The telegram was sent by the then Acting Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, to Sachchidananda Sinha, provisional Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gifted President Barack Obama a piece of India-U.S. history, a copy of the first telegram from the United States to India’s Constituent Assembly in 1946.

The telegram was sent by the then Acting Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, to Sachchidananda Sinha, provisional Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. Mr. Modi presented the copy after he received Mr. Obama at Hyderabad House.

The copy was the reproduction of the telegram read out at the inaugural sitting of the Constituent Assembly on December 9, 1946.

In the telegram, Acheson said: “With the approach of December 9, I extend to you as provisional Chairman of the Constituent Assembly and through you to the Indian people the sincere good wishes of the United States Government … and of the people of United States for a successful conclusion of the great task you are about to undertake. India has a great contribution to make to the peace, stability and cultural advancement of mankind and your deliberations will be watched with deep interest and hope by freedom-loving people throughout the entire world.”

Source: TH