Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-08-03
HlNDoo WIVES.
A Letter Setting Forth the Evils OF In
FAINT Marriages In india.

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
Those 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 excmplification 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
liz marriage to boy Of nineteen In
accordance with the Hindoo customs.
she remained as a child at her father 3
house, was highly educated, and is now
described as being woman OF renned
and delicate manners, while the posses
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 larger
amount than ter rupees (about hive
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
erable to such life. Rukmibai refused
to accept the position into which she bad
been thrust when q child, and reso-
lutely declined to live with the man
who, according to the Hindoo law, wa'
legally her husband, who consequently
commenced suit for the restitution OF
coniugal rights in the High Court Of
Judicature, Bombay. Mr.. Justice
Pinkey, who first heard the case, did
not even call upon the counsel fol
Rukmibai to reply, but at once dis
missed the case. 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 Justic'
Hon. Lyttleton H. Bailey, who it il
stated have taken time to consider theil
Judgment. In many of the courts o
1udicature in India native gentlemen
are among the Judges; in the Bomba!
High Court, Nanabakai Haridas.
native lawyer, sits upon the bench
but In this instance the two gentlemen
concerned are Englishmen, and it /
not necessary to state that their sym
pathies were entirely with the defend
ant. But, unfortunately for her, tn
question they had to try was not one o
feeling, but of law; and should the,
hold, as it is not improbable that the
may, that the Hindoo law, which the
are bound to administer, affords no re
lief to wife who has been married b
her parents as child, the fate o
Rukmlbai will be one of the most pain
full instances of oppression and tn
cruelty of enforcing old customs in th
midst of a more modern civilization
Let us hope, for the sake of the lady
that the decision of the High Court o
Appeal may be favorable to her;
otherwise, she will have the slhceres
sympathy of every woman to whom he
sad fate Is known, and she may, per
haps. derive some slight consolation
from knowing that the injustice AM
wrong perpetrated In her case must in
evitably lead to alteration in law g.
repugnant to every sense of moralit,
and Justice. London Queen