That Eurasian

by Aleph Bey

I have always considered, and I do not speak from guess or supposition, but from what I know, that the zemindars, or village owners, are the greatest curse of India, unless they do something for their people, and not one out of a hundred, or even one in a thousand, does that.

Next unto these zemindars is the army of brazen robbers, the jamadars, who collect the rents. They live on the villagers, while with them, and take all the dastoori and plunder they can lay their hands on. The poor people might better welcome a swarm of locusts than these plunderers. I never employed a jamadar to do my collecting, but went myself, and each ryot placed his money in my hands as I sat by a table under the big tree. All paid willingly, as they knew the exact amount, and that there would be no extortion.

Another thing. I allowed no bunyas or money-lenders about. These are another set of leeches, who suck the life blood of the poor in the shape of interest on money advanced on the crops, at from one hundred to two hundred per cent. profit. I have often wondered that a government, half civilized or even a quarter enlightened, should not pass a law against this accursed system of usury, and so protect the poor from wholesale robbery. These harpies are worse than thieves, for they plunder under protection of government, and can collect their extortionate demands by means of law, and in the government courts. I found that several of these fat sleek fellows