THE CHANGING FACE OF INDIA

[Music] sound level and focus the lens be start of the picture. In a moment, the focus chart and music will end followed by 5 seconds of screen before the actual picture begins. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce myself? My name, a student at a Christian college. Some people are surprised to see an Indian dressed like this. They seem to have the turban and flowing robes. However, my present attire is to be seen more and more in the India of today. In fact, this is why the division of world missions has asked me to come and tell you of the changing face of India and what that means to Christians everywhere. Perhaps the best way to begin is to show you some of the old India, the scenes that come to most people's minds when they think of my country. It may be that you think first of the temples of India's ancient religion or you may visualize the incomparable Taj Mahal majestic by day and by moonlight the vision of serene beauty never to be erased from the mind. You may think of the Ganges river and the Hindus who call its waters sacred. Or perhaps you will reflect upon the followers of India's other faiths, the Muslims, Sikhs, Parsies and many more. [Applause] You will think of crowds for India has 1/5if of the world's people in less than half the area of the United States. And you will think of Indian philosophy, mysticism, passivity, detachment from the realities of the modern world. Yes, such things do exist in India. And yet there has been a change. A change that involves you as a Christian. No matter where you may live, no matter what your church. As you know, my country has been in conflict with its neighbor to the north, communist China. India is trying to keep our borders intact and to preserve our democratic pattern of government for the welfare of our people. Many nations will judge the strength of democracy by whether Indian democracy goes down in defeat or withstands communism. And that means that you as a citizen of a democracy founded on Christian principles have a responsibility to help strengthen India's greatest defense against godless communism, namely Christianity. You may ask, what can you do to help? Well, let me show you some of the ways in which my people are helping themselves. Some examples of the changes I have mentioned. We are in the capital of India, New Delhi, watching a parade symbolizing one great change. This military equipment shows how India has abandoned much of her old philosophy, her detachment from reality, and how my people have changed from passivity to armed preparedness against Chinese communist aggression. This is far from the passive resistance Indians used in Mahatma Gandhi's time. This is preparedness for active resistance in defense of freedom for a greater future you can help to build. Bad pipes in India. Yes, they were introduced during the British colonial days. And now the honor guard of the man who is leading this great change in India's attitude. This change from passivity to a willingness to fight against domination by communist China. Prime Minister Neu. Neu was a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and although he defends India against aggression, he insists he has not abandoned Gandhi's principle. You'll see many other signs of progress. Railroads, long a part of Indian life, are used by more people every day. And city traffic is becoming almost like that of America. Pedestrian traffic is even thicker, and you may be surprised at how many city people work in offices, just as many Americans do. An occasional Christian church stands in scenes more often associated with traditional India. There are hundreds of little shops whose fronts are always open, not only for advertising but because of the hot and sultry climate that influences all Indian life. [Music] And on the skyline everywhere you see the symbols of another influence, the temples and mosques of India's leading religions. Over 300 million Indians follow the Hindu religion. About 70 million most in Pakistan are Muslims. To Hindus the holiest place on earth is the Ganges river at Bernare. They believe that the water flows from the top knot of the Hindu god Shiva and that he whose ashes are thrown into the stream passes into salvation. They also believe that the waters of the river will cleanse all sins from the living. And so every Hindu tries to come here at least once in his life to let the river wash away all his misdeeds before he passes into his next incarnation. For reincarnation is another part of the Hindu belief. In contrast to this is Christianity now accepted by about 10 million Indians in spite of the many difficulties presented by the customs and conditions of our Indian life. Christian missionaries must cope with one of these difficulties. The cast system which although technically abolished affects everyone in this congregation as it does the people of every village and town. Let me explain what cast means in India. These are Brahmen, the highest cast regarded as pure and holy by all devout Hindus. Brahinss usually are Hindu priests or educators. Next come the warriors of India. The cast called thehatrias. This cast includes the rulers, noblemen and civil administrators. Below this are the vaas, a sort of middle class including many occupations. Among them are the merchants, even those with small shops. At one time a Hindu could not accept food from anybody of a lower cast than his own. But nowadays most foods are acceptable from anyone. Among the middle and lower casts the barriers are slowly disappearing. So even the deeply rooted traditional ways are beginning to show change. The merchants who sell India's beautiful cloth are also included in the vaia cast. And so are the weavers. Even those who work in a slow and primitive way like these men in a typical Indian village. The goldsmiths and other artisans are viceas too, producing the finest work with amazingly simple tools. The landowners are also in the vaia cast, but those who do the actual labor here are sudras, the cast of workers and servants. [Music] More people work at farming than in any other occupation. For with my country's 500 million, every available acre of ground must be made to produce food and as rapidly as possible. [Music] [Applause] In summer, the most important crops are millet, corn, and rice. When these have been harvested, the ground is planted with winter crops of various vegetables important to the Indian diet. Devout Hindus do not eat meat and they will not kill animals. But these beasts still serve a purpose. Though cattle are regarded as sacred by Hindus, they are worked on the road and in the field. These men who work with the animals are outside the cast system. The people once called the untouchables. They do the real drudgery. Until recent years, these people were looked down upon by all casts and treated almost as subhuman. It was Mahatma Gandhi who first tried to help them. He gave them the name