The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-05
HINDOO WIVES.
A Letter Setting Forth the Evils of In
FAINT Marriages in India.

Public opinion in England was some
time since aroused to strong sense
of indignation by the republication in
the English papers of the letters of "a
Hindoo Lady, from the Times Of India.
These set forth in the most striking
manner the evils of the Hindoo customs
of infant marriages and of enforced
widowhood. 1t is remarkable that the
writer of these letters should in herself
have become an exemplificatlon of the
first of the two serious social evils to
which she has called attention. The
sad story of her life is soon told. This
lady, whose name is Rukmibai, was.
when only eleven years of age, given
in marriage to boy of nineteen. In
accordance with the Hindoo customs,
she remained as child at her fathers
house, was highly educated, and is now
described as being a woman of refined
and delicate manners, while the possess
sion of more than average intellectual
qualities is evidenced by the character
of her letters. The husband to whom
we mnst suppose she was for some fam
ily or private reasons betrothed is said
to be an ignorant and uneducated man,
not elevated above the character of an
ordinary laborer or coolie, and unable
by his own exertions to earn a larger
amount than ten rupees (about five
dollars) a month, 1t is unnecessary
to picture the fate of refined, educated
woman, compelled to live with such a
man; almost any destiny would be pref
cradle to such life. Rukmibai refused
TO accept the position into which she had
been thrust when child, and reso-
lutely declined to live with the man
who, according to the Hindoo law, was
legally her husband, who consequently
commenced suit for the restitution of
conjugal rights in the High Court of
Judicature, Bombay. Mr.. Justice
Pinkey, who first heard the case, did
not even call upon the counsel for
Rukmibai to reply, but at once dis
missed the ease: But this did not sat
isfy the husband, who lodged an appeal
to the High Court. in which the case
was argued before the Chief Justice,
Hon. Sir Charles Sargent, and Justice
Hon Lyttleton H. Bailey, who it is
stated have taken time to consider their
Judgment. In many of the courts of
judicature in India native gentlemen
are among the judges; in the Bombay
High Court, Nanabakai Haridas, q
native lawyer, sits upon the bench;
but in this instance the two gentlemen
concerned are Englishmen, and it is
not necessary to state that their SYM
pathies were entirely with the defend
ant. But, unfortunately for her, the
question they had to try was not one of
feeling, but of law; and should they
hold, as it is not improbable that they
may, that the Hindoo law, which they
are bound to administer, affords no re-
lief to wife who has been married by
her parents as child, the fate of
Rukmibai will be one of the most pain
full instances of oppression and the
cruelty of enforcing old customs in the
midst of more modern civilization.
Let us hope, for the sake of the lady,,
that the decision of the High Court of
Appeal may be favorable to her; if
otherwise, she will have the sincerest
sympathy of every woman to whom her
sad fate is known, and she may, per-
haps, derive some slight consolation
from knowing that the injustice and
wrong perpetrated in her case must in
evitably lead to alteration in a law so
repugnant to every sense of morality
and justice. -London Queen.