Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
BY MICHAEL PYM.

BY MICHAEL PYM.
ELHI.-The woman, movement
in India Is in its infancy, and
the women themselves are al
~ most an. unknown quantity.
To the vast majority of the
British in India they are o sealed book
It is only very, very rarely that sE Eng
liShwoman and an Indian woman can
be really friends in that intimate sense
which brings with 1t genuine under
standing and knowledge Of each other
The barrier between women of the
two races should be less. but 1t is In
fact even greater than that between
the men.
Nor would It be entirely fair to lay
the blame for this wholly on either side
It Is true that the average English
woman In India, by reason Of her lin
tied education and the narrowness OF
her outlook, Is not well fitted to mix
with or to understand foreigners OF any
race.
Ignorant Of Indian Tongue.
She Is not, MS o general rule, whs:
the French call q "mondaine," used &c
cosmopolitan society. The average
Englishwoman In India Is usually a
good middle-claSs suburban product,
prejudices enhanced, II anything, by
the isolated circle of similar people ir.
which she finds herself I have met
women, wives Of important Officials,
who, after 20 years or more In India,
have told me with pride that they could
not speak q word Of any Indian Ian
guage. Among such women Ignorance
OF Indian history and customs Is
colossal.
The wives of the highest officials In
India often are genuinely sympathetic
and anxious to help their Indian sis
tiers. But all the pressure Of the COM
munity Is the other way; Even in
Delhi, for instance, ] heard myself Sc
verely criticized by the wife Of gen.
eral for being seen about too much
with Indians" who were, Of course.
women In another place I was most
bitterly attacked and ostracized by the
women of the British community for
living In an Indian house.
Indian Women Sensitive.
On the other hand, the majority Of
Indian women Of the upper classes are
still to a very great extent In purdah.
Many of them speak no English. They
are sensitive and shy. They do net
approve of nor understand the social
find too often most UNACCEPTABLE as far
as they themselves are concerned. The
mere matter Of entertaining is extreme
ly difficult, because 1t means providing
special food and special cooking for the
English visitor, who usually has O
prejudice against Indian food.
The Indian woman Is afraid Of being
perfectly natural because she fears
that the Englishwoman will not I'M
ND h0 he q n
her too much because she knows per.
fectly well that the Englishwoman,
wife Of an official, probably will sus-
pect some Interior motive. The Eng
lishwoman, on her part, Is not unjus-
titled In this suspicion because the
sort who makes point of cultivating
the British socially only too ften-does
so with an Interior motive.
Under these circumstances 1t Is clear
that doctors and missionaries are the
women who come most closely in con-
specific Job, which keeps them fully
occupied. Their contact. moreover, u
mainly with certain classes, viewed
from q definite angle. -.:. rs..
Thus Indian women, who are the
greatest influence in India, are the
least known and the least in contact
with outside influence. Nor do the
women IHey hIlOW, WOulCA VA tAACAA SwAA
race. who have adopted western pro-
Rressive standards" always prove re-
assuring. When Western women paint
their faces and become public dancers
the Indian woman, shocked and Scorn-
full attributes her conduct to the erect
of Western civilization.
A Maharani who passes her time
abroad hunting, dancing. drinking. Civ
Ing parties. is not viewed with admira-
ton, but with some pity, by the vast
mass of Indian women. many OF whom,
even II they do not speak English may
be highly cultured, from an Oriental
standpoint, able to speak two or three
Eastern languages, well read in poetry
and increasingly anxious for the vel
fare of their sisters. Scores Of women
who are not out of purdah often are SO
completely accepted that they are lit
orally forgotten when Scandalous ex-
ceptions are discussed. s.-....,. --
Nevertheless, the desire for education
emancipation from social disabilities
and the idea of taking part to some
extent in public work is rapidly increas-
ing among Indian women. The desire
has come to stay. There are num-
her of organized woman bodies dealing
with problems of education, social wei
fare. etc. In these bodies the line Of
cleavage between the two races Is
rather marked at times, as, for instance,
| the Chelmsford League and others Of
that kind, which, although entirely
British controlled and British stained
are financed with Indian money con-
tributed by the princes and rich indi-
yiduals.
Theosophists Active.
As far as have been able to ascer-
| tain there is no such thing as feminine
membership In the secret terrorist or
carnations. nor any feminine organi-
cation of that kind. The most widely
| known woman terrorists-the once
prominent Mime. Cana and Agnes
Smedley, the wife of Chattopadhala and
sister -in-law of Sarojini Naidu-are
abroad. Nine. Cana for q time was
leader in the Paris circle, which moved
to Switzerland and eventually was abb
sorbed by Berlin. Nevertheless. certain
maneuverS are taking place in 1ndis
with q view to capturing the nascen,
| womans movement SO. as to swing II
| to the revolutionary side.
Until fairly recently the largest and
most well organized Indian body wa!
the Indian Woman's Association, o
| which Mrs. Annie BeSant Is honorar!
president and whose officers are prac
| tically all Madrassi Theosophists. Mrs
Besant has long foreSeen and eSti
| mated the vital importance OF thu
| woman movement. Theosophist schools
for Hindu girls are spread over TIT
country A "world mother has beer