New-York tribune., 1901-12-03
NEW MOVEMENT IN INDIA.
CONFERENCE TO BE HELD TO DISCUSS
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.

| Just as / leaving India information came TO
ne from what L considered a trustworthy source
that a conference TO be held at Calcutta TINS
euning winter at which Lord Curzon had consent
ii TO preside and where matters OF great interest
to womanshood the world over, and Of special i'm
rrance to our sisters Of the Far East, are TO be
ascussed." said a recently returned traveller
Ny informant added that the initiative in this
nTernent had been taken By TWO native princes.
the Malaria jahs of Bikanir and Gwalior both OF
whom Hindoos.
Three questions will come up for consideration
hfore this conference. First. the raising Of the
sse limit for marriage among the natives. The
ue for girls now is from eight 10 nine with ten
n the maximum. According to the Shastras, sacrea
rrtings of the Hindoos if a girl attains marriage
le age while still unmarried inmate OF her
tther's house. that girl is outcast. and should
r treated such in that warm climate early
6yelopments are the rule, il is not uncommon
to see mothers of thirteen, and, consequently,
randmcthers of less than thirty. One result of
his early enforced maternity has been a lamenta-
lie physical deterioration of the race, attended by
sher consequences subtle but no less serious
The second topic that will engage the attention
q the conference is the abolition of compulsory
slbacy among Indian and Nahometan widows
ALTHOUGH the practice OF suttee, the burning
dive of widows on the husbands funeral pyre, was
brmallv abolished by the Indian Government in
S. or the plea that it was 'culpable homicide it
Las net been possible legislate successfully
against the more bitter punishment meted out to
hose unfortunate women, who in becoming widows
ose all social rights, are deprived Of their orna-
nents compelled TO assume the coarsest and scan
laest of clothing to fill the most menial positions
In the household, and be physically disfigured
| The third question which Will come up is Of
the education of the Indian women As matters
stand now such education as they receive ter
inmates with their marriage, and, as that must
The csse of 4in59 40 Girl II IS readily seen that il
he eaT= z-,-r.- C6aTac
Ter ~ ''-'
Vow, education among the men has become so
much matter of course they have seized so
eagerly on the generous opportunities put in their
Way both by the government and by private and re-
hgious benefcence that they are beginning de-
sire that similar opportunities should be given to
.he women they shall marry In short, they are
ssaoren, but anxious that they should be ntteG
toI LOT, comrades and companions IN the best and
highest sense OF the terms
,.ua PRESIDENT of the Anglo-Oriental College, at
Aasarh India. the only Mahometan college OF any
Nt Np1s N mat country, told me that If he were a
-n1s-onstan father with family OF daughters TO
rave them well educated as there was large and
NJ educated wives. And among the Hindoo men
srr' rse acquaintance had the pleasure of making
ling ling my stay in India there was visible an
ny s-sY thai TO me was almost pathetic for the
1s.al development of the women Of their race
es :ouhs harrister of Madras asked permission to
- 4 order to get information TO the Ameri-
-. Methods Of educating our women. One Of the
.ss Tor learning in =our girls? Now this aspect OF
sS had never presented itself TO me, but. after
S.T.-ents thought. replied, with smile. Why,
,.-st Iat our girls born wanting know
~ Which apparently opened up an entirely
o. thought my caller.
.losely connected with the question of the edu-
sloa Of Eastern women. indeed inseparable from
,tgs n that Of the 'purdah system Now, educa-
sno The Veil, In the Oriental sense. ncom-
seaoe terms, and OF the first steps that the
,oaen OF -he East will have take in their march
isr,.ae is.e mental equality with the must be the
eo,g cog aside of the veil, and against this all the
sssxsersatiyeness sssx of the and has armed it
0rien, ne he grandmothers especialiy-and in the
or.sa lhey most potent factor-are clamor-
opposed TO such course Indeed. their
sue lsces obstinately against changes of
81 iNnd and the progress of their daughters tow
s oetter things will have to be made. quite liter
es' over the dead bodies of the grandams"