Back To Bombay (1950s)

[Music] [Music] the missionary returning to his station abroad Thrills at Bombay Island City of India he has made this place his home since 1928 and its buildings and streets are more familiar to him than those of any American city he recalls Marine Drive home of Bombay's professional people one of the most striking residential areas in the world he remembers the campus of the University of Bombay where India's youth searches for the knowledge to build a flourishing [Music] country the old high court building has stood unchanged during India's struggle for Independence but the missionary knows that the social and political changes have been far reaching and deep he is returning to a new India the traditional architecture of Bombay is a reminder of a rich and ancient culture but the India of today is no mere picture gallery of a colorful past India is a free Nation filling her rightful place among the other free nations of the world creating a new political history that that is as different from the old as day is from night [Music] Ross Thomas asks himself what of Christianity in the new India in what new ways has the Christian Ministry met the needs of the [Laughter] people the the missionary and his family have a love for the East which they will never lose the emotional and spiritual Ties That Bind them to this land are strong whatever the future may hold for India to this family Bombay will always be home the familiar sights and the faces of Old Friends make absence seem a matter of days rather than months there are scores of questions to be answered about the ocean voyage and about family and friends in America and there are questions to be raised about friends in Bombay and about the work of the church but these must wait until after the visit to the customs house the details of Customs completed the new arrivals are greeted by their Christian friends and given an assurance that the church in Bombay is as strong as ever here certainly is a loyal Remnant that will persist here is the leevan at work on every hand are reminders of a new and Independent India Bombay has its share of the prosperous and well to do however most of the Bombay streets have changed but little and there has been little change in the plight of the people Bombay contains some of the most crowded areas in the world in one section of the city the Census records nearly 1,000 people per [Music] acre the missionary family returns to their old home located in one of the most densely populated areas of the city this is the beginning of a new chapter in the work of the veteran missionary already the memories of the recent months of Furlow are giving way to visions of the job that is being done by his co-workers here in India Ross Thomas has come back to put his talents to work along with the Indian pastors doctors nurses teachers and others United in a common effort to make Christ and his teachings a reality in this new India yes the missionary and his family have truly come [Music] home what is the extent of the task in India one can get a glimpse of it by taking an evening walk through the congested areas of town countless millions in India are desperate the streets of the city are the only homes that many have ever known in Bombay alone more than 200,000 people are homeless after months spent in the Comforts of American Life Ross Thomas had almost forgotten the desperate character of the need the need for shelter the need for food and clothing the need for health and friendship and knowledge the need for human [Music] dignity several different missions work together in the intermission business office the treasurer for the activities of the mission must keep accounts and an up-to-date record of the mission's property in Bombay area much has happened during his Furlow new avenues of service have been opened up and the work has been extended in all directions it will be necessary to review what has been done and to come AB breast of the progress that has been made The Ledger will tell part of the story the receipt of funds from local sources and from Christians at home in America and the dispersement of money to purchase the endless supplies and equipment needed to run an active Mission it will help if he visits the many branches of the mission service the schools at Ahmad nager the Cil fiber industry the nagpa neighborhood house here in Bombay and the others [Music] the work of the ngpa neighborhood house is dedicated to serving those for whom there is no respit in the fight for survival located in one of Bombay's most densely populated areas this Pioneer settlement was opened in 1927 to serve men women and children of all Creeds and from all backgrounds the rich and the poor the illiterate and the educated each day destitute youngsters are given milk and multi-purpose food to supplement an otherwise inadequate diet a day Nursery is maintained for 50 Children of working mothers a medical center and dental clinic are at the service of the needy Dr Modi who has been a member of the staff since the program's beginning has inspired the confidence of hundreds of women in the nagpa district over 80 women and children come to her each day for treatment and [Music] care but the people of the land need more than food and medical attention they need help to help themselves El among the many services offered is