of Harajans which means children of God. But many of them still do the most menial jobs for little pay. Among other tasks, the Harajans handle the work of scavenging and collecting refuge. Certainly a necessary service but one which higher cast Hindus regard as unclean. Segregation is also a reality for the children of God. They live in separate villages and are often denied worship in the Hindu temples. Temples were forbidden territory for them until 1950. Now officially at least they are allowed inside, but much of the old feeling against them still exists. Many years ago, Christian missionaries went to these people's ghettos and began teaching them of Jesus. Tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. But for a long time, those who accepted Christ found themselves on a lower level than even the outcast. A Christian woman might be driven away from the village. Well, A man too poor to buy matches might be refused coals to start his fire. And the so-called untouchable himself an outcast who did the menial work of washing clothes might refuse service to a Christian. Today however things have changed. All in this congregation are respected though some still have problems like these two. Mr. Vivacam and his son. They find in the pastor's words the promise of a better life and have accepted Christ. But this man, Mr. Bala Krishna Ready, although he attends services, has not yet joined the church. Let us see why. Mr. Ready is the guiding spirit of a remarkable institution, a youth hostel. It's an application of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in regard to the hurigans, the children of God. Although Mr. Ready belongs to an upper cast, he has devoted years to helping boys and girls of this lowest class to receive food, shelter, and education. He is helped by the government and although not a church member, by the mission. 600 of the 1,700 youngsters here have become Christians. These young ladies are going to high school and had they remained in their villages they might never have learned to read and write. Mr. Readyy's work is certainly a great one and his joy in doing it is reflected in the faces of these girls. Just contrast these smiles with the misery you saw among other Harleans a few minutes ago. Yes, although this man has not yet joined the church, what he is doing is something all Christians can approve. Before I explain his problem, let's watch his boys do some gymnastics. And we must give the girls their turn, too. This is a folk dance inspired by that beautiful Indian bird, the peacock. [Music] And you must also see how these 1700 young people are fed. It's just like an army chow line. At this meal, the dish is hot curried rice. Perhaps a bit highly seasoned for your taste, but delicious to us Indians. Girls get the same food in the same simple, practical way. Are you surprised that they eat with their fingers? It's the custom in our villages. It's also the custom to wash your hands very thoroughly before you eat. I wonder in America, do small boys always wash before they eat and wash their own dishes afterward. But with all the happiness he gives, Mr. Ready has a problem. He is going now to talk with government officials and Hindu teachers, all from upper casts. If he joins the Christian church as he wishes to do, they may withdraw their support. And how will he feed 1700 youngsters? When he takes his problem to the missionary, neither can find an immediate answer. He earnestly desires to commit himself to Christ. And of course, the mission will continue to help him in any case. But mission funds alone are not enough to support his work unless the churches in America increase their contributions. And so he attends services but he cannot yet become a church member. Now consider the problem of Mr. Vivakam and his son. They come from the Harajan group and are members of the church and the fuller richer life they have found in Christ is reflected in their family and home. Mr. Mr. Vivacam's daughter and daughter-in-law are not forbidden to use the village well as were Christians in bygone years. They are respected and even admired by their Hindu neighbors. Their lives are a beautiful blending of Christian principles and traditional village customs such as the grinding of one's own salt which Mrs. Bivikam does in our ancient Indian way. In this family, education is also cherished. The younger son is starting studies at a Hindu university and it is Mr. Vivacam's hope that he will be able to rise high in the world of the future as India also moves forward. He is proud and pleased by the way the boy absorbs new ideas from the books he brings home to study and by the way in which he discusses them with his older brother. And yet in this very eagerness there is a potential problem. It is a problem Mr. Vivacam is hoping to forestoall by gathering the whole family for daily Bible reading praying that the teachings of Jesus and the great truths of God's holy word will become an integral part of his son's life to guide every thought and every action to guard him against the danger he is sure to encounter at the university. The danger is that it is a Hindu university based on the principles of the Hindu religion. And here the boy will meet other young men with religious backgrounds radically different from his own. He will talk with other students and with his eagerness to absorb new ideas. He will inquire into their religious philosophies, compare them with his own Christianity, perhaps be influenced by other religions. It is possible that he will meet exchange students from other parts of the world who are Christians. But in this Hindu university, they will be in the minority. A handful of Christians among thousands of believers in Hinduism. [Music] The dire need of the moment is for a Christian youth center to be built at the university. Here is one way in which your support of missions can accomplish much. Christian workers in India are striving to bring the message of Christ into more schools. But with present resources, it is difficult to gain a foothold in Hindu institutions of learning. Some of the students at this girl school are Christians and the Hindu head mistress is friendly toward the missionary. But the atmosphere The same is true of the area around the school where Christian students see not a single symbol of the one true God. Only temple after temple erected to the many gods and the complex of mysticism and superstition that is the faith of restless millions. Here an especially strange site. Each year Hindus make pilgrimages up this line of temple seven miles sometimes on their hands and knees and at the temple on the summit of the mountain they undergo a strange pagan ritual sacrificing their hair as an offering to the gods. Yes, outside of Christian schools, not a sign of Christian influence, only symbols of Hinduism. People at their ancient superstitious rituals of paganistic purification around the temples, Hindus expounding the