Asian Relations Conference, New Delhi

"The Asian Relations Conference was held at Purana Qila (Old Fort), New Delhi from 23rd March to 2nd April 1947

"

"Opening
Plenary Session -- 23 March 1947.

Welcome Address of Sir Shri Ram, Chairman of the Reception Committee:

“The
delegates, I believe, represent easily more than half the world’s population,
even omitting Japan and Korea, whose representatives we miss here today, and if
we add the observers also this Conference will represent the much greater part
of the whole world.""

"Sarojini Naidu’s Address -- 23 March 1947

 “You will wonder why a mere woman has been chosen to
occupy the great place of honour today. The answer is simple. India has always
honoured her women........This Purana Qila, this historic ruin, the broken arches---what do they signify? They signify the dawn of history, the history of many forgotten ages. And they also symbolize the dawn of a new era beckoning today....”"

"Jawaharlal Nehru’s Welcome Address -- 23 March 1947

 “We stand at the end of an era
and on the threshold of a new period of history. Standing on this watershed
which divided two epochs of human history and endeavor, we can look back at our
long past and look forward to the future that is taking shape before our eyes.
Asia, after a long period of quiescence, has suddenly become important again in
world affairs.”"

"Exhibitions
held during the Conference -- 24 March-2 April 1947.

Inter-Asian
Art Exhibition

The
Science Exhibition

The
Archaeological Exhibition"

"Speech of Mahatma Gandhi, Group Plenary Session -- 2 April 1947.

“The representatives of all Asian Powers and
Asian peoples have come together. Is it in order to wage war against Europe,
against America, against non-Asian? I say emphatically ‘no’. This is not
India’s mission and I am free to confess that I would feel extremely sorry if
India, having won her independence essentially or rather predominantly through
non-violent means, was going to use it for the suppression of other parts of
the world – let alone Asian powers – of European powers because they have
exploited the different races inhabiting this vast continent called Asia.”"

"Closing Plenary Session 2nd April 1947

The
Closing Plenary Session met once again at Purana Qila (Old Fort), New Delhi in
the evening of 2nd April 1947 with Mrs. Sarojini Naidu conducting
the proceeding in her role as the chairperson."

"Speech by Mahatma Gandhi at Closing Plenary Session

“…
You friends have seen not the real India. Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta,
Lahore, all these are big cities and have been influenced by the West…. See
perhaps a few villages of India. Then you will find the real India. Today I
will make this admission also that you will be fascinated at the sight...."

"Speech
by Dr. Sutan Shariar, Prime Minister of Indonesia at the Closing Plenary
Session -- 2 April 1947.*

 “We from Indonesia deeply appreciate the
reasons which have led to the inauguration of this Conference, namely, the
desire to see the Asian continent rise to its full stature, not in any spirit
of hostility or as a threat to those in other lands, but purely in order to
provide Asians the opportunity to plan and execute orderly and coordinated
development along humanistic and international lines.”"

"Sarojini Naidu’s Address at the Closing Plenary

 “We are reborn in the crucibles of
many sufferings and we have emerged as pure gold, the gold of Asian
consciousness, of wisdom, scholarship, culture, fellowship, service,
dedication, dignity of the human spirit, and the oneness of man.""