CONDITIONS IN INDIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21919, 1 October 1934, Page 9

CONDITIONS IN INDIA

THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENTI VIEWS OF MISSIONARY [BY TELEGRAPH —-PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Sunday After having represented the New: Zealand Presbyterian Church as a mis* sirnary in the Punjab, India, sines 1921, the Rev. J. L. Gray arrived at Welling-, ton on furlough to-day by the Remuerg, from London. Mr. Gray, who was noc< impanted by his wife and family, has btsen working mainly among Hindu and Kohammedan populations at the Pies* j bvterian Church's mission, which has its ovn fully-equipped hospital and industrial schools for the training; of its Christian congregations. Mr. Gray said the political condition o: India at present was interesting. The previous Viceroy, Viscount Halifax, better known as Lord Irwin, adopted a policy of conciliation toward the Indian National aspirants and did all that was possible to meet their legitimate- claims. Unfortunately, the National Congress interpreted leniency as weakness, and the result was the outbreak of violence and che growth of the non-co-operativa movement. The present Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, on the other hand, had had to take sterner measures and to refuse to recognise the Congress and ita aotivities. As a result, while at first there was n certain amoun*; of trouble, noir things, were much quieter and the moderate element in the Congress seamed to be in the ascendancy. This would mean that the policy of boycott of everything British might bo partially lessened and it w&s hoped that the Congress would now co-operate to a certain extent in the new reforms, which should shortly be introduced. It was generally agreed by all who knew conditions in India, said Mr. Gray, that reforms were needed and that Indian Nationalists should have a larger share in the Government of the country, but the greatest problem concerning the advance of Indian National ideas at the present time was the antagonism existing between the Hindus and the Mohammedans. This was a very serious bar to all progress and even Mahatma Gandhi had confessed that there did not snem to j be any solution.