India's Hope

INDIAS HOPE By FRANCIS HENRY SKRINE, F. R. Hisx. S-, Indian Civil Service Retired LONDQH W. THACKER r CO, 2 CREED LANE, .0.4 CALCUTTA and SIMLA THACKER SPINK ST CO 1929 MADIJ.. AND PRXJSTtKD IN GRKAT BRITAIN BY THE GARDEN CITY MUSSSTWD., - WBTOH WORTH, BERTS LEFT TO RIGHT A. O, BROWN, A. W. PAUL, k. CORNISH, THE AUTHOR, J. A. Bo UR DILLON. RECRUITS FOR THE BENGAL CIVIL SERVICE, 1870. PREFACE foEows, too, that the realisation of Indias Hope for a prosperous future depends on co-operation between all who love her, irre spective of their birth and creed. In my con cluding chapters I have endeavoured to dispel the prejudice and rebut the calumny which now render that ideal impossible of attain ment. FRANCIS H. SKRINE. 147 Victoria Street, London, S. W. i. 1928. The substance of this book has appeared in the Calcutta Review for June, August atid October, 3 928. I DEDICATE THIS VINDICATION OF THE BENGALI CHARACTER TO SIR R. N. MOOKERJEB PREFACE THIS little book is mainly a defence of the educated Bengalis, who are styled Bhadra-16k in their vernacular speech and e Babus in Anglo-Indian parlance. It has, however, a wider application. There is a remarkable identity of racial character and culture in the Intelligentsia throughout India the Kayasthas of Bihar, the Maratha Brahmins of the Madras Presidency and the Parsis of Bombay closely resemble the Bengali Babus, and like them have been the target for many a poisoned shaft. Moreover, the great Aryan family includes no superior no inferior races. Civilisation is largely a question of physical environment, and the most advanced race has not cast the slough left by past stages of social growth. Conversely, I have used the adjective English todenote the British element in the population of our far-flung Empire My initial chapters are necessarily based on personal experience. I wished to contrast the political status of Indians in the past and at the present day, in view of show ing the vast improvement which half a cen tury has brought. The English have put forth vii PREFACE their utmost efforts to make the Self-denying Ordinance of 1919 a reality and they may legitimately expect an equal degree of loyalty in their Indian partners. Many tremendous problems await solu tion but the increasing pressure of popula tion is the crux of Indias economic situation. This burning question is dealt with in a re cently published Appendix to the Report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture. Irri gation and modern science have decupled the production of food, but every improvement is sooner or later neutralised by an increase of population A final catastrophe is, indeed, adumbrated in the Commissioners query Whether ultimately the standard of living will break under the stress of population, or whether some conscious check will be imposed for maintaining intact the standard of living Nature, red of tooth and claw redresses the balance by means of war, pestilence and famine All these have been eliminated in British India, but the conscious effort which strives to adjust numbers to resources is still to seek. The inference is that the appalling poverty of the masses in every pro vince arises from their lack of foresight, and not from the fs exploitation charged by extremists against the British regime It viii CONTENTS CHAPTER I PACK CALCUTTA MEMORIES i CHAPTER II RURAL BENGAL IN THE SEVENTIES - 16 CHAPTER III THE EXPANSION OF ENGLAND - - 28CHAPTER IV THE BENGALI INTELLIGENTSIA - - 37 CHAPTER V SOME DETRACTORS, LORD MACAULAY AND Miss KATHERINE MAYO - - 48 APPENDIX THE AUTHOR AND HIS PANTHER, 1877 ...... 56 XI ILLUSTRATIONS RECRUITS FOR THE BENGAL CIVIL SERVICE, 1870 - Frontispiece THE AUTHOR AND HIS PANTHER, 1877 56 Xlll CHAPTER I CALCUTTA MEMORIES Voyage to Calcutta in 1870 Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malta, and Alexandria Cleopatras Needle by rail to Suez the old s. s...