TRIBUTE ABDUL - Perdana Library

TRIBUTE TO TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN
turn of events. There was an emergency in the country. And
the Tunku's first pronouncement on Indian soil was Malaya's allout
support for India in its hour of crisis.
If the Tunku and party discovered India on their 11-day tour
of the country, India discovered a genuine friend in a few fleeting
minutes at the Calcutta airport.
It was a discovery that went right into the hearts of the people.
The Malayan leader's informality, the tone of sincerity in his
statements, the spirit of crusade against communism he inspired,
won him 400 million friends and admirers.
It was a triumphant tour across India for the Tunku and party.
Wherever he went, people flocked around him—and he seemed
to enjoy it. They cheered him lustily, listened to his views with
respect.
An Indian official said: "The Tunku is a crusader. He brought
light to India, when darkness seemed to envelop the country. He
gave India's leadership a great deal of encouragement in this crisis."
Perhaps, the men who liked him most were the newsmen. He
was amiable, informal and extremely helpful to the fraternity of the
Fourth Estate. The unofficial verdict of the press is that the Tunku's
presence in India had considerably influenced the Indian
'climate' at the crucial juncture.
At Ajmer after worshipping at the holy Darga Khwaja Sahib,
the Tunku was in a contemplative mood. He talked mainly about
saints. He narrated the story of his mission to the Darga Khwaja
Sahib.
At the Taj Mahal in Agra, again, the Tunku was in a meditative
mood. For a little while, he left his party and went to a nearby
mosque for prayers.
Coming back with a radiant smile, the Tunku said: "Perhaps,
you wouldn't understand me. It was my belief in Allah that made
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