The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-30
AN INDIAN NOBLEMAN
II. II. PANDIAN WILL TALK IN THE
INTERESTS OF HIS PEOPLE.
He Hopes to n system of
Wells for the Thirsty.
Natives.

T. B.. Pandian. said to be a native of
India, arrived in the city yesterday after
noon and is occupying apartments at the
stated that Mr.. Pandian is a Hindoo prince,
but the gentleman makes no such claim for
himself. To a Journal reporter, last night,
he said: 81 am a Hindoo nobleman and my
ancestral home is at Parooranee. which is
a good distance to the south of Madras"
Prince Pandian's visiting cards give his
residence as Madras, but he explains this
by saying that he maintains an office or
headquarters at the latter place. The
prince is touring the world for the pur-
pose of securing subscriptions to enable
wells to be sunk in his native country for
the use of the common people, or those be-
longing to the low caste" Under the
caste" system prevailing in ~India-which
the English government has thus far been
unable to break down-the 'high-caste"
natives Or mobiles will not allow a member
of the 'low caste to even touch their
drinking places, much less obtain water
from them. The result is, that in times of
drouth, the common people suffer greatly
for lack of water. Mr.. Pandian talked in
terestingly of the present famine. He said:
at is one of the worst famines we have
ever had. India has suffered with famines
for the last hundred years. Notwithstand-
ing the famine and the plague, there is ma
terial progress in the country. For exam
pie, there is peace and justice all over the
land, administered by the English govern
ment. But the question of famine is due to
the general poverty of the people. There is
a large number of the population who are
living from hand to mouth. When the crops
fail. then they have nothing to fall back on
and they are the first to be victims to the
famine. OF course, some grain has been
raised in India this year and in other years,
but II has all been bought up by men who
have the money and is being held at prices
beyond the reach of the common people.
According to the caste system, the outcast
people have nothing in common with the
other classes of Hindoos and they are kept
in the most ignorant state of superstition
and poverty, and when difficulty comes
they are the first victims and the worst
sufferers. The greatest difficulty is that
this outcast people is not allowed to even
touch the public water. In fact, they have
an annual water famine and the outcast
people have to rely upon streams and
bitches and ~tagna pools for their water
supply; When these dry up beneath the
great heat then intense suffering results.
| nave beer especially interested in the out
cast people for the last nine years. 1 went
in their interest 10 England; stayed some
years there and tried to forward their
cause. Already some measures have been
adopted in order to improve their social
status. The crying difficulty of the people
Is the water difficulty. In order TO help
them in this respect / have been visiting
your country. The English government. on
account of state reasons. cannot interfere
in the caste system of India. Although the
Americans have no political interest with
the people of my country. IL occurred to
me that there Is a universal interest as
fellow-men and especially since America
stands. as II does. as a humanitarian ma
ton. l have visited some of your large
cities. among them Philadelphia and Chi
cago. and addressed several meetings In
the interest of my people for the purpose
of giving them some drinking fountains on
my return to India. One well will cost 500
and 1t will supply water for one thousand