Page 116 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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(e) India
156. During discussions with the Government of India in 1948 and 1949 it
was agreed that the Indian Consul at Basra when appointed should be permitted
to carryout normal consular functions in respect of Kuwait, without any exequatur
being granted, on the understanding that all representations to the Ruler would be
made through the Political Agent, although there would be no objection to his
corresponding on matters of a routine nature direct with the appropriate
departments of the Kuwait Government.(3S5) The Ruler was consulted and agreed
to this arrangement.(33,‘) In 1950 the Government of India proposed as an interim
measure that a Secretary from their Legation at Bagdad should visit Kuwait instead
of their Consul from Basra.(“') This proposal was accepted but His Majesty’s
Government stipulated that the Secretary should have no direct access to the
Ruler or his authorities but would make all representations, even on routine
matters, through the Political Agent. This arrangement is still in force and has
worked satisfactorily. A Secretary from the Indian Legation at Bagdad has visited
Kuwait once or twice every year and has been careful to observe the conditions on
which such visits have been permitted.
157. At the end of 1953 there were about 3,000 Indians resident in Kuwait
territory. Only a few Indian shop-keepers have been permitted to set up business
and the Ruler is very reluctant to add to their number. A substantial number of
Indians are employed by the Kuwait Oil Company and on works in Kuwait town.
In August 1948 there was a fairly serious strike by the oil company’s Indian and
Pakistani employees. They produced a number of grievances some of which were
justified and steps were taken to remedy them. A few months later an Indian
Good-will Mission visited KuwaitC4") (Chapter 2, paragraph 94). They made a few
complaints about the oil company’s treatment of their Indian employees but found
the state of affairs much better than the Indian press had led them to expect. In
December 1953 there was a strike of the Kuwait Government’s Indian and Pakistani
employees in Kuwait town over a comparatively trivial matter. The Kuwait
Government dismissed all the strikers, but after a few had been repatriated the
remainder agreed to return to work and were reinstated.
158. In recent years there has been much smuggling of gold from Kuwait
into India.(359) There are no restrictions on the export of gold from Kuwait and the
Government of India have realised that it is necessary for them to take steps to
stop the smuggling at their end and appear to have made no formal representations
on the subject though they have discussed it with United Kingdom High
Commissioner at New Delhi.(a6#) The Reserve Bank of India has from time to time
demanded particulars of the source of origin of rupee notes repatriated from the
Gulf and has threatened to refuse such repatriation unless it can be shown that
the notes have not been obtained by the illicit sale of gold.
(/) Pakistan
159. The question of Pakistani representation in Kuwait was not raised until
January 1953 when in a discussion at the Foreign Office the Pakistan Secretary for
External Affairs enquired whether Her Majesty’s Government’s offer of the
appointment of a Trade Agent made in respect of Bahrain (Chapter 2, paragraph 98)
applied also to Kuwait.(30IT He added that the Pakistan Government would prefer a
Consular official. The objections to a Consular official were explained to him and
he was told that there would be no objection to the appointment of a Pakistan
Trade Agent at Kuwait on the same conditions as those proposed for Bahrain, nor
to periodical visits by a Pakistan Consular representative from Bagdad or Dhahran
without exequatur. In 1952 the Pakistan Government proposed that their Minister
at Bagdad should visit Kuwait. This proposal was accepted but the visit was not
paid until May 1953. As a result of it the Pakistan Government proposed that
their Vice-Consul at Basra should pay periodic visits to Kuwait.(3C2) This proposal
was accepted by Her Majesty’s Government and the first of such visits was paid in
December 1953.
<”!> C.R.O. Jo F.O. Ext. 7590/49 of August 10. 1949 (E 9827/1901/91 of 1949).
( ) t° F.O. 350/26/50 G of July 31, 1950 (EA 1004/9 of 1950).
( ) C.R.O. to F.O. Ext. 8879/49 of February 21. 1950 (EA 1904/2 of 1950).
K’!°E£ ^ of January 18. 1949 (E 1391/1062/91 of 1949).
O S MUM*Y«ffl ’ 111MI (EA '»*

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