The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-01-15
MONTANA FARMERS HELP POINT WAY
TO BETTER WORLD UNDERSTANDING

catch our breath and watch them as
from the shore.
Then a small group hnrrying along
catches a glimpse of pale skinned
woman in strange type of dress
and comes over to ask questions.
Others. seeing a gathering crowd,
stop to see what could attract inter
est and suddenly we are engulfed
again with people peering over each
others shoulders all around us.
An American farmers clothes Gre
ate only passing interest since many
Indian men dress western style. But
farm woman's clothes are a great
curiosity. They are also interested
in my crocheting, but not at all sur
prised as most Indian women knit
or crochet. A good many are knitting
sweaters with intricate designs as
they walk through the fair. A major
ity of the women can't speak Eng
lish. I make friends with them with
smiles and gestures. Sometimes their
husbands interpret for us or our In
dian counterpart helps with the con-
versation.
Both men and women want our
autographs, and are often surprised
that can write. They are even more
surprised to learn that we do all our
own work. Women who can read and
write in India have servants to do
their work. They are astonished that
I pull weeds from our shelter belt
by hand or with hoe. They can hard
ly believe that can drive car and
run a tractor. Some of the women
feel of my hands and remark with
surprise that they are as hard as an
Indian woman's hands.
Our Indian counterparts are college
students or graduates who speak good
English as we'll as Hindu. One also
speaks Punjabi. He is often called
on by one of the others when villagers
from Punjab ask questions. But even
he is stumped when the villagers
come from the southern or eastern
provinces. There are fourteen recog-
nized languages in India, which makes
it impossible for even the highly
educated people to understand those
from every state.
The types of dress are even more
diverse than the languages and GER
tainly defy description. Only the
many pictures we are taking can
tell the story.
The government is running special
excursion trains and buses from the
villages. These people travel through
the exhibits in groups from one vii
Iage. A favorite article of apparel
IS a white sheet which is some times
twisted around the legs and tucked
n at the wait and sometimes draped
from the shoulders like the pictures
We see of Bible characters. Some
come carrying their bedding ON their
leads in great bundle and wearing
,art of it draped around their should
RS.
We have met and been photo
,raphed not only with these inter
,sting groups of villagers, but with
veil known people as we'll. Among
hese have been many government
minister's equivalen to our cabinet
members members of Parliament,
allied M.P.s, Mrs. Indra Gandhi,
laughter of Prime Minister Nehru,
J. S. Ambassador Bunker, Senator
,ase from South Dakota, and many
theirs.
Sometimes we feel like rare and
urious species of fish displayed in
n aquarium for intensive study and
Justification.
After all the attention we are get
ing here, am afraid we will get an
wful let-down when we get home
nd are just one of many average
american farm couples again.