DIFFICULTIES CHECK CHRISTIANITY

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 174, 20 April 1937, Page 11

DIFFICULTIES CHECK CHRISTIANITY

Movement in India

“There is a great forward movement toward Christianity among the Indians in the West Godavri district,” said Brigadier J. R. Copp, of the Salvation Army, who arrived in the Awatea at Wellingtaon yesterday, on furlough from Madras, India, where he has been stationed for the past four years. He added that the influence of Christianity was at present most noticeable, but was hindered to a certain extent by the activities of several castes.

Within the last year or two, continued Brigadier Copp,' he had opened 47 new villages in his extensive territory, and more than 1500 people had been converted. The villages were thriving, “but lack of finance to carry through the movement more successfully lias resulted in a limitation of the number who are clamouring for Christian help and salvation.” An instance of one variety of difficulty he found he had to cope with entered, into a case which after 15 months’ court proceedings had just been finished. “Some of the peasant type of people acquired a block of land 'at an auction and commenced to cultivate it,” said Brigadier Copp, “but before they could do so a group of caste natives who suddenly decided that they wanted the land, attacked the occupiers and beat them awqy from it. Thirty natives were badly injured and were sent to hospital. These castes are a very difficult problem. They are moneyed and wield widespread influence for good or bad. In the court proceedigns which followed there were scores of witnesses for each side, and after prolonged evidence was taken a more or less satisfactory conclusion was reached.”