Once in Calcutta, James enrolled in the Bengal Technical Institute at Jadavpur, Calcutta (now known as Jadavpur University) in 1946.
“I started my university education in India. But I was not meant to be an engineer. And so I left my engineering studies after a few months. The Muslim League had begun their Direct Action Campaign. And all of India was in turmoil. So I went to Shantiniketan to study and live there.”
James left his engineering studies a few months later to attend Visva-Bharati in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India. This educational institution was founded by Rabindranath Tagore. James spent his time listening to lecturers talking about philosophy politics and poetry. Tagore’s university was an informal way of teachers and students to interact with each other. Talks were held outdoors in the large grounds of the university.
While he was a student, he worked as an ambulance driver and medical assistant. James enlisted in the Relief Welfare Ambulance Corps (RWAC) in early 1947. The R.W.A.C was established after the riots of August 1946 (Direct Action Day) by the Friends Services Unit (“FSU”) and the Patron-in-Chief of which was Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, the future Prime Minister of India. ~ “The Psychological Impact of the Partition of India” By Sanjeev Jain
The R.W.A.C. still exists today in Kolkata.
1947
"The RWAC gave its services in many places in India during the political disturbances at the time of the division of British India. In Calcutta, during 1946-47, I was involved in emergency operations, such as treating riot casualties, rescuing and sheltering displaced persons, providing ambulance services to sick and pregnant...
R.W.A.C. (Relief Welfare Ambulance Corps.) is located at 9/1A, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Sreepally, Bhowanipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700017, India. 1946 to 1947 : Relief Welfare Ambulance Corps
The creation of India and Pakistan as two independent dominion states along religious lines led to the largest human displacement and migration and a refugee crisis. James as a member of the R.W.A.C. was sent to Punjab to provide assistance. "....in August 1947 [the R.W.A.C] were invited (by Nehru and...
Celebrating the first year anniversary of the R.W.A.C. at the I.T.F Grounds in Calcutta. His Excellency C. Rajagopalchari, the acting Governor General of India and Dr. Saboth Mitra were both in attendance.
1948
"I had gone there [India] as an Indian nationalist. I had become vaguely sympathetic to the Communist. No, I didn't have any Communist associations. Romesh Chandra I've met him. He was a young boy, a young university student at the time. He's a very great activist. So in a coffee-shop,...
