| Summary: |
Audio recording of oral history interview with Raj Chatterjee, covering the period 1930-1947.
Cassette side OA1/15/1: First contacts with British; awed reaction. Entering Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun 1933; premature ending of army career; studying in London for Indian Civil Service exams; failure. Effect of radio broadcasts of George V's death; abdication of Edward VIII 1936. Voyages to India. Description of recruitment into Imperial Tobacco in Delhi. Assignments whilst training.
Cassette side OA1/15/2: Qualities of British. Touring: contacts with ICS; dak bungalows. British lifestyle; household arrangements. Eating and drinking habits. Office clothing and evening attire. Story of wearing inappropriate clothes. Peshawar club's reluctance to accept Indian members. Attitude of officers to clerks. Formality of mess life. British children's relationship with Indians. Increased contacts between British and Indians in 1930s as British realised growing weakness of their position. British and Indian holiday celebrations.
Cassette side OA1/15/3: Military parades; Indian respect for Indian Army. British sports and recreations. Opinion that British were not notably eccentric. British and Indian attitudes to each other's culture. British hospitals. Social contacts between British and Indians; recollections of British friends; contacts between British and Indian women. Duties on sales staff of Imperial Tobacco; enjoyment of touring.
Cassette side OA1/15/4: Touring Peshawar area during unrest 1938. Increased responsibilities during Second World War; staying with British superior after marriage. Posting to Bombay 1942. Touring in Goa. Enjoyment of work. Opinion that British betrayed India by leaving too soon. British morality. Anglo- Indians. Restrained nature of British friendliness to Indians. Britons admired by Indians. Incidents of British cruelty and discrimination. Chatterjee's British subordinates. Changes in British people since 1947. Legacy of Raj. Incidents typifying relationship with British. Club life. Feelings on night of independence.
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| Main author: |
Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India |
| Other authors: |
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer |
| Extent: |
2 hr. approx.
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| Admin history: |
Indian manager of Imperial Tobacco in India. |
| Access status: |
Closed
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| Access conditions: |
Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/15/01-04. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
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| Copyright: |
Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| User restrictions: |
Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist |
| Language: |
English
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| Copies: |
Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/15/01-04
Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004914/04 |
| Related material: |
Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/15/T |
| Format: |
Archive
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