principles of their faith to all who will listen. How greatly, my friends, need youth centers to bolster their Christian faith here. Now come with us to see some Christian schools where there is another kind of influence. These girls are marching from their dormatory to high school at the mission center. At this center, these younger children go to a Christian elementary school where they not only follow the government approved curriculum but also study the word of God. [Music] [Applause] [Music] In another group, we find this class of young girls learning English. This will not only help them in future work among the many English-speaking Indians, but will assist them in their nation's contacts with the rest of the world. They are reviewing simple words, the English ones for mouth, eye, and ear. But nearby are some much younger children who like to sing in this language. Would you care to hear them? [Music] Happy happy HAPPY [Applause] students learn a new respect for their country in these Christian schools as they salute the flag that represents the new India and its growing importance in the free world. Here the girls not only learn of Christianity but enjoy the beautiful traditional music of our own land. [Music] [Applause] [Music] As a missionary speaks to the staff of the school, we see how those who serve the Lord throughout this area maintain close contact with the teachers whose vital job it is to instruct the young. While we visit still another Christian school, this one for boys, we may wonder how many of these youngsters who might have grown up as pagans had it not been for such schools, will become the leaders of the new India, the India of tomorrow. [Music] We also have Christian industrial schools for women to help them adjust to the new India. Missionaries have recognized that few girls are trained for skilled work and are teaching them such trades as professional needle work. When sold, their work helps support the school. Now, another example of practical help the Christian way. We are visiting a mission operated hospital. The poor of India once had no place to go when in need of medical treatment. But missionaries with the help of their home churches are building such modern hospitals as this staffed by Indians, Americans and Europeans and making the finest care and treatment available to all regardless of cast or religion. In fact, cast is forgotten here. A doctor may be of one cast another, but the message of salvation is never neglected. By example and by word, Christian doctors help to spread the good news of the gospel as they work with people of other faith. Nearby is a striking example of Christian love, the lepers section. This victim of India's all too common disease is only mildly affected and may be able to return home after treatment has cured him. But there are others who will never be able to leave here. People that even the most highly skilled treatment can never cure. Such people would be homeless, driven out from every village were it not for this Christian love and concern. The love is returned with willing work as the patients help to provide for their own needs and those of the mission. [Music] Perhaps this scene at the well will remind you of the words of Jesus. The water I give shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life. [Music] The same care that is given to adults is extended to the children of lepers. They are examined frequently for any signs of the disease. So it may be treated and stopped while there is still time. Take you to one of our villages to see Christianity. Here we find one of my countrymen who has been converted to Christianity now devotes his life to carrying the teaching people. The training of such Indian missionaries and work of Christian leaders have agreed on the need of the local church its full responsibility for the proclamation of the gospel in accordance with the command of Christ to his disciple. Sometimes the Indian missionary is a woman as in this village service where the leader is a Bible woman. For the first time, these children are hearing a story loved by children around the world of a night in another village, one called Bethlehem, when angels told of the birth of our redeemer. In another small town, an evangelistic band, as we call these traveling Christian workers, prepares for an outdoor meeting. For these people, the gospel in picture and sound may be a new experience, one that can vitally affect their lives for Christ. In still another place, the message of Christianity is carried by music with hymns written in the language of the villages. And again, it may be preached in a church, perhaps a large one like this, or a humble mudwalled church, Mo village. so small one wonders how it possibly can hold all the people in its congregation or another still smaller even more humble but filled with the presence of God. More churches and larger churches are definitely needed in my country to meet the needs of the constantly growing number of Christians. Our seminary graduates go out to serve these places both large and small. Seminaries must grow to meet the needs of social and national change. And faculties and instruction must be strengthened. For as the church moves forward, the role of the missionaries will shift to that of educators and counselors, teachers and guides for our own church leaders. The day of the indigenous church has come and the missionaries are adapting themselves to such progress. They are assisting the Indian church to expand its evangelistic work supported by our own people. Your prayers and your help are needed now on behalf of my people, your Indian brethren. Needed to help the Indian church become a strong and vital force in the new India. The old passivity of India is gone. Its people are moving with a new determination. But the end result of that move is your responsibility as a Christian. As these girls grow into womanhood, will they find Christian churches near their homes? Churches built and kept open by their own people to keep them faithful to the one true God. As both girls and boys reach the university level, will they find Christian centers in Hindu colleges? Or will they be lost to Christ through the influence of pagan religions all around them? It is at this level that we may lose forever the souls that have been won in the Christian preparatory school along with all the children to whom Christian elementary teachers have devoted so much work so many prayers during their early formative years. And along with our work in education, we must continue our primary objective spreading the message of Jesus among the people of every town and village. You as a Christian certainly do not want to let these souls drift away from Jesus, drift back to idolatry and superstition and be lost to the dark forces that have stifled my country's progress through so many thousands of years. You must help them to remain in the true Christian sense children of God.