INDIA TO-DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26437, 16 April 1947, Page 6

INDIA TO-DAY

NO RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FRIENDSHIP WITH BRITAIN MOSLEM-HINDU DIVERGENCE With the advent of self-govern-ment in India, the attitude towards Britain would be more friendly in the future, said the Rev. W. M. Ryburn, who has arrived in Dunedin to spend part of his furlough from the Punjab Presbyterian Mission of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church. He believes that . an' independent India will readily ally herself with Britain and also with China, which is facing many of the same problems as India herself. Mr Ryburn has seen no signs so far of any Russian influence or activity in India. Dissensions between the Hindus and Moslems presents the main protnem in India to-aay, Mr Ryburn explained. The Hindus and Sikhs want a federation of all-India with a strong central government, but the Moslems demand an independent state of Pakistan because they fear they will suffer economically if they are forced to live under a Hindu-dominated government. While the Hindus have given every indication of their willingness to co-operate with the Moslems in an all-India federation, there has been no sign of the Moslems conceding anything. This is one of the problems that the Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, will endeavour to solve. If a solution is found, the future of India will be promising because she is capable of self-govern-ment. In the absence of unity, however, trouble and strife will continue. Educated in Dunedin Between 1919 and 1922, Mr Ryburn attended the university and Theological Hall in Dunedin. He has been a missionary in India for the last 25 years, visiting New Zeaiana and Dunedin on furlough in 1928 and 1937. ,He has been headmaster of the high school at Khara in the Punjab, and during his absence ah Indian, Mr Moses, who was educated in Edinburgh is in charge. When Mr Ryburn returns toward the end of this year, he will become an assistant to Mr Moses. This is in conformity, w'ith the. new policy in India of Indian leadership. ' -. ■ Together with the high' school, ■'* teachers training department is 6on-! ducted at Khara. Although it is .a Christian school, the ordinary curriculum is followed and visits are received from Government inspectors. In preparing boys for matriculation, the school has an excellent record, only five boys failing to pass the examination during the last 15 years. This is achieved largely as the result of employing an adaptation of the Dalton Plan by which tha pupils learn to work and think by themselves for themselves. The standard is similar to that in New Zealand, although the standard of the mother tongue is not as high as is English in the Dominion schools. The teaching of English in India is more advanced, however, than the teaching of French in New Zealand. “Big changes in education are coming to India,” said Mr Ryburn. “It is far too academic at present and the swing will be to the more technical type. India proposes compulsory education, for all boys and girls up to tjie age of 14. Education has been neglected in the past and inadequate finance is a big difficulty to-day, but it is hoped to accomplish a great deal in the next 40 years.” Author of Books

Mr Ryburn is an authority on. education and has written a number of books on this and other subjects. Since his recent arrival in New Zealand he has written a book called “Brother India,” which has already been published. .Among his other books are “Principles of Teaching,” “The Organisation of Schools in' India,” “Teaching of English,” “The Progressive School,” “ The Theory and Practice of. Christian Education,” “Creative Education! A Study in Education for Democracy in India ” and “The Teaching of the Mother Tongue.” All these were published by > the Oxford University Press. Some of them have been translated into the Urdu language, as have also a number of his books on religious subjects. Great opportunities exist in India for the cultivation of the reading habit, * said Mr Ryburn, one of the principal handicaps being , the lack of literature in the vernacular. The rate of literacy in India is only between 12 and 13 per cent. As increasing numbers are taught to read, so the demand for books and the popularity of the printed word will increase. The Christian community was recognised in India - and there was no animosity against the individual Englishman, Mr Ryburn concluded. Now that the Indians had obtained all they wanted independence they harboured no enmity against Britain. The country presented a wide field for Christian endeavour, and there was much educational and medical work to be done in which the missions could take a leading part. During his stay in Dunedin, Mr Ryburn will give a series of lectures at the Theological Hall, and also some public addresses.