Asian political activity in Rhodesia from the Second World War to 1972

Abstract

A journal article on the political participation of Asians in the Rhodesian political matrix.This study is intended as a preliminary statement. Material used in this study is drawn mainly from interviews* with various people, mainly Asians,1 * 3 and from primary source materials — the documents of some of the Asian organizations and in the possession of some Asians in Rhodesia. The first basic premise is that the Asian community’s perception of its priorities stems from the fact that the amelioration of any disabilities suffered by it or the redressing of injured rights as perceived by it has had first priority, with the proviso that more often than not Asian organizations have cast their requirements in national terms, i.e. in terms of rights for all .citizens rather than any special safeguards for it as a community. The second basic premise in this brief study is that a clear unanimity of views and tactics on specific issues within the Asian community cannot be expected — nor has been historically evident