Establishment of an Asian Secretariat - 1959
Looking ahead to the future, the International Committee of SCI decided that spreading SCI workcamps to other Asian countries required a full-time, experienced person. Fortunately Devinder Das Chopra had returned to India after having gone to Egypt and Lebanon on a UNESCO grant in 1955 then to Europe for SCI for the next 2 ½ years. He undertook the mandate to strengthen and spread SCI in Asia as the first Asian Secretary, starting from an office in his home in May 1959, moving the next year to a garage room adjacent to the Indian Branch office on the Indian Youth Hostels’ premises. Valli Chari (Seshan), who had recently returned from 2 years with SCI in Europe, joined him in 1960. The Indian National Committee had not thought that a woman could fulfill the travelling duties of the Indian Secretary and declined her application. Devinder had no such reservation and was eager to utilize her experience. At separate times both visited the fledgling Japanese Group encouraging the efforts that Hiroatsu Sato had begun in 1958 on his return from India. They sent foreign volunteers to Japan and funds. (See Elizabeth Crook and Cathy Hambridge Peel on pages following this introduction). The Asian Secretaries brought Anowar Hussein from Dakha to New Delhi in 1960 and he recruited others to attend the 7th Orient-Occident Training Camp in Ceylon (Sri Lanka now) in 1961. The Asian Secretariat also began work in Nepal, Malaysia and Thailand.
Meanwhile, new refugees were pouring into India, this time from Tibet as the Dalai Lama fled in March, 1959 after being unsuccessful in attempts to reach a peaceful settlement with the Peoples Liberation Army of Communist China. The Asian Secretariat and Indian Branch both devoted effort to help in this emergency situation, and settled their efforts on helping children in Kasauli (near Dharmasala). Kalyan Singh Ghosh of the Central Relief Committee requested SCI’s services and Devinder laid the foundation, selecting a house for the children’s Nursery. Elizabeth Crook writes an account of her work as a nurse there (after the Introduction), and for nearly 5 years, Indian volunteers, Japanese volunteers and Europeans continued to work in Kasauli until the Indo-Pakistan War made travel difficult.