INDIAN UNREST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 117, 20 May 1932, Page 11

INDIAN UNREST

MANY-SIDED PROBLEM. TRANSITION IN INDUSTPvY. ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB. Addressing members of the Auckland Rotary Club recently, on the subject. of India’s problems, Padre H. AV. Newell, of Wellington, and formerly of India, made special reference to his own residence in Benares, which, he said, was to the Hindus what Jerusalem was to the Jews and Mecca to Moslem. It was an ancient city still preserving old-tinio industries and customs, and a centre famous for the manufacture of brass goods. These were made by hand under secret pro cesses and designs known to special families and carried on from one generation to another. These industries, however, could not compete against the import.itions of factory-made lines from Birmingham and other centres. 'Thus something of art was being lost. ! This transition was going on itoother industries in. various parts of the country. Such a change, bringing hardship to many, helped to produce national re-

sentruent. Undur thu vid conditions India was essentially a rural cummun ity, but to-day one can sec conditions changing. Large numljcrs of girls and women would go tv the factories in a town to work, their parents remaining in the village where their home interests .still centred. The simple Ullage virtues were being dissipated as tin? town life attracted the younger generaAnother factor i> the Indian prob Icm was the subordination of the <>l*l cultural s'stems associated with native languages to that brought about by the general adoption of the English lan guage. Thus there was growing up a number of so-called synthetic mixtures in which national sentiments ami characteristics were being mingled with Western ideas. Thus purity in ideals was being lost. Briefly sketching Ihe career of Mahatma Gandhi, the speaker minded his hearers that Gandhi had

been in the Suulli African War. where he had led a stretcher-bearer corps am! was instrumental in rescuing the son of Lord Roberts, who subsequently died. At that time he held the view that Britain’s policy was justified iu the interests of native races. During t.ne Great War lie offered his services tn the British as a stretcher-bearer, but they were not accepted. It was not n»til more recent years that he became dissatisfied with the policy of tho British Government iu regard tu Indian affairs and placed himself in opposition. .In his championship of the Inilian masses it must not be forgotten that Gandhi was just a* unpopular with the orthodox Hindu as he waa with many Englishmen. Concluding, the speaker voiced the hope that it. would yet be found per sible for the people of this Eastern country to live in peace nnl friendship side by side with those from h Western