Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-23
HINDo0 WRITES OF
MISSIONARY MYTHS
ABOUT EASTERN WOMEN
BY BAHIA BHARATI

BY BABA BHARATI
As have said in my last article, the
Christian missionaries in the east, eS-
pecially in India, are wonderful beings
In many respects. Their persistency In
putting forward the same myths about
Hindoo women, even if they be contra
dicted by the whole world, is wonderful.
This persistency is only matched by
the profound ignorance of what they
are talking about. But the reason OF
this is not far to seek. The reason Is
the business basis upon which the
Christian missionary enterprise in In
dia is principally founded and sus-
tanned. And like all business people
they believe in continuous advertising.
They believe that if their myths about
Hindoo religion and customs and
treatment of women are advertised re-
peatedly and systematically they can
not fail to induce belief, and FUNDS
through that belief They, therefore,
either ignore contradictions or trot out
the same mythical facts and stock ar
guments, however irrelevant they may
strike the intelligent reader.
Now as to the points Which Mrs.
Merritt has attempted to make in her
second letter published last Sunday
She says that if Hindoo women
emerge from the household they must
be so wrapped in a cloth called saree
as to be able neither to see nor be
seen, either cropping or being led about,
sometimes being allowed the privilege
of small opening for the eyes"
Points Out Inaccuracies
This is partially untrue. While it
is true that they are wrapped in their
saree from head to foot while walking
in public streets. their face from the
middle of the forehead to the chin is
entirely uncovered; SO cropping or be-
ing led about" is an untruth to which
even the skipping globe trotter from
the west will testify She says that
womens quarters in Hindoo homes are
indescribable. And yet when she de-
scribeS it it doesn't seem so horrid.
She says mo two are alike" Well,
that ought to be a recommendation.
Here in America the uniform sameness
of indoor home structure, the want of
variety, almost hurts the eye of the
Oriental. who loves variety. The Hin
doc homes are built according to Hin
doc ideas of house building, in many
cases better and more safely planned
and built than American flats and some
houses. She describes the houses of
especially poor people when she talks
of dirty courtyards, dark corners,
break-neck staircaSes," etc. The cause
of this poverty in most cases is due to
the greed of the westerner, the ava
riciOus English ruler, who is exploiting
the country with the force of the
loaded cannon about which Mrs. Mer-
rift has nothing to say.
But that the HindOo women have no
tables and chairs in their room-which
they never dream of needing-has
awakened her indignation. She ought
to be thankful to the male members
for furnishing her with a chair which
they keep only to accommodate west
ern visitors. Here in America l feel
comfortable only when 1 sit cross
legged upon a rug or mat on the floor,
as Hindoo men and women do in In
dia. The floors of Hindoo houses have
no rheumatism in them to catch
thanks to the warm and dry Indian
climate. Rheumatism belongs to
American floors and American climates.
Spiritually Great
1t is some relief to read that sin
natural endowments Hindoo women
will compare faVorably with their sis
tiers elsewhere. Their features are
most regular and often refined and deli
cate" Not "often," madam, but gen
orally refined and delicate"-even the
features of the lowest castles. But after
this condescending concession she
must counteract it by saying in the
next sentence that they lack express
sion as might be expected from lack of
age and want of intellectual training
and being stunted by their unnatural
customs" Mark Twain, in his chapters
on India i'm his famous book, Following
the Equator" was so much attracted
by the expression of the Hindoo
woman's face and her dress that he
talks of it every now and then, and
was shocked to look upon the scene of
a troop of Hindoo convert Christian
girls walking the streets in European
clothes.
From the viewpoint of the Hindoo
the Americans may be said to have no
homes in reply to the remark of Sir
William Monier Williams quoted by
Mrs. Merritt that there is mo word In
any Indian language exactly equiva-
| lent to the grand old Saxon word
home, the word which is the key to
our national greatness and prosperity"
! Greatness and prosperity-in what?
India has been always great and
wealthy in spirituality which pervades
| her home life. She has been most pros
| porous materially, too, until Sir Monier
Williams race came to set cannon-ball
rule there to exploit her
Says Statements Are False
If "the authority in the zenana is
with the grandmother mother-in- law"
it is because that authority is gener-
ally welded with the jeweled scepter
| of love and affection and certainly not
by pure despotism," which is another
myth,
But It is a vain attempt 10 reply
| to all the false statements of indiVid-
aul missionaries. 1t would be more SER
| Viceable TO demonstrating Americans to
give them a few additional items Of
true information about Hindoo women.
1 have stood these heaps OF untruths
for the last four years of my sojourn