CHANGING INDIA

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1940, Page 12

CHANGING INDIA

DEMOCRATIC IDEALS

ANTIPATHY TO NAZIS

POLITICAL UNREST

The growth of democratic ideals and policies in India was interestingly described to a "Post" reporter today by the Rev. M. J. Eade, a Baptist missionary who has spent over six years there. Both Mr. and Mrs. Eade are enthusiastic regarding the way in which India is separating itself from its past, assisted in many cases by the Maharajahs of the various States.

"Everywhere India is distinctly antiNazi," said Mr, Eade. "Both Congress and Mr. Gandhi have written and spoken against Nazism in any shape. At the same time Congress, which is the largest political party in India, and at present the strongest feels that Britain appreciates its desire for independence. Under the new scheme the Provincial Government of Tripura has done really excellent work. Since it came into power in 1936 it has passed a great number of Acts dealing with land problems, and various reconstructions including those dealing with health. CASTE DISAPPEARING. "There is an upward movement in India, and many of the caste differences are, superficially at least, disappearing. We have sat down to dinner with five representatives of various ranks, served by low-caste people. | There is no doubt that conveniences like trains and buses, which force j people to sit together without inquiring as to their standing, have done much to break down barriers. As an instance of the way in which barriers are coming down, quite recently we sat down to a banquet where we were guests with 80 Indians who were prominent men in different castes. It was given by a Maharajah. There is every indication that India is beginning to realise that the rigid caste restrictions belong to the past and not the future." A new method of democratic government narrowly missed being introduced in Tripura, said Mr. Eade. By it there would have been a Parliament of 50 members, which would spend 90 per cent, of the income of the State for the State under the new system, instead of the old way of the Maharajah taking the lot. There was no doubt that some of the States were very badly governed by their Maharajahs, who used all the income for their own pleasures. It might be mentioned that the average weekly income of the people of India was Is 6d. The Maharajahs of many of the largest States were, however, very progressive, especially the Maharajah of Mysore. "There is very definite political unrest amongst • the different political groups of India. The Congress now wants independence. The Mohammedans number one-fifth of the population, and the proposal to have India f divided up into several States, some Hindu and some Mohammedan, has been made with the idea of solving some political problems. REAL PROGRESS. "There has been real progress made in the control of India since the India Act of 1935," continued Mr. Eade. "It seems very desirable to me that another big step forward should be taken as soon as possible in granting control to Indians, because they have men capable of controlling things, and dealing with their problems. The most able men are Hindus, because they are the more highly educated. They occupy the majority of the better positions on that account, .ft is true that that fact is discounted because they represent four-fifths of the total population, but it is recognised and admitted by the Moslems that their own people are more backward than the Hindus. GROWTH OF THE CHURCH. "The growth of the Church in India is extraordinary, taking the Church and India as a whole. It is announced by the National Christian Council ox India, to which all churches are affiliated, that there is a monthly increase of' from 12,000 to 15,000' in membership. In the three years we have been in Tripura there has been a very good response to the Gospel. The Christian community numbers 300, and the Church membership (excluding children) is 100. The children are nov educated in fifteen village schools which are primary up to about our Standard 11, and upper primary to our Standard VI." .