Interview number: 215

Interviewer: Shanker, Uma

Interview date: 1976-05-15

Length 249 minutes

Condition notes: Noisy microphone; variable volume and stereo balance; poor quality audio (bubbling) in part 3 05:30 to 26:30 (pages 28–32); weak audio signal (woolly) in part 4 27:00 to end (pages 43-46), and in part 5 throughout (pages 47-51);

D. Vira, ICS/ambassador, talks of mixed loyalties, social segregation, Czechoslovakia, refugee rehabilitation, Punjab Partition, Bengal Constitutional crisis, President’s Rule – Bengal and Mysore, and the effects of British rule.

here exists a second ‘transcript’, modified in detail from the actual content of the recording and presumed to more accurately reflect what Vira and/or Shanker wished had been said (available from CSAS)

Coverage notes: United Provinces/Uttar Pradesh; Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh; Mysore/Karnataka; ‘steel frame of India’; zemindar, rais; sycophancy; Bareilly; Gymkhana Club; Etah; sifarish; Aligarh Club; Almora; Gurkha Rifles; zari garlands; durbar; Agra; Central Hindi School; namastes; Nehru; Indo-British relations; Kashmir question; Czechoslovakia; Stalin; refugee rehabilitation; West/East Pakistan, West Bengal problems; Delhi; population explosion; Lal Qila/Red Fort; Lahore, Sialkot; Tashkent; Punjabi Suba; Punjab Partition; self immolation; Chandigarh; Assam; United Front; Naxalites; Ajoy Mukerji; P.C. Ghosh; President’s Rule; food production, irrigation, paddy; corruption; displaced persons; Congress O/I; floods, drought; contour bunding, afforestation; gubernatorial; British effect; praashchit; caste; moulvis; masjids; 1930-1972