WHAT ENGLAND HAS DONE FOR INDIA

New Zealand Tablet, 24 April 1919, Page 42

WHAT ENGLAND HAS DONE FOR INDIA

- (By Ram, : Chandra, in The Open Court.)

The English first went to India for the purpose of extending their’trade. The East India Company was formed for commercial purposes alone and the operations of that company were the scandal of the civilised world. The proceedings of the trial of Warren Hastings are a sufficient' exemplification of this fact. The House of Lords in the end acquitted Warren Hastings, in . spite of his crimes, because of his services in extending the dominion of the Empire. Eventually Great Britain assumed possession of India, ostensibly on account of the iniquities of the East India Company. All this was accomplished by stirring up antagonism between different sections of the country, setting one prince against another, one religious sect against another, and in the name of local interests constantly contriving to extend the British influence. The people were deceived. They were too simple, trusting, and generous. England posed as a benefactor, and the people not being suspicious of foreigners, as were the Japanese, gave them a free hand for their machinations. They ’embraced the benefactor only to find themselves bound hand and foot, helpless at the feet of a rapacious'despoiler. What followed may best be described in the words of Adam Brooks, in Laws of Civilisation and Decay, who says; “Very soon after the battle of Plassey (fought in 1757), the Bengal plunder began to arrive in London and the effect appears to have been almost instantaneous. '' Probably since the world began, no investment has yielded the profit from the Indian plunder. The amount of treasure wrung from the conquered people and transferred from India to English banks between Plassey and Waterloo (fifty-seven years) has been variously estimated at from 2,500,000,000 to 5,000,000,000 dollars. The methods of plunder and embezzlement by which every Briton in India enriched himself during the earlier history of the East India Company gradually passed away, but the drain did not pass away. The difference between the earlier day and the present is that India’s tribute to England is obtained by 4 indirect methods ’ under forms of law.” r

In judging the effect of foreign rule upon any people, the three most important factors to be considered are:

First: The influence upon industry, or the economic effect.

Second: The influence upon education. : Third: The influence upon the development of political life, or preparation for self-government. As to the influence of Great Britain upon,lndia's industries, I will quote from the late Mi*. G. K. Gokhale, C.I. a member of the Imperial Legislative Council of the Viceroy. Professor Gokhale says : “When we come to this question of India’s industrial domination by England, Ave come to what may be described as the most deplorable result of British rule in this country. In other matters there are things on the credit side and things on the debit side. . . ■ But when you come to the industrial field you will find that the results have been disastrous.” Briefly; stated, the facts are these: A distinct, policy of taxation and tariff was adopted by which raw material was prevented from being first turned into manufactures in India, thus causing it to be transported to England for that purpose and

the manufactured products then returned tp be sold in India, thus enabling English merchants to secure double profits. In - this way some 40 million Hindus ■were thrown out of work and forced into agriculture. In agriculture practically nothing has been done to improve conditions,, it remains in its primitive state the inhabitants are still using the old wooden ploughs ; very little had been done for irrigation. But taxation has steadily increased until at the present time a Hindu farmer is obliged to pay from 50 per cent, to 60 per cent, of his annual product to . the government. As a result of this constant and incredible drain, the most widespread and terrible poverty prevails throughout India. The average income of a Hindu is 27 rupees (9 dollars) according ,to Lord Curzon, and 15 rupees (5 dollars) according to Sir William Digby. India is now in a state of perpetual famine. From 1891 to 1900 not less than 19,000,000 died of starvation. This is not all. On account of the weakened condition of the people they have fallen victim to disease in incredible numbers. According to Sir William Digby, 15,000,000 also died of plague and malaria during the above period. (See Prosperous British India, by Sir William Digby). This makes a total equal to one-third the population of the United States, All of this could have been prevented by proper government measures. England is responsible for it all. Prior to the English occupation, no such poverty, famine, or plague were ever known in India. In fact, it is the direct result of the measures taken by England to absorb to herself the wealth of India.

The following are the official figures concerning the famines of India :

Famines Before the British Rule. 11th-century * l f'. 2 both local 13th century ... 1 around Delhi

14th century ... 3 all local 15th century ... 2 both local 16th century ... 3 all local 17th century ... 3 general area not defined. 18th century ... 4 to 1754, North-western Province,

Delhi, Sindh (twice, all local).

Famines Under the British Rule During the Nineteenth Century. 1800-1825 ... 5 nearly 1,000,000 ''deaths 1825-1850 ... 2 nearly 500,000 deaths 1850-1875 ... 6 nearly . 5,000,000 deaths 1875-1900 ... 18 nearly 25,000,000 \ deaths

The above figures are taken from Prosperous British India, by Sir William Digby (publication in India prohibited). Even in 1915 and 1916, there was almost a constant famine in Bankura, Bengal, and in Rajputaxxa. As to education, what has England done? She has established five universities in a country with 300,000,000 inhabitants.: For general public education she has done very little. The five universities were established for the sole purpose of preparing Hindus to 'fill certain subordinate positions in ' the Government service. High fees Avere fixed, so that only the children of the wealthy could attend, and but few of them. As to the masses, Lord Curzoxx said it would not be Avise to educate them, it might cause sedition. Even Avhere movements have, been set on foot among the Hindus themselves to secure public education along modern lines, and where they have offered to defray all expenses by an increase in local taxation, the answer of the Government has- been, “We do not think it necessary.”

.; • In 1910 a movement was started *by prominent Hindu and Mohammedan leaders to raise funds- for the purpose of establishing . two independent universities, > one under • Hindu and the other under Mohammedan auspices. The Government - agreed 'to is grant charters provided ; a sum was collected - equal to four . million dollars for each institution. In 1914 the money had been raised and the Maharaja of Durbhanga and the Raja of Mahmudabad went to the Government at Simla and made application for the charters. Sir Harcourt Butler, Minister of Education, refused to grant the charters except under conditions by which the Government would appoint the instructors, and in fact control the universities in every respect. This was a great .disappointment. After much discussion the Government.induced the Hindus to accept the conditions, but the Mohammedans up to this time have refused. ' ' In the past two years several hundred private schools have been closed by the government under various pretexts. Instead of increasing education it is being diminished. After one hundred and fifty years of British rule not more than 10 per cent, of the inhabitants know how to read and write. After the above, it is hardly necessary to deny that England lias done anything toward preparing the Hindus for self-government. India is ruled by a viceroy who gets double the pay of the President of the United States. The Council of the Viceroy contains some Hindu members, but the majority are always Englishmen and the Hindu members consist of princes and title holders who are not sympathetic with the people. The government is strictly autocratic. The masses of the people have nothing to do with it excent to obey its mandates. In Civil Service there are only 65 Hindus employed as compared with 1200 Englishmen, or slightly more than 5 per cent. In v fact, the policy of the government is to prevent the idea of selfgovernment arising among the people. . The United States came into the possession of the Philippine Islands and after some fifteen years of occupation 60 per cent, of the Filipinos are educated according to the most improved methods. The product of their work formed one of the most superior educational exhibits at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Congress has definitely adopted a programme which will lead in a few years to complete selfgovernment in the Philippines. Industry there is being reconstructed according to most modern methods, and the Filipinos are looking forward to a career of prosperity, and freedom. On the other hand, after one hundred and fifty years of. opportunity England has done nothing for India, and the land lies desolate in poverty and ignorance. -During the past fifty years the Hindus have begged England to change , her policy and begin to do something for India’s benefit. Since the only response is the same old policy of pretence and suppression, they are at last rising in revolt. No promises of reform will be of any avail the fire of liberty is spreading and sooner or later the country will be free.