AN INDIAN TRAGEDY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3496, 26 May 1920, Page 2

AN INDIAN TRAGEDY.

( THE EASTERN MIND. ' i SUVA, Fiji, April 10. It is impossible for the Western to understand the Eastern mind. Centuries of superstitution, ignorance and conservatism, founded on the mysticism cf of many centuries ago have produced an Eastern mind at once a mixture of the elementary and the warped twisted astuteness of a M>j Chiavaili. The Indian speaks’ of sex * matters openly and without shame. A woman openly leaves a man Mid joins another as a matter of course. A man shares his wife with another in return for six or twelve months’ service in his field. The most sacred matters are openly spoken of as current gossip.

i Recently an aged Indian was found iguilty of deliberately cutting or chopping to death 3 young woman named Laldai. . His signed statement is quaint and remarkable. It was read out in court. Bishandiayal stated ‘that’ for about two _\fea.rs she had been good friends with Laldai, and then she became friendly with Shandarson, and went to live with him. He (accused's) wife knew he was friendly with Lald:li,*and his wife. had asked Laldai to come and stay with him (accused) as he was an old man. Laldai still went with Shanderson. His wife went for 'Ewo‘ol' three days to Laldai to ask her to come to accused, but she refused. His wife then said: “You stay in the house, and I'll go in the field to work. Laldai refuses to come to you. 11": you stay here alone you will be able t.o go to her house one day and out her throat.” “I ’went to Laldai’shoLlse,” he continued, “and asked her what Sa.ndal-sons had ‘been there for. She told me anyone could. stay with her except me,/and she ,abused me. I then told her by wife said ‘Kill you," and Isthink she's right. Then I cut her with the lmife I d.on’t know how many times. The knife belonged to Laldai. I killed‘ her ‘in the kitchen. Nobody else was there besides her two children. Then I went to my wife and said ‘Narania (wife), what you told me to do I have done; here is the knife.’ I told my wife Pachuri and my son—in-law Ganesh I was going to give myself up. My wife told Ganesh to take the knife and hide it." I was Very angry. I went to Jarin Khan’s "house-, and as I was leaving for the police station, I was arrested." So ended i'Bishandiayal‘s story.