Evening star., 1932-02-19
Woman Scores Candhi
n AHATMA GHANDI. playing
M upon his peoples credulity and
IV superstitious religious beliefs
10 incite them to re iolution

III ANA MA SfihNbA. PAayb2
M upon his peoples credulity and
N sIperstitious religious beliefs
10 incite them to re5olution
against Great Britain Is am
bitious solely to become dictator OF
India, Cornelia Sorabji noted Indian
feminist. told national gathering OF
American women educators In the ar
nual banquet of the National Association
of Deans of Women at the Mayhower
Hotel last night.
Great Britain, on the other hand.
CHARGED with offenses against lnola
which are nullified by the simple ex-
pedient Of the several centuries which
intervened between the cited depreda-
tions and Britain's actual entrance into
India. was characterized by Miss So
rabbi as her country's benefactor.
The British government already has
offered India progressive eu-goVern,.
ment With the empire of Great Britain, :.
which she contended, Is the kind Of
government desired by the majority OF
indians. Gandhi, she declared, en-
yisioning himself eventually as 1ndia's s
supreme ruler, demands absolute In
dependence
Praises imprisonment.
Referring to the recent imprisonment
Of Gandhi, Miss Sorabji said:
Nov that Britain has at last de-
cided to deal firmly with the revolution
ary movement which has been weaving
and spinning for us shroud OF mourn
Ing. golden threads Of hope are creep
ing into that shroud to give my people
courage in their anticipation OF glo-
rious future"
Miss Sorabji, president Of the Indian
Federation of University Women,
lawyer and the first woman OF any
race to argue a case before British
court, gave these views In her address
at the annual banquet OF the Assocla-
ton of Deans of Women and aug
mented them in an interview WIN
reporter for The Star. .
In her address to the brilliant audi
ence of American woman scholars. MISS
Sorabii, garbed in her native gold-pur- :
nished and jewel-brillianted costume OF
rose-colored silk, spoke for two and q
half hours. She traced conciSely the
political, educational and economic de-
velopment of India, sketching in precise
English, learned at Oxford University,
her countrys story of struggles against
alien invasions. She recounted tragic
and humorous stories illustrative OF the
caste system and the superstitions OF
her people. pointing out how these fac
tors add to the difficulties OF solving
Indias problems.
Defends British Aims.
At the outset of her address, Miss So
rabbi defended Great Britalns motives
in entering India in the sixteenth cen.
tury. She expressed doubt that Engiano
| had imperialistic ideas" at that time,
..ear+;,n +bo+ Prjtaio sought only to
trade with the Indians.
England" she declared. kept stable
everything she found stable in India,
remember that. Remember that today
there are vast provinces in India ruled
over by Indian princes and princesses
with whom England has made honored
treaties"
AS time went on, England found
trouble between the castles in India. and
in these she did interfere to act as
arbiter. Miss Sorabji explained. Since
then England has become leader
of India, teaching us how to govern
ourselves" she added.
Citing charges Of Gandhi disciples
that Great Britain had wrecked India S
schools and traditional handicraft. the
Indian feminist branded them false.
Britain's accusers, she said, quote
written dutNOIlIleS "IlICll' oI hlsoSIi
CATION, invariably prove to be 'vernacu-
lar books of the seventh century which
their present day users make con-
temporary with the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries"
She said she pressed Gandhi himself
for his authority in saying that Eng
! land had wrecked India'S educational
system" and got from him the explana-
| ton that he was meditating one day
and God revealed to him that schools
existed which the English wrecked" AS
matter of fact, Miss Sorabji declared,
the educational system" which did
exist prior to Britains going to India