RETURNING INDIANS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 109, 21 April 1936, Page 8

RETURNING INDIANS

South African Scheme ; The return of Indians from South Africa to India under the assisted emigration scheme has slowed down so much that only £30,000 will be voted this year, as compared with £60,000 a few years ago, and it is not expected that even £30,000 will be spent. The repatriation scheme applies to the Indian immigrant class of Natal and to passenger Indians from all parts of the Union, but only 592 men, women and children left South Africa last year under it, compared with 1439 in 1933. During this year the number of emigrants is expected to be much smaller. One of the reasons advanced for the falling off is that nearly all the original indentured Indians have died and that the Indian population is now almost entirely South African born. To the South African-born Indian a change to India is not attractive, and most of their family ties in their home country have now disappeared. This is borne out to some extent by the number of Indians who have returned to South Africa —a procedure which involves repayment to the Union Govern ment of all the money spent in sending the m to India, which is considerable. It is expected that when the next census is held, it will be found that there are more Indians than Europeans in Natal.