In September 1947, Maurice Schumann, the special envoy of President Paul Ramadier, came to India. During his visit to Pondicherry, he had the occasion to meet Sri Aurobindo who, for the first time in 19 years, received a visitor from outside. Though Sri Aurobindo was firmly in favour of the merger, this gesture shows the importance the master attached to the relations with France.
Sri Aurobindo wanted French India to return to the arms of Mother India, Bhavani Bharati, but like some other enlightened leaders, he did not see anything wrong for this tiny piece of India in keeping its French 'particularity' (Nehru also always favoured the concept of a window on France).
Bureaucrats and administrators in Pondicherry today understand better the importance of this French 'particularity' when they try to promote tourism. It is in fact their USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Can we imagine Goa without its Portuguese 'particularity?'
The years following India's Independence saw Paris' continuous prevarication and an economic blockade organised by Delhi to put pressure on the French who still dreamed of a special status, a projet de loi which would make the establishments of French India a sort of condominium between the Union of France and the Union of India. It was just postponing a determined end.
Text: Claude Arpi; photograph: courtsey Sri Aurobindo Society