Riots by Hindustanis protested the impending independence from the Netherlands. Hindustanis, then the largest ethnic group in a population of 348,000, feared political dominance by proindependence black creoles. After the riots, a majority of the Hindustanis emigrated from Surinam.
Surinam, under the leadership of Prime Minister Henk Arron, was granted independence. Creole groups achieved a majority in Parliament, but the constitution (Nov. 21) guaranteed ethnic representation in the army. The Surinamese economy depended heavily on bauxite exports, which accounted for 92 percent of foreign exchange earnings.
