The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 3. szám
the Hungarian student 7 Asia from a Hungarian Viewpoint by ALPÁR BUJDOSÓ WHILE IN THE FAR EAST, I was often asked about my impressions of Asia. It was extremely difficult for me to give a detailed answer, for during the five months I spent in India, Burma, Ceylon, Indonesia, and Japan I could not possibly see everything. People traveling in Asia generally speak about the marvelous, colorful cities, monuments, and ceremonies of the Far East. Yes, there are many interesting and beautiful customs but there are also people living there: hard-working, soft-spoken people. Perhaps you will excuse me if 1 tell you about those people, about their economy and politics. While living in Europe and studying Asian culture, politics and economy in preparation for the trip to Asia, I heard that the Hungarian revolution had had little effect on the Asian people. It was disturbing to see that matters which seemed so close to us were not understood in that part of the world, or did not even raise suspicion in the minds of the people. It was only after I had been there myself that I began to understand this attitude. Newspapers, for instance, were often given information by TASS (the USSR’s official news agency) and I found that there was considerable belief in TASS, almost more than in the other news agencies. I had to accept the fact that many Asians are unable to understand our situation because they never lived under Soviet rule. Let us stop here for a few moments and speak about Asian neutrality. Neutrality is one of the basic principles of several Asian countries as well as Hungary. Why? Because, it is essential for an underdeveloped country to use every effort for the establishment of the industrial, agricultural, and other sections of the national economy. That is only one, but perhaps the most important, reason why these countries chose neutrality. In a certain part of Asia I spoke to some highly Socialist-minded people. We generally agreed that there is no socialism in either the Soviet Union or Hungary. Instead, there exists a totalitarian bureaucratic rule of the Communist Party, which was described by Milovan Djilas, the former Yugoslav ideologist, as the rule of a “new class.” We also agreed on several other points. Then I asked these people—leaders of a respected organization in that country—to tell me their opinion of Hungary. Did they agree with the violent methods used by the Soviet Union in dealing with the Hungarian people ? Did they condemn armed intervention ? Would they demand the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary? The answers to these questions agreed with my own views. Nevertheless these people could not come out into the open with their opinions because by such declarations they would strengthen the position of the United States in Asia. Aside from neutrality there was another, perhaps even more important trend in Asia, which made a considerable impression on me. It was the question of industrialization. Two large countries are carrying out great plans for industrialization: India and China. India follows a democratic way, China a communistic, totalitarian way. Smaller countries watch them and try to learn from one or both of them. The question is, which one will be more effective? Which one will bring more results ? Which one will win ? Surely, the victorious one will be followed by the peoples of Asia. Taking into consideration the differences which exist between the time when Lenin set forth his theory on imperialism and the present, when Lenin’s imperialism has vanished, we can hope that India’s democratic way will win the battle. But, how, when, or by what means depends on India -—on the economic policy of India. I was very glad to see results of the industrialization in Asia. Next to the traditional manual industry I saw modern consumers and heavy industrial developments, modern power plants and factories. It is also interesting to note that India has her own economic five year plans. India has built her present industries partly from Alpár Bujdosó author of article about Asia. her own resources and partly from loans and aids, which were given to her without political conditions. On the other hand, China’s industrialization was promoted by loans and aids coming from the Soviet Union, and it is known that this help was not without political conditions. This is the main reason that China’s system is now almost the same as the Soviet system. When I heard that the Diet in New Delhi was in trouble in relation to their five year plan, I became quite worried. Will they find a way, or will they be forced to take the line China has taken? Will the world become aware of what is going on and help India. Then I read in Time magazine that the United States is going to help India solve her problems. From the point of view of industrialization, not only in relation to India and China but also Indonesia and Ceylon, Burma is going in the same direction. Japan is already a well industrialized country; thus, the situation there is quite different. It is also different in Thailand, Pakistan, and the Philippines. (Continued on page 8.) L. K., a Hungarian student at Fordham answering questions during his tour of the Far East.
