The name is absent

This confusion over nomenclature needed clarification. In
1911, when Lord Hardinge was Viceroy, the Government of
India used the term Anglo-Indian to describe persons of
mixed descent. The Anglo-Indians were seen as the only
minority community in India (apart of course from the
British) that possessed racial, religious and linguistic
characteristics .

It is important to understand that the generic term Anglo-
Indian covered a diverse community in that the legal
definition of the Anglo-Indian did not differentiate
between Domiciled European and Anglo-Indian. (6)

Under the Government of India Act, 1919, this definitional
process went further when the Anglo-Indian Community was
recognized. Representatives of the community sat in both
Central and Provincial Legislatures. An Anglo-Indian was
defined as:

... a British subject and resident in British
India, of (a) European descent in the male
line who is not comprised in the above
definition, or of (b) mixed Asiatic descent,
whose father, grandfather or more remote
ancestor in the male line was born in the
continent of Europe, Canada, Newfoundland,
Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South
Africa or the United States of America, and
who is not entered in the European electoral
roll. In applying the above definitions it is
proposed that the declaration of an elector
that he is European or Anglo-Indian shall be
accepted by the officer charged with the
preparation of the electoral roll, unless he
is satisfied that declaration is not made in
good faith, in which case the officer shall
record in writing his reasons for refusing to
accept the declaration of the elector. (7)

The next section describes the commitment of Anglo-Indians

108

<<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>

More intriguing information