INDIA’S FUTURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 149, 13 June 1930, Page 7

INDIA’S FUTURE

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK VISITING MISSIONARY'S VIEWS. ADDRESS IN HASTINGS. A brighter view of India’s future and a more hopeful side of the great country’s present troubles was shown by Mr. Harry Jones of the New Zealand Baptist Mission in Eastern Bengal, speaking in Hastings Eiaptist Church last night. Mr. Jones, who is a native of Hamilton, Waikato, has spent six years in North East India. In an interview with a “Tribune” representative, he showed reasons for the security of the British rule in India and the undoubted, though alow response of many of the people to the influences of Christian teaching. “The principles of liberty,’’ he said, “as taught in the schools here are taught in the colleges in India subsidised by the British Government. Now tho reaction is 'being felt and the Indians are saying ‘why not let us rule ourselves?’ The British Government is already doing its best to give India self government—but it must be a gradual change, as it ’ is slow work fitting the Indian people for the responsibility. It is the extremist section, which is in the minority, which is doing all it can to hustle India into what she is not prepared to undertake. EXIiIEAHSTS IN AHN Olli 11. “Tho views of the extremists,” sain Mr. Jones, ‘'are not. ttie views oi the great mass oi the people, but they can make tueir voice heard because tuey are educated people, -luey can, lecture aud they ruu and own many oi the newspapers, lliey nave a considerable sway through practically all the vernacular papers, which are the only paiiers read by a vast majority oi the native Indian people. BRITISH RULE PREFERRED. • the great majority of the mimous or uneducated tom m uie couuuy districts, however, nnow uuiumg oi the laohie-ruie aguaiion,'’ ueciared Mr. uones. •■’limy nave beam oi ualiuui, out they nave never heard oi tnu oirnon commission, ueciuediy they preier iniusu adminisiianon. lliey are reluctant to tiust tueir own native people in positions oi authority because ol the tear ol gralo and bribery ivnen I went to India, tno Magistrate and Police Umcer m charge oi the district were both Jtnglishmen. Hie vivil Service in India is comprised almost without exception "of a very tine type ot Englishman. The natives learn to trust them and.their trust is not betrayed. MAGISTERIAL DUTIES. . “In India a Magistrate has much wider duties than here and he and the Police Officer may each have a jurisdiction in their particular departments extending over perhaps a million or more people. At the present time both these offices in the district are held by Indians and for the four vears since they took over, the local native business people, lawyers, civic authorities and even the Mayor have said that they much prefer to have an English Magistrate and Police Officer. In a dispute between Hindoos and Mohammedans, a native Magistrate, unconsciously, perhaps, sides with co-religionists. Native officers in high positions are mostly cultured and decent; many were educated in England, but the influence of ancestry is hard to combat. The fears of Indians that Native officials are not, always above corruption have been shown not to be groundless. GANDHI’S SWAY. “Gandhi was at one time very popular, but his influence seemed to wane and now the Home-rule agitation has brought him back into power,” said Mr. Jones. “Ho impresses,the people by reason of his asceticism, which appeals to the Hindu’s religious nature. Gandhi is a great believer in non-violence and is a man of very high ideals. He is a great admirer of the teachings’ of Christ but he is not a Christian—l don’t think he knows where he stands in matters of faith. About two years ago some of his followers indulged in violence. As a rebuke ho fasted for thirty days with nothing but orange juice to sustain him. OBSTACLES TO HOME RULE. “There are,’’ Mr. Jones said, “at least four very evident obstacles in the way of the granting of Home rule to India at once. “Firstly, as one leading Bengal politician said, if the Indians got Home-rule there would be nothing to stop tho fierce hill-tribes from Afghanistan sacking and plundering tho country. “Secondly, a Mohammedan is a Moliainmeilan before ho is an Indian patriot and they are not by any means at full Strength behind the extremist movement. Of the 320,000,000 people in. India about ono third are Mohammedans. “Thirdly, there are in India, a number of .Independent kingdoms, each with its native Rajah. These kingdoms qpver practically half tho area of tha country and the Rajahs have sworn allegiance to the ‘King Empsror,’ their lathers and grandfathers did before them, they are autocrat# in their own spheres. In each state, however, is a representative of the British Government, who is there to watch things on behalf of the Indian Government. It

the local ruler for instance makes the taxes too oppressive he is told to ‘ease up.’ Again, if the local Royal Family is not attending to its business the British Government will take over control, allow them a limited, though generous income and then, when order 1 has been restored, hand back the state to the rulers. Some of the rulers are decadent while some are decidedly modern and progressive. There is a Council of the Princes of India which appoints legal representatives of the highest in London to watch the native rulers’ interests in view of the Home-rule agitation. These princes are certainly not willing to transfer their allegiance from tho King Emperor to any upstart Homerule movement. They realise that in the meantime, at least, Imperial Government; is best. “Fourthly, it is the wish of the majority of the people that Tjritish administration remain as it is. RESPONSE TO CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. “The work of the Baptist Mission,” Mr. Jones said, “is among thfe Mohammedans in the district where I was stationed. We direct evangelical work and have a hospital and schools at (.'handpur. The response from the Mohammedans in the way of converts rs very meagre. They are, as a people, bigoted, fanatical and proud of their own religion. They will resorb to any means, even poison, at' which they are experts, in order to prevent one of their number becoming a Christian. Their poison is not always to kill—sometimes it produces life-long madness. “However, there is now among the Mohammedans a spirit of enquiry. They are keen to Compare our New Testament with their own Koran and books of traditions. We welcome their comparison. The fact is that Hindoos and Mohammedans can’t get on together. There will always be strife between them and Christianity is the only salvation to bring peace and happiness. One can seo many influences at work, and tho Mohammccliins will accept Christ’s moral teachings while ignoring Him. Even now they show many of the influences of Chi'isthinity foreign to their own religimm code.”