St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-11-02
FROM INDIA.
A CaIedonian Correspondent Writes on
Several Matters of Interest.

EDIToRCALEDoNIAN:-As | looked
into you face this week | asked,
"What is there in India at this time
that will interest your readers Z"
The answer came in the discussions
that fill all the papers concerning the
late disturbances in various parts OF
this land. This has been year OF
constant anxiety in many places on
account of the jealouses and enmity
existing between Hindus and Mo-
hammedans, being brought to the
front by circumstances. The enmlty
is religious and is caused by the
creeds of the two religions COM
ing into conflict in certain re-
ligious ceremonies. For example,
the Mohammedans have a feast, or
ceremonial day, known as Bakrid.
On this day they sacrifice goats and
COWS. The Hindus hold the cow as
sacred, and hence, each year, the feel
ings of the Hndus are disturbed by
these offerings. The Europeans and
Mohammedan of course kill cattle
for food daily, but this is done in
quiet way and in a place separate
from the people, and hence little
notice is taken of it. But this
religious ceremony is made as prom
inent as possible, though the govern
ment regulates this also, by fixing
on certain places where sacrifices
NAV be offered. The first difficulty
started by the government magis-
trate in one city fixing upon several
new places in where the offerings
could be made On securing this
much concession, the Mohamme-
dams, it is said, became very offensive
with their entire feast, and hence a
disturbance.
No doubt, however, the real cause
of the outbreaks this year is the
work of new association whose sole
object is to preserve the sanctity of
the cow. In the opinion Of many
the leaders of this new sect care little
for the sanctity of the cow, but they
wish to stir up the ignorant people
against all who use kline for food.
These poor deluded people turned
out by the thousands to defend the
the cow. In some parts of the
southwest the feeling ran very high,
and in one place many lives were
lost, and quiet was only restored by
the soldiers being called out. In
Bombay, that great center of trade,
the disturbance was the most serious.
The entire communities seemed
aroused, and the city being large
and the streets narrow, it was long
time before peace could be restored.
Such is the enmity of these two
religions that at such times they
show no mercy and no quarter to
any of the other sect. Quiet has
been everywhere restored and the
rioters are being punished in large
numbers. During the recent riots,
1906 prisoners were arrested by the
police. One presidency magistrate
inquired into the charges against 922
rioters, out which 800 were convict
ed and sentenced. Of these, 4SS
were Mohammedans and 402 Hindus.
Five hundred and eighty-three rioters
are still to be tried. OF these, 500 are
on bail and the remaining are not
released on bail, as the charges
against them are of very serious
nature. In the southwest one govern
or has visited personally every scene
OF disturbance, and he is trying to
bring the leaders to punishment also.
This, however, is difficult, as their
hands do not appear at all.
Some people have been talking of
lndia's right to govern herself,
Should this foreign power with
drawn, within twenty-four hours.
there would be merciless cruelty
from one end of India to the other,
and this would continue until one
party could crush the other and then
only the conquering party would
have any rights whatever. Now
all have equal rights, all are pro-
tected and only tyrants are crushed
The world will, l believe, hear
more of this cow association and
difficulty. Many missionaries have
told the government for four or five
years past that there was trouble
brewing in this new excitement. The
lesson of yielding to each other il
religious matters will not be learned
in day or year.
Our rainy season is just CLOSING
and by Oct LIST we shall begin tt
feel cool breeze each evening, ant
by Nov. LIST we will have charming
weather. E. w. PARKER.
Lucknow, India,