King Saud’s Address to the People of India Before Departing Bombay
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As I prepare today to depart this great country, it gives me pleasure to extend to all the people of India a greeting of friendship and goodwill. I also wish to express my gratitude to His Excellency, the wise President of the Republic, Dr. Rajendra Prasad; to its great leader, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; to all members of the central government; to the governors of the provinces I visited; to the heads and members of their ministries; and to all the officials who took part in carrying out the detailed arrangements for the receptions with which I was honored. I am especially grateful to the ministers, officials, and officers of the army and security forces who accompanied me throughout this blessed journey. To them all, I extend my sincere thanks.
I also express my profound appreciation for the Indian crowds who gathered in great numbers wherever I went, greeting me with joy and warmth that flowed from hearts filled with sincerity and affection.
The generations of history that have bound Arabs to India, and Indians to the Arabs; the closeness that strengthened these ties and enriched them; and the shared interests between us—all of these compel us to deepen and expand our relations. This is what I, together with my government, will work to achieve with God’s help.
My heart was greatly comforted by what the government affirmed to me, and by what many leaders we met expressed—that the Government of India is committed to implementing the constitutional principles of equal treatment for all communities and safeguarding the rights of Muslims, who number forty million.
I must also express my admiration for the competence and determination with which India has advanced since its independence in all fields of life—making it a worthy example in industry and in the organization of production in all its forms.
It is also a source of pleasure that my government and my country are joined with this great nation in the resolutions of the Bandung Conference, through which we all sought security and stability for our lands and peace for the entire world.
To the dear land of India, and to its noble and generous people, I repeat my greetings, my thanks, and my deep appreciation.