Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
Observation-Disclosures
is STILL In IT'S INFANCY
Lack Of Genuine Understanding Between
British and Indian Sisters
Creates Barrier.

formally announced, and Mrs Besant
states deflnitely that this srx S1siss
the opening OF the women's age.
Womens Conference Launched.
What influence the Theosophical So
ciety may have lost among the men It
quite evidently hopes to make up among
the women. The object Of attack is
social CUSTOM because in India women
are shackled by social customs and ira
diti0ps rather than by actual religious
precepts or civil and political disabili-
ties. In one sense this makes the
hght somewhat more difficult, in an
other much easier than that Of West
ern women, because, ultimately, the is
sue lies in their own hands.
About three years ago new body
came into existence-the All-India
Women,S Conference on Educational Re-
form. 1t has constituent conferences
with standing committees in every
province, sometimes more than one to
o province, and comprises most Of the
educational leaders Of all races and
creeds In India. 1t meets annually to
discuss the educational needs OF
women and to map out work for the
following year. Fifty delegates attended
the first meeting in Poona in 1927, 200
came to the second in Delhi In 1928 and
as many or more to the third meeting
in Patna this year.
Attic Delhi meeting Mrs. Kamaledavi
ChRttopadhyaya was organizing secre.
tary, a position she still holds. Her
sister -in-law, Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, was
chairman; the dowager Begun Of
Bhopal, president. Besides them
number of princesses were present. 1t
was at this conference that the first
indications Of an attempt to swing the
organization politically were observable.
Question Of Purdah Avoided.
The conference, being definitely nom
political, centered its attention on
purely educational subjects to such an
extent that even the question Of purdah
was not discussed. Arriving one morn
ing at the sessions hall, the delegates
received handbillS informing them OF
certain resolutions to be considered at
q session to be held that afternoon in
their convention hall. These resolutions
dealt with social reform and included
such things as boycott Of British goods.
The handbills contained no indication
as to what organization sponsored this
session, or that 1t was not part OF the
conference program. The conference
had hitherto been holding all-day ses-
sions in this place.
Protests and inquiries finally ELECTED
the fact. announced somewhat reluc-
family by certain members OF the COM
mittee, that the session had nothing
whatever to do with the conference,
but was sponsored and organized by
somewhat hastily formed Social Re-
form League" OF which but little has
since been heard. This league had
been formed by certain members OF the
conference committee, who also con-
trived to postpone the usual afternoon
session Of the conference so as to hold
their own meeting In such q way as
to make 1t appear part of the proceed
ings Of the conference, for whose dele
gates no other program was arranged
Social Reform Taken Up.
As propaganda and also as means
of trapping the delegates into making
1t appear that that conference was
deeply in sympathy with the Congress
party's program, which would have
damned it among the British and put
1t we'll into the hands OF the SWaral-
lists. the move was clever.
This year the conference met In Pat
ma. which is eight or nine hours from
Calcutta. The meeting was timed 70
follow Immediately the annual mee.mS
mixed social refol m conference. IL was
presided over by the Dowager RAM OF
Mandi who was exiled from her state
wears ago for completely In the Har-
Gir.ge bomb plot. No other Processes
were present. After bitter fight the
activities of the conference were eA-
tended to include social reform. AWo
committees were elected, one 1or eouca-
ton the other for social questions.
Al the same time a determined enort
was made by the more extremist women
To gain complete control OF the natlonal
edncation fund. which had been m
sug,lrated at the previous conference
in The presence OF the vicerein. and IN
which LADY Irwin has since taken al
active interest. -
's: ProSressives DisappointeG.
Tn anv other country the question OF
social reform would be non-partSan'
and in that sense non-poiitlcai. onior.
fmnstelv. 1t must be admitted tnas
owing to q mistaken policy on the part
of the British, this is not 30 IN 1noAA'
The British shibboleth OF non-neeE!ei
ence with religious customs and OF =
secular government mas , reSu,.e the ~ so-
very great extent In paraiyzing inc 50.
ciaI advance of the country, wnere
every stupid and bad social custom mas
promptly been given the SANCTION Va
religion when attacked.
Under the reforms the government
has come to depend upon orthooox MI
noritieS for its support, ana these ar
precisely the people who oppose social
reform, while the Swarajists, seeing tne
obvious points of the SITUATION. jose as
champions of the various movements:
The more the government finds fseH
unable to support various worthy move
ments, the more antagonistic ano ois-
appointed the progressive elements Al
the country become. ,.,,,
For instance. the child marriage OIL!
has done much to ALLEVIATE eoucaoeo
women from the government. For years
bills to put down this evil have Deen
pressed by Sir Hari Singh Gour and
Raj Bahadur Har Bilas Sarda. Four
wears ago. after much discussion. the
government agreed to allow It's oencnes
to remain neutral during voting on the
question. But when 1t was realized tnat
the bill under these circumstances
would pass easily the government wNn
MANY regrets withdrew its promise.
The bill was defeated.
British Out Unanswered.
In 1927 O deputation of women from
the educational Conference petitioned
the yiceroy personally to press his gov
eminent to remain neutral in this Ques-
ton. The bill, sponsored by Har Bias
Sarda. was kept in committee wnle
committee was sent through the coun-
try by the government to coiect evi-
dence and opinion. Meanwhile the
small independent Moslem party, led by
Sir Zulfiqar Ali Khan and Hail Seth
Haroun. committed itself to q public
manifesto against the bill, charging in
reference with religious custom. AS
the child marriage question does not
concern them in any way, 1t was appar-
emit that this naneuver was purely
shady political deal.
Under these circumstances 1t is not
surprising that the feeling OF the or
ganized women tend more and more to
diefr1,sf and dislike the QnYernment. As