Publication of radio broadcast by Mohammad Hatta, Vice President of Republic of Indonesia, 22 Jun 1946

Publication titled Indonesian rice for India, radio address by Mohammad Hatta, (Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia), delivered on 22 Jun 1946, supporting gift of Indonesia rice for India. Pages annotated.

Md Hatta: Radio broadcast to endorse an offer of rice to India – this would be a trade between nationalist leaderships still in fact under colonial rule. The Dutch had cast doubt on the veracity of the offer which Mani had publicized in his articles in Free Press Journal of Bombay. Hatta explains rice has been accumulated by spontaneous offers by Indonesian farmers. Discusses nationalism and common cultural and political affiinity with India. Needs arise in India due to Indian famine. This would be an exchange for textiles. Sees as supporting alignment, and is a response to Indian nationalist political and popular support for Indonesia. Hatta argues this was a diplomatic defeat for Dutch.

Printed in Jogjakarta. Publication extensively annotated by Mani. The broadcast was initially in Bahasa Indonesia, on June 22, 1945, and this text was later translated and published. It was probably translated by Australian Molly Bondan, married to an Indonesian (Mohammad Bondan) and living in Indonesia, where both supported the nationalist government. Molly was at this time the main person doing this type of translation for members of the Republican government (see her book: In Love with a Nation)