Treaty establishing De Jure Cession of French Establishments in India
The Treaty establishing De Jure Cession of French Establishments in India (
Background
By 1954, it became clear that the fate of the
History and context of the transfer
On November 1, 1954, the French settlements of
The de jure cession of the Establishments to India was handled by a treaty signed in May 1956. Finally, the Instruments of Ratification of Treaty of Cession between India and France in respect of the settlements were exchanged on August 16, 1962.[3]
The transitional period of eight years was used for “sorting out interests in the former colony” per a book called Pondicherry that was once French India written by historian Raphael Malangin. Prior to the transfer of the four remaining territories,
Following the result of the referendum, the Cession treaty was signed by Stanislas Ostroróg (representing France) and Jawaharlal Nehru (representing India) on May 28, 1956.[1]
Details
The official treaty was written in two languages, English and French. The treaty has 31 articles, with an attached protocol/annex containing an additional 9 articles covering Nettapacom, Trubuvane, Yanam and Mahe as well as educational institutions and buildings that remain in French ownership.[1] Residents covered by the treaty were given options to choose concerning their citizenship; most would become Indian citizens after the transfer, but were given the option to retain French citizenship. French citizens born in the Establishments but living abroad would retain their French citizenship. Other articles cover the civil service, historical and judicial archives, pensions and recognition of educational degrees. French nationals were allowed to transfer their property to France free of charge for a period of 10 years after the signing. Articles 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 contain linguistic provisions; notably article 28 indicates that the French language would remain the official language of the Establishments until the population voted otherwise.[1]
The treaty was ratified by France on August 16, 1962 and published in the Official Journal of the Republic on October 23, 1962 [5][6]
Legacy
De Jure Day, marking the "de jure" transfer, was celebrated for the first time by the government on August 16, 2016 (it was a public holiday before this date with no official celebrations taking place before 2016).[4]
References
- ^ a b c d "Treaty establishing De Jure Cession of French Establishments in India". mea.gov.in. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- . Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c Philip, Annie (October 30, 2015). "Date with history". The Hindu. Tamil Nadu. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Mathew, Pheba (August 16, 2016). "Liberated from France 55 years ago, Puducherry celebrated 'De Jure Day' for the first time ever". The News Minute. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ "Des Français de trop". gisti.org (in French). Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ Décret n°62-1238 du 25 septembre 1962 PORTANT PUBLICATION DU TRAITE DE CESSION PAR LA FRANCE A L'INDE DES ETABLISSEMENTS FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERY, KARIKAL, MAHE ET YANAON, SIGNE LE 28 MAI 1956 ENTRE LA FRANCE ET L'INDE (Decree 62-1238) (in French). September 25, 1962. Retrieved November 5, 2017.