Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎300r] (599/644)

beneficiaries were working for the enemy. In such cases the refusal was accom
panied by the grounds for rejection.
Relations with India.
98. In response to the Government of India’s invitation a small cultural
Emission of three Persian scholars toured India during March and April 1944.
They were able to see for themselves the great progress in scientific and industrial
matters in India and the richness of Persian culture there. On their return to
Tehran they enthusiastically set about the dissemination of the facts and at the
end of the year an authoritative and representative Indo-Iranian Cultural Society
was inaugurated at a meeting of savants and other persons interested in Indo-
Persian culture.
99. The Government of India made a generous offer of eleven valuable
scholarships for post-graduate courses in {a) forestry (2); (b) agriculture (4);
(c) engineering and technical (3); (d) textile (2); and six at the Aitchison College,
Lahore, for younger boys. The selection of candidates by a sub-committee of
the society (which includes a member of the British Council) was not completed
by the end of the year, but it is hoped that sufficient suitable young men equipped
with an adequate knowledge of the English language will be found.
100. Sir Olaf Caroe, Secretary to the Government of India in the External
Affairs Department, and Sir Denys Pilditch, Director of Intelligence, and the
Home Department of the Government of India, visited Tehran for a week in
June and' discussed problems of mutual interest. Their visit coincided with the
climax of Soviet obstructionism, for in spite of strong pressure by His Majesty's
Embassy, they were refused permission to fly to Meshed, where the Government of
India have large interests, until after their departure for India.
101. Four members of the Indian Defence Consultative Committee travelled
to Persia in May to visit the Indian troops here.
102. As the British Council could not furnish enough English teachers to
meet the great demand the Government of India carefully_selected four Indian
graduate experts to teach English at Meshed (2), Kerman (1) and Yezd (1). On
the success of this experiment depends the sending of other Indian teachers to
Bushire, Ahwaz, and elsewhere, where the demand would justify the expenditure
involved. The reports for the difficult initial month’s work in the three centres
are most encouraging. The British Council gave valuable assistance with English
text books.
103. The Indian community in the capital, having been purged of its most
undesirable elements, is beginning to show a greater interest in the part which
its members must play as ambassadors of their country and their change of
heart has been shown in the very generous contributions which the community
has made to India’s war effort in the form of charitable donations and invest
ments in Government of India War Bonds, and also in the excellent arrange
ments made in conjunction with the British welfare authorities to entertain
Indian troops stationed at Tehran.
104. India’s interest in the expansion of her post-war export trade is
shown by the establishment of a Trade Commissioner in Tehran. The first
Indian Trade Commissioner is expected to take up his duties in the spring of
1945.
Internal Politics and the Majlis.
(a) Majlis.
105. At the beginning of the year the elections for the 14th legislative
period had not been completed and the Majlis was not in session. The formal
opening fixed for the 22nd January was moreover postponed as a result princi
pally of the opposition of the Shah who wanted a more subservient Parliament
and was apprehensive of what might happen when Seyyid Zia-ed-Din Tabatabai
took his seat. It was, however, formally opened on the 26th February.
Muhammad Zaghi Assad (Amir Jang) was elected temporary president for the
examination of the credentials of the Deputies. Later he was succeeded as
president by Seyyid Muhammad Sadigh Tabatabai who continued to be presi
dent for the rest of the year.
106. Examination of the credentials of the Deputies occupied much of the
time of the Majlis for the first few months. Opposition to Seyyid Zia was strong,
but after a full-dress debate, in which the Seyyid’s oratory made a good impres
sion, his credentials were passed with a substantial majority by secret ballot.