The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
SUFFRAGE NOT
KNOW in india
Movement Has Obtained No
Foothold, Declares
H. H. Pandya.
WOMEN HIGHLY HONORED
Seldom Seen Shopping in Stores.
Polysamy Not Permitted BY Law,
and Divorces Are Infrequent.

San Antonio, Aug. 2.-"Woman's suf-
frage has obtained no hold in India as
yet" said Hiralel H. Pandya, Of Bhauna-
gar, in the province of Bombey. a gradu-
ate of the Agricultural College Of India,
who is touring the world studying differ
ent methods of agriculture, observing
the manners and habits of the people IN
each country and endeavoring, so FAR as
he is able, to remove misconceptions
about India and her people.
1T is a mistake to think women are
not honored in India" he said. They
are honored highly and none the less be-
cause they are obedient to their hus-
bands / made an address not long ago
before a women's club in New York
State on Family Life in India and
afterwards several of the women told
me they did not like the idea Of women
obeying the dictates of their husbands.
But in India the husbands do not dictate
to their wives; they counsel with them
and decide together what is best to be
done.
Social life in India is very different
in many respects from social life in
the United States. There they have
many social functions. but the women
have theirs and the men have theirs OF
course, there are some attended by both
men and women. but the two sexes do
not mingle as freely as here.
THE women have the management of
the home and the children and have
little time for anything else. They keep
their houses in order look after the
meals. supervise the education of their
children, and sew and embroider. They
are happy and contented. Like in other
countries the condition of the women in
India is getting better all the time. and
they are always striving for something
better. but they do not seek any change
in their home life, nor would they be
happy with any greater freedom than
they now have.
Women Dress Well.
THE women of India dress well, some
very deliberately, when attending social
functions but in their homes the dress
is simple and inexpensive. They are not
bothered with fashions, for the form of
dress does not change with each season,
as in European countries and the United
States. The changes in fashion in India
are changes in color, quality. and weight
of the cloth, but the cut of the garments
always is the same. Sometimes they
wear silks. sometimes woolens, and
sometimes cotton goods, but these
changes do not entail endless worry in
following the fashions.
"Polygamous marriages are not per-
mitted by law in India, and although the
law does not frown So severely upon the
offense there as in this country. plural
marriages are not in accord with popu-
lar opinion, and men who take two
wives are socially ostracised. Even
among the ruling families, the last to
depart from the old ways, plural mar
riages are becoming uncommon. :. -
Divorces are practically unknown in |
India, an incurable disease or the COM |
hnfr a1- ty,al
only causes for divorce They are very
uncommon. This is due in part to the
care observed by the parents in betroth- |
ing and marrying their children. 1t is
an event in which the parents always
have considerable to say, although no
effort is made to interfere with the in
dividual wishes of the real contracting
parties
Women do not shop in India. in this
country. They are seldom seen in the
stores or bazaars. They give their COM
missions to their husbands, who do the
shopping for them. or message is sent
10 the merchant, who calls at the house
with samples of his wares and takes Or
Gers for the supplies. In this way tie
husband is able to keep check on his |
exrenses and keep them within his in |
come. / have no criticism to make ~ |
any custom in the United States. for I
have been told there are many hus- |
hands here who would like to be able to |
maintain an oversight on their bills be- |
fore they are contracted just as is done |
in India. and that they would be happier |
if they could do so.
Separate schools.
Separate schools are maintained in III
Gfa for the boys and girls after they fin |
ish the primary grades. This is because |
the education of the girls is along diff 4
ferent lines from the boys. They are |
taught sewing, cooking. and the care Of |
the home, while the boys are taught |
along practical lines fitting them for
business careers, agriculture, and other
pursuits.
Il love this country and its people, and
shall be very sorry when the time comes
for me to leave it to begin my work IN
India. These Southern States are very
like India in many respects. l under
stand you have little snow here. While
l was in the North last winter it raintd
snow. and il was very beautiful. At first
/ suffered greatly with the cold. and
would sit all day beside the radiator, but
afterward / learned to enjoy the cold
weather and tried to learn skating and
tobogganning.
I'VE have many games in India, but re
game of baseball. / have noticed that in
TINS great AMERICAN SdIhe oHe pai'S |
will make a great deal of noise and say
all kinds of things to ridicule the other
side. and sometimes after the game eacI
party will be angry with the other. \
player will run as fast as possible from
one place to another and, merely to get
there a little sooner than the ball, viii.
throw himself carelessly distance OF
ten or fifteen feet. l am told, too, that
the women play this game sometimes
We have no game like that in India.
Mr.. Pandya said he had learned many
useful things in the United States, and
much especially relating to feeding and
agriculture that he hoped to introduce
into India