Ching Wan continued, ‘When I was in China I learnt to read and write Cantonese. In India it was of no use. And then the Chinese diplomat Yuan Xiao Yuan came to Calcutta. She was China’s first woman diplomat. She taught a lot of the Chinese in Calcutta how to read and write in their language. She engaged me and a few other people for the job. There was no Chinese school then. We would identify suitable places and teach people there till a Chinese school was built. Our Red China government is very good. They have done a lot of good things for the Chinese in India.’

The teacher went on. Some people listened intently. Others gazed at him indifferently. Some started discussing other issues in low whispers.

‘The problems started because of these new government relations.’

‘What problems?’

‘Big problems. When Nehru sided with Red China, the Chinese in India were in a serious dilemma about whether to support Taipei or Red China. Supporting Kuomintang meant trouble. But most of them did not want to support Red China. People were divided into two groups. The supporters of Red China began to persuade the others to get themselves passports from the People’s Republic of China. Thinking that Chow En Lai was trying to convert the Chinese in India to Communists, the supporters of Kuomintang agitated and started the Anti-Communist Nationalist Salvation Movement. But the effort was futile. In 1954, Nehru visited China. On his return the editor of a Chinese daily along with another person were arrested and deported to China, accused of being supporters of Taipei.’

‘I know, I know. Another Taipei supporter was also arrested and jailed.’

‘Is it? But the editor was against the Communists! He should not have been deported to China!’

‘Nehru never thought about what would happen to those people once they were deported to China.’

‘Nehru should have given protection to the Chinese living in India. But he didn’t. He tried to appease Chow En Lai.’

‘Do you know, just to maintain a good relationship with China, Nehru kicked around the Chinese in India like a football?’

‘Hey! Hush! Hush! You will get into trouble.’

‘I am telling the truth. Why should I be afraid of telling the truth? Listen to what happened after that. The football match scheduled between India and Hong Kong in 1958 was cancelled by the Indian government because the Hong Kong team had a few players who supported Chiang Kai Shek. That’s it. After this the Chinese in India got scared. Even the Taipei supporters pretended to be in favour of Red China. Many went to the extent of getting new Chinese passports. They thought this would please Nehru and the government would not trouble them further. But this won’t work, I tell you.’

‘You talk too much! It’s going to get you in trouble. Now listen to what the man is saying,’ Mei Lin’s uncle scolded.