Evening star., 1944-07-02

ment Tor the SAnlCar1um Wnlcn ne
heads at Simla, summer capital Of
India.
He bases his hopeful note Of
prophecy in regard to India's politi-
cal affairs on his almost lifetime
of medical service for India and the
Indians. Lord Sinha, the first In
dian to be appointed a member OF
the Indian governments Executive
Council, was one Of his patients.
As an instance of the gradual
process of self-determination in
government responsibility which is
In evidence today, in contrast with
the situation when he went out to
India In 1906, DR.. Menckel calls at
tention to the fact that the IL Brit
ish India provinces are making def
mite progress toward the goals set
up in the Cripps proposals. They
are practically independent in the
managing. of their internal affairs
in the governing of India, except
for the veto power retained at the
head, which is seldom exercised. The
same is true of the 600 independent
and sovereign states ruled by Indian
princes. They are now autonomous
in every phase Of self-governmeAt,
except in foreign relations.
On viceroy's Council.
He also emphasizes the favorable
changing status in India's some Co.
600 900 so-called depressed classes"
or "untouchables," originally disin-
herited and without equal rights.
Today DR.. B. r. Ambedkar, one Of
their leaders, is member Of the
Viceroy's Council.
As further examples of the par
ticipation of Indians in Indian af-
fairs, DR.. Menckel calls attention to
these significant statistics:
Out of a police force totaling
1877, officers, 900 are Europeans,
the rest are Indians. In India's
civil medical service, which We
were told goes much farther in its
ramifications than our U. S. Public
Health Service, 900 of its directives
are Indians and only 200 Europeans.
Even more overwhelming is the pro-
portion of 100000 Indian railway
employees to the $500 Europeans. In
the general administration of the
Government. the ratio is $3.50 In
dians to $50 Europeans. Likewise,
10 out of the IA members of the
Viceroy's Executive Council are In
dians.
Women Have Franchise.
While women have SO far failed
to win representation on any of the
administrative councils of the In
dian Government. they have the full
franchise. and their influence is
coming to be decisive one in many
of the issues prominently to the
fore in modern India. The Annual
ALI India Womens Congress. truly
represents every group of Indian
womanhood, and is an outstanding
example of the leavening power of
democratic evolution functioning
unselfishly toward the welfare of a
united India" DR.. Menckel says.
Yet, despite all of India progress
toward nationalism, DR.. Menckel
points out that the political aspects
and interests which India religious
groups advance and protect in the
name of religion make complete In
dian unity complicated problem
almost beyond the conception of
those who have not lived for a long
time in India.
India gravely needs the help of
foreign missions in two of her other
great major problems, he empha-
sizes. Only Is per cent of India S
population of 100000, 900, which is
increasing at the rate of 5000 900
annually is literate. Any attempt to
educate the remaining IS per cent of
a population of such staggering pro-
portions is an almost overwhelming
one. In addition to this, only two
persons out of an average family of
five can be maintained on the land
because of its augmentation into
such tiny holdings. This leaves the
finding of employment through in
dustrial development an ever present
necessity for the remaining three
f1fths of India's people, a gigantic