NOTABLE VISITOR FROM INDIA

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 18 March 1953, Page 5

NOTABLE VISITOR FROM INDIA

SISTER

E. H.

ELLIOTT

Ari audience which filled St. Paul's Church oh Wednesday night last heard an unusually interesting* address by Sister E. H. Elliott, who for 29 years past has been engaged in hospital work in India. For 18 years Sister Elliott was matron of the N.Z. Presbyterian Church's Mission Hospital at Jagadhri, in the Pnnjah, and has of necessiity been a keen observer of political and economie aifairs. She has been personally involved in the national upheaval and religious persecution between Hindu and Moslem of recent years. Her aiddress revealed a strikingly illumiuating way of describing situations and events, while children present were enthralled with word pieture-s of animal life in India and of the ways of life of the Indian people, illustrated with specimens of various articles in common use. Influence of Christianity Pointing out that India wa's the only single area of massive Asian population outside the Soviet foloc, Sister Elliott referred to the supreme importance of Christian education, and stated that Stanley Jones, one of the most eminent authorities on Indian thought and aifairs today, had told her recently that he con-

sidered that the West had five years only in which to establish the deniocratic way of life in India. She considered that Christian schools and hospital s had represented the mc^st influential force in building for democracy. In a predominantly Hindu Government, two of the most important portfolios were held by men of pronounced Christian faith and in civil administration many of the most responsible offices entrusted to Christian men. Two thirds of India/s vast population was always below the bread line and in frequent bad seasons actually starving, and sericus economic efr'ects resulted from religious beliefs, an instance being the enormous amount of food consumed of sacred monkeys which no one dared niiolest.

(A forty-minute coloured movie film illustrating Sister Elliott's lecture could unfortunately not be shown, the projector having failed to arrive. The meeting was j in the hands of the Rev A. J. Irange, who has recently taken over the Presbyterian Maori Mission work in the Taupo area. The spesPker was introduced by the Rev C. Karup, of Reporoa.