UNREST IN INDIA

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1930, Page 8

UNREST IN INDIA

PACTS ABOUT GANDHI

MISSIONARY’S LECTURE

CHRISTCHURCH,. Aug. 13

Soine interesting facts about the Briish, Government’s task in India, and about the part taken by the Indian agitator, Gandhi, in making that task 'aii'increasingly, difficult one, were given yesterday in an address, to the girls ol tliei Christchurch Technical College, by Miss J. W. Inglis, vvdip, with Dr. and Mrs A. H. -Driver, is visiting Christchurch in connection with Indian mission work.

The. Principal of the College (Dr. D. E. Hansen) introduced. Miss Inglis who prefaced her remarks on Gandhi, with an interesting, description ,of the effect of the. British occupation of India, and the. difficulties, met with by the Government and the missionaries through the caste system. India was seldom spoken about without mention being made, of the. castes, which, with their observances, were constantly the cause of war and division, she stated. The sytem probably originated with the great migr|fon from Central Asia, which peoplecHUndia with hundreds of different tribes; Unlike the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons, who combined Jo make.the British race, the, Indian races for the most part remained se.perate and were still definitely divided. Intermarriage, between the Castes was forbidden, and members of one caste would not, even. take food with those of another. This would not he thought very harmful until one realised that. the lower, castes were ut-_ terly despised by the.upper.people, and treated like .dogs. They, had all heard of the Pariahs of India. These were the' outcasts. There were .60 millions of these people and 12,000 were in the Christian Church. The .speaker, related an incident to illustrate the manner in which these lower caste Indians were held in contempt.

The two great sects were the Mohammedans and the Hindus. There were 70 million of the former, who were fanatical, in their religion, and there were constantly recurring clashs between the two sects, which usually ended in bloodshed. The British Government, however, had brought peace to India and were always, striving to keep the peace.

Gandhi, and other people often referred to the Golden Age of India—the age of peace and : prosperity—but, this had never existed, continued Miss. Inglis, for all India. Perhaps the rulers and noblemen had enjoyed such a per-, iod, hut,not the lower castes. There was certainly no golden ago.before the British went to India,; Taxation was levied by rich men and officials, at.random; and often extorted by torture. Fa mints deva sted the. whole country., They, sti.ll came, but the Government had built railways, and canals, instituted, extensive irrigation, and greatly relieved, the starvation due tr the, failure of crops through lack of rain. Now there was never absolute starvation. Schools, hospitals, and dispensaries had also been, built all over the, country; . GANDHI UNPRACTICAL. “Gandhi is an Indian patriot, who is a good man, who has read the Gospels, and who admires . the personality of Christ/” stated,Miss Inglis, “but he is a very unpratical man. He is liked by Hindus because lie, is ah ascetic. He does not bother about the luxuries ol life, and he and his wife live very simply. This apeals to the Hindu mind. He is not opposed to Europeans because of their, Christianity hut oecause of their Westernisation of India. The Indians admire a sencerely Christian man.”

An instance of Gandhi’s unpractical mind was his opposition to taxation. Miss. Inglis, pointed out. His eleven ultimatums personted to the Government included a demand for the abolition of the salt tax and another for the education of all Indians. This amounted to depriving the Government of 60 millions of expenditure and asking for an expenditure of 80 millions on education. He could show no means whereby the deficit could be made. up. Gandhi, chose the salt tax as the subject of Ills main ultimatum because every person in India was supposed to pay the tax. which.was really only a small one. His intention wa.s to make the British rule such a difficult one co continue that the Government would have to give in and leave India. Hi.s resistance was a passive one as far as he and his followers were concerned, but outside elements joined in the and bloodshed resulted. This distressed the agitator greatly, but he continued to organise disotendience to the British rule. His preaching consequently brought tremendous s troubles all over India, and this also encouraged the raids by border tribes, about which one vead in the newspapers.

At the conclusion of her address Mis Inglis was accorded a warm expression of appreciation by the girl students..