When India put Chinese-Indians in Prison Camps

Words by Naina Bhargava

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Characterized by his oversized moustache and turban, the Maharaja was Air India's beloved mascot. In their earlier days, Air India established an in-house art studio and commissioned artists from around the world to depict beautiful posters of the Maharaja in all his mischievous antics and  him adopting different personas in each destination, such as a monk in Rome, a lover boy in Paris, and even a sumo wrestler in Tokyo. The posters put Air India the map as an example of genius marketing in the mid-20th century, earning the company a myriad of advertising awards and a loyal legion of fans. While the Maharaja remains Air India’s mascot to this day, he is most fondly remembered throughout the world for his role in India’s golden age of advertising. (Available as print)

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When India put Chinese-Indians in a Prison Camp

An ID card from Deoli Camp

The Chinese presence in India had its humble beginnings in Achipur and Calcutta. The 1871 Census recorded 574 Chinese in Calcutta and 531 in Bombay. By 1901, the Chinese population in Calcutta had risen to 1,640. The end of World War II saw the British colonial government estimate the Chinese population in India at around 26,250. These figures reflect a community that had slowly but steadily integrated into Indian society over the decades.

However, by the 1950s and early 1960s, many thousands of Chinese-Indians lacked valid citizenship papers. Although many were born in India, they had never needed such documents, just like many of their Indian neighbors. With rising anti-China sentiments, they scrambled to acquire proof of Indian citizenship. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeded before the outbreak of war in 1962.