LECTURE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 16, 13 July 1911, Page 4

LECTURE

THE LEPERS IX INDIA. At the BaptUt Church last evening, the Rev. W. Powell, of the South India Baptist .Mission, gave a lecture ns above, only lie entitled it, "A plea for the most neglected people on the face of the earth." Mr. Powell, in opening, thanked all most heartily for the kindness he had received in New Plymouth. After all his lengthy experience, he said that what he regarded as the most glorious mission work in India was that carried on by Pandita Ramabai, in her great work among the women of India. There are now about 1800 widows under her care, and from this mission have gone out numerous native missionaries, ehielly of the despised widows, to evangelise the women of that great land. This is the most clamant call of India—to do something for the help of India's 2. r >,000,000 widows. He purposes bringing the needs of these poor widows, as well as the lepers, before King George and Queen Mary when they make their intended visit to India next year. Lepeiaj in India are outcasts really, for as soon as it is found that anyone has leprosy, man, woman, or child, he. is driven out, or carried out, and left by the wayside, or on the edge of the forest, when? he might be destroyed bv wild beasts. The natives do not need medical evidence of leprosy. They appoint a few of their own people to decide the question, and their decision is final. Quite right that lepers should be segregated, but not as outcasts, and provision should be made for them by the Government. As showing- (he way in which these poor creatures are regarded as forsaken and cursed by the gods, and therefore should be by man, Mr. Powell quoted Indian proverbs to that effect, as: "Let not a cup of water be given to a leper," and "Let them not come within miles of you." Theosophy and other religions do nothing for them, but Christianity does, and Christianity alone it is that stretches out a helping iiand to nil such sufferers. Mr. Powell said that he had for years been trying to get the Government of India to do something for the lepers. He lmd interviewed Lord Morley in London, and hoped that help would be given, but it was slow in coming. His purpose was to in the end get 10,000 lepers under his care, and would get State help in all this if he would give up preaching Christianity to them. This, of course, he cannot do, as ho hopes to give them not only material and bodily help, but moral assistance and spiritual comforts. Sometimes he i» told that it is easy to bribe these mise.rable lepers, but not so; they say they hale all religions, because they feel that (as is true) tliev are cursed and outcast of their own religion, and suppose tyiat the religion of tne European will do so too. A collection, amounting to £2 Ids 4d was taken up at the conclusion of a Very interesting lecture.