Show r aa N L AND ITS PEOPLES by copt capt L R claud robinson Robt u M mr WHAT IS INDIA i E in generalities the average man knows known very little about dudla space there bus not been annihilated BB as in our weater n civilization by telegraphs newspapers bouk bonks telephones movies and whre wireless less to C comprehend 0 M a country even slightly you awa t anit I 1 it t to lo know it still better you must live in it and to know it best of all you soul must not only live in n a country but study its people their customs and mode of living I 1 dont 2 per cent of americans americana have had h id the advantage of seeing india it Is not therefore that hint we have the habit of speaking as if it were a country like france or italy instead of a continent or combination of countries like europe we are apt to forset forget that india has ba a population of co composed m po s ed of different races speaking different languages and practicing different religions we also forget tile the far reach lug results of caste a social or class clasa system under which every hindu la Is born into a group which for life defines his occupation method of living and even marriage limitations there are 2400 hindu castes in india and it Is difficult to realize thin that hindus out of a total of df 2 ahi are looked upon by the castes which are above abode them as untouchables or outcasts thousands ot of years ago when the cori quei ing aryans defended from froin the north and became rulers aud musters inu of india they formed a higher civilization than tile lie daik thick ventured aborigines and to preserve lhoir own purity of race decided to exclude the file earlier race from froin their mure intimate social settlements thus ihus originated this body of untouchables loud ing them or even omley coming into rentola contact conflict with them involves rhe high custe caste hindus in ceremonial dellI vinent ni it Is interesting intel to note mot in n re cent ut utter teran ame e tile the in ot the 0 people declared cluied de himell ahlm elt en oppi opposed sed to the policy of uni ula gandhi tile the instigator in ol of the movement of passive resistance in indin india just irmi imagine gine then a region rc kanii tile size of all europe exclusive esc luslie only of itus sin stretching over 28 S ilsegret ile gitts i ot it lull tude anil and 40 degrees decrees ot nt longitude with ft lib a population of nine great reli religions glimm and H dialects hi longings to 0 alx alla families of if saph ell thill IF IP from the point of view clew of the statistics istatt usually are jull dull and com mon things but nt at least tn in the case of indin we may ah that kiai they are it if their Is to be gru grasped sped we glubt clothe with flesh and blood this ahls can only be bi done by hard and exten extensive ive traveling in that vast mysterious and romantic land |