THE KABULIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 10 July 1925, Page 9

THE KABULIS.

MONEY-LENDERS OF INDIA. They are sons of Anak, all of them stand six feet or over, and they carry sticks as high as themselves. They are muscular and quite fearless. They wear bright velvet waistcoats beneatn long heavy coats, and'they have large cog-shaped shoes with spiky, turnedup toes. , , , They are Kabulis—the money lenders of India. By twos and threes (writes A. Claude Brown, in the London Daily Mail) they have dritfed down to the plains from their far-away mountain country, and now in Calcutta alone the colony ‘ numbers thousands. The native of India is always wanting money. He has a daughter to get off his hands; money is necessary with which to procure a husband. He has borrowed from a friend and must repay or disgrace threatens him. The only certain lender is the Kabuli, so, with the knowledge that all other channels ar e closed to him, the hunible clerk, the small native shopkeeper, the operative in the mill, alike fall easy victims to the great black spider. A. sum of 30 rupees is required ; only too easily it is obtained by the giving of a piece of paper promising to repay 50 rupees on demand and in the meantime to pay interest at the rate of 2 annas in the rupee per month. Ahe first month’s interest- is deducted in advance from the capital lent, and the balance paid over to- the unfortunate borrower. THE HOPELESS DISEASE OF DEBT. The first of the following month sees the Kabuli waiting outside the office or mill where his victim works. With him are others of lus tribe for they hunt in couples even if no other clients are within. From the man’s meagre wage a payment must be made on the first of each month, when wages are drawn, and woe betide any defaulter. The Kabulis live together atid shelter themselves and their wealth behind a strong trade xuiion. They meet each week in some sheltered spot and discuss their clients. The enemy of one is the enemy of nil, and woe betide nny de* fanlter who fails to pay interest due. A group of Kabylis visit and threaten him; if this fails, and he does not pay up when his wages are received, a deputation of Kabulis hang round his house or at the gates of the mill, and, at a convenient opportunity, attack him with their long sticks. Money lending in India is widespread, a. hopeless disease for which no cure has yet been found. The Kabuli is at the bottom of ah the trouble. Banish him from British India and the benefit to the country would be incalculable. Allow him to remain and commercial integrity will go from bad to worse.