country-in the world. to-day fought to throw stones at another Because of the existence of a caste system," declared Mir, P. Kedonda Rio, visiting Indian Journalist and reformer who has spent more then {iro years travelling around the world" studying' local. conditions, in before the International Y's Bren's Club at their weekly tfin of the American Club on February 10.
"When Tsay thie I'am thinking of the Negroce in America and other stoups in other countries.
"Nevertheless" he. continued, "the problem -of untoushabllity in India Tone of the most Imporiant ques ons feeing our country, although iffers slightly from ihe present feast system in India and elsewhere Seeause of Its absolute riglalty, make ing t theoretically Impossible for Uniduchable ever to" rise from" his "The Servants of India Society, which Tam a member, is definitely attacking. this "problem, trying 10 eradicate the idea that anyone, be: cause of his. choice of parents cored to an interior eats through fut life. Our society' does not Te-tire that fs members belong "To religion, but we take vows upon entering It just as one would make promises on entering" a. religious Organization.
"in changing. this social condition the necessity of removing the feeling India we ate faced primarily with
fof inferiority which has been bred nto' the untouchables themselves, They have taken the attitude that their position in life has been predetermined, and that there is now hothing that can be done about it 'They accept their conditions sgualour and misery and, particularly are aged people, do not wish that condition' changed, included in that category, and the same group raised a protest, saying, What "authority have you to raise our status? We are. untouchables.
What "happened was that, as untouchables, they were allowed cer-fain privifoges; certain seats were reserved for them in the high schools and universities, Whereas, if they were not classed as untotichables they. would have to take their chance along with the' other people Ju gaining. an education and' in. other "However, our first problem ts to establish the personal self: respect of The individual. Then we must make the upper. castes recognize: that no stigma should ever be attached. to a Person, simply because of the acellent of birth, "Nobody knows just how many untouchables there are in India, but their number has eon " estimated variously from 20,000,000 up to 60, (000,000. "Choose your own figure and you will probably be correct else, "Various movements, foreign and domestic: have occurred at many mes to free the untouchables from the stigma attached to them, among Which "the "most Important fp: the Christian movement, although among the Christian Indians there are' still Despite the amount of effort spent these movements Mr. Mf, XK, Gandhi has had more Influence in raising the status of the outcast group than all of these movements ut together, and I say this even though T have at many times been extremely eritleal of this pohd "Gandhi launched his campy while he was in goal; and 1 had the honour at that time of acting as his publicity man, He declared that nobody living today could be blamed for the existence' of untouchables census authorities because they had been classed as untouchables, had been Imbued with the id their position was' undesireable and unnecessary. Then the next census was taken, in 1031, they were not operates through the Plenary Session. 'There is no reason to argue that the Kuomintang in itself is an' ineffective creation. Indeed, the mere fact that the Government' of China has' managed' to function, to develop the forces of national in spite of the bewildering array of obstacles naturally confronting revolutionary movement, is a valid' proof of its merits, Within the framework of the document whose 35 clauses have now been carved. upon the wall of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial at Nanking there is ample room for democratic traditions, representative institutions and the spirit of the Three Principles to find, due scope. The Five-Power Constitution—as typified in the Executive, Legislative, Examination, Judicial and Control Yuans—can be: handed over by the Kuomintang, when the period of tutelage ends, with complete confidence, provided that the men are there to give. the country's genlus.{ts proper inspira-fon. in India, and therefore, there was no Feason to become violent about the matter" or to Indulge in ro-criminations, The best thing to do, said, was simply to forget former distinctions and not to become viol ent while changing the condit "The influence of Gandhi, besides being great, sis unique, for 1 know of no man in'any other county who has. worked' so hard to abolish class fact there ts, "at leader of a modern preaches. the condemning per-solely "To abolish the untouchable class in India 4g @ long and: arduous task, for it requires a great amount of work among the. ordinary Indians, the: person who lives in the mall village and the country, who "com> poses 90 per cent, of the population, In universities and the higher schools to-day there 18 no consideration of former dirtinetions—the class of untouchables has been forgotten. But among the uneducated people in country districts there Is much, work to be done.'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.