a handicraft Training Center which provides instruction in sewing metal work leather work rug making and other [Music] [Applause] crafts in addition to the parcels shipped to America a Bombay sales room has also been opened where the handwork of these people can be exhibited and [Music] sold this sharing back and forth has led to calling these boxes Shar Parcels as each one is packed and shipped to the United States some of India's poorest citizens are being helped to earn a modest but adequate living one cannot overestimate the lift in morale that is given by this simple yet effective service Evangelistic work is a major activity of the mission in Bombay in the matunga area Christians and non-christians alike are served by the Reverend Mr SAR pastor and evangelist a graduate of the Theological Seminary in Puna Mr SAR has been serving the area for 8 years in this Suburban District live many of the poorest of Bombay's working people their homes are the chaws simple Dwelling Places constructed of galvanized iron from one to three families occupy each inadequate unit under such physical handicaps living conditions can never be satisfactory sanitation is poor and cleanliness a distant ideal almost impossible to attain the immensity of the job ahead is appreciated by every Christian worker [Music] the local Pastor is concerned about India's Millions but he knows they must be reached one at a time with a compassionate and understanding heart the individual in need with his unique problems and his personal wants is the great concern of 20th century missions and the individual in need is also the great concern of the pastor in the crowded District of matunga the Christians now constitute 2% of the population Mr SAR pastors a Congregation of 225 members the heart of the new matunga of Tomorrow the chars of the warley district not far from matunga are much like the tenaments of a large American city with as many as 10 persons living in a single room the mission faces a real challeng challenge in its task of educating the residents toward a Christian way of life the people of India have a deep mystical nature and they show a ready interest in Christian literature men who work in the local Mills and factories and who have been heret for hard to reach for Christ now increasingly listen to the representatives of the church with the same respect and concern as is shown by the women but there is no easy substitute for the hours of patient labor that build a Christian Community no quick path to success and progress is slow yes progress is slow but the results are lasting tangible evidence of those lasting results can be seen in the warly church a good example of of interdenominational cooperation with the combined effort of six different missions the residents of warley erected this house of [Music] worship Ministers of several denominations share both preaching and pastoral responsibilities dividing the work along mutually beneficial lines that rise above sectarian interests the children are afforded the same Christian training that is is available to most American youngsters they and their parents make up a strong and vigorous component of the body of [Music] Christ at nager the campuses of four educational institutions merge to form one of the finest strongholds of Christian instruction in India young men and women of India can receive a high school education or train to be teachers in India's schools or acquire bachelor's degrees in either the Arts or the Sciences the teachers training College was founded in 1864 and was one of the first of its kind today its enrollment is over 50 men and women the heads of the four schools confer regularly on matters of curriculum and the problem of making more effective the religious instruction offered in each Mr Barnabas is principal of Ahmad nagar College which was founded in 1947 and is the newest of the four institutions the principal of the girls high school is Mrs Jacob that of the boys is Mr pundit Mr pundit guides the ACT activity of over 500 High School boys while Mrs Jacob oversees the instruction of more than 600 girls the teachers training college is supervised by Mr sulle who like his colleagues about him occupies a position once held by an American missionary today the schools at Ahmad nagar are directed entirely by skilled Indian Personnel Professor Manon is one of the college's many capable teachers in his biology class he presents the order of the universe and The Wonder of creation from the Christian point of view gradually and surely the natural world points the student to Christ [Music] not far from Amad nagar at the United theological College in Puna men and women are given Seminary training for full-time Christian service this school is a union Enterprise in which several missions and churches participate classroom training is put into practice as groups of future Christian leaders move out into the villages to conduct services and witness to the transforming power of the Gospel [Music] another aspect of our mission to India deals with economic needs the CLE plant of India produces a strong White Fiber from which a variety of useful and decorative articles can be created this valuable natural resource is converted into a profitable Enterprise for the people of the Amad nagar area [Music] with the seasoned help of a director from the mission the Cil fiber industry has created work for many unemployed women and a comfortable living for countless families through this unique Venture new dignity and confidence have been given to many [Music] lives first step in the process is the thorough combing of the raw fire so that it may be dyed and braided while the children of the working mothers wait patiently the Tangled waste fiber a byproduct of the combing process is Twisted on a spinning frame from it a stout cord is made for the weaving of rugs while more rapid methods for processing the raw fibers have been developed the rate of production is not as important as the number of people who can be given constructive employ [Music] employment after the fiber has been carefully combed it is dyed in an array of vivid [Music] colors Nimble fingers skillfully braid the colored strands in preparation for the final step somewhere in the process a job is found for both young and old a community of fellowship and common concern is established a direct and visible fruit of the Christian [Music] faith at last the braided fiber is converted into a wide assortment of accessories wearing apparel and household articles the opportunities for creative minds and fertile imaginations are endless the cyle fiber industry deals with much more than its colorful products it develops human resources and strengthens the fibers of human courage and Faith Mrs Gad whose husband is a prominent Christian leader is superintendent of the workers with the director she checks the finished articles ready to find a market in other parts of India and [Music] abroad a few miles from the mission colleges and cyle fiber Enterprise is vadala here is located the missions vocational school where young boys are receiving practical knowledge of the latest developments in Agricultural Science s on the school Farm students go into the fields to Furrow and plant water and harvest in this natural laboratory they are encouraged to make their own decisions and taught how to correct their mistakes the instruction is in the hands of trained teachers George Smith received training at Cornell University before returning to India to serve as assistant manager of the farm India's Future Farmers learned from him how to harness the elements of nature for the good of their country they learned to develop larger and better crops from their planting they learn to apply proven methods of insect control and how to prevent the diseases peculiar to various plants they learn what crops will grow best in in various soils and how to treat the soil for the greatest yield the introduction of machines in certain rural areas of India can mean the difference between food and famine an extension worker from the school at vadala helps the local farmers transform the barren soil into fertile [Music] Fields parts of India like certain areas of most countries have a serious water shortage a simple tool such as a water pump can make the earth green and bring life to its people [Music] from the small Mission hospital at vidala the staff makes regular and frequent trips to the surrounding Villages traveling with the hospital's mobile dispensary Dr cugina and her co-workers carry The Healing Ministry of medicine to the sick and the injured bringing hope to the Hopeless and health to The Afflicted nurse guy quad is dedicated to this ministry as are scores of her country women throughout India but an army of trained Indian nurses and doctors is needed to meet the demand for medical care the great physician himself stretched forth his hand to the lame and the blind his followers today continue to extend his Mercy in the love and compassion that is born of God [Music] the simplest methods of treatment and medication if made widely available to the millions of India's poor could heal the bodies of thousands of children and the misery of millions of the countries Afflicted none of the missions work in India is more important than Village evangelism for the great bulk of India's people live outside the large cities the Reverend Mr bosay coordinator of church and Evangelistic work in the Bombay area has returned from study in the United States well equipped to bring his countrymen new spiritual insights and to lead them to new heights of service here is the Christian reaching out to help others to become Christian here is the churchmen urging and teaching others to be better churchmen a strong and growing church has been established in India among the untutored people of the villages and Farms old and young alike are hearing the scriptures and discovering the way to a rewarding Christian Life out of the Indian Congregation of yesterday has arisen the Christian leadership of today this poar is but one example gifted as a teacher and speaker she supervises all the women's work in the Bombay area Ross Thomas has come back to Bombay and has seen with his own eyes evidence of a great change in India within his own lifetime there has been a great transformation changing the face of the land politically socially religiously he rejoices in this and in the hopes and aspirations of his Indian friends his humble prayer is that his fellow Christians in America America will by their concern and their gifts through their own churches join hands with the Christians of this land helping them to meet the challenge of the new day for their Church in India