Colombo ---powers and convened a Conference in Colombo
in 1954 to enhance co-operation, economic development and to assist the
other colonies to attain their independence.
On
the impact of this Conference, the first Solidarity Organization was
setup in India followed by Sri Lanka. These Solidarity Organizations
became the nucleus of the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organization
after the historic Bandung Conference which convened in 1955 in the
Indonesian city of Bandung. Therefore the role of the Asian Solidarity
Movement was formidable despite ups and downs of this movement. We
recollect this historic role with pride when we commemorate the 50th
anniversary of AAPSO. | 
