INDIA’S MAHOMETANS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 90, 11 December 1912, Page 4

INDIA’S MAHOMETANS.

Writing at the beginning of November, the London correspondent of the ‘Manchester (Wardian’ refers thus to the problem of India: “One hears decidedly varying opinions from AngloIndians of experience as to the effect

upon tin? Indian Mahometans of llioj events in the Near Karl. Some declare that there is no likelihood whatever of any trouble, while others take a very serious view of the outlook. I was speaking yesterday to a former administrator of high standing from the North-West, who implied that the (Government doth here and in India was gravely concerned, and, lie thought, rightly so. The official view i s that certain of the Hindu leaders who are far more accustomed to poll-, tieal agitation that the Mahometans, have been active in turning the Moslem indignation to account, but tins is emphatically denied by a distinguished Hindu public man with whom 1 was discussing the question on the eve of the declaration of war. One thing, however, 'is beyond all question 0 The Indian Mahometan com-.

munity is a very sensitive section of the Islamic world. In the days ol Abdul Hamid, whenever the British Foreign Office was engaged in bringing pressure upon the Sultan by reason of Armenian massacres or other troubles the invariable response in India was a series of protest meetings in the principal cities, and of late years the Moslems in the Empire have ‘been deeply stirred by events in Morocco and Persia, as well as in Eastern Europe. The danger now, as always, is twofold—from the fighting tribes of the North-west and from the lowclass Mahometans of the plains, who are below the Hindu peasant and artisan in civilisation. The feelings ol neither section if touched on the religious side are likely to he affected by the recent policy of the Indian Government in the direction of favourijig the educated portion of the Ma hometan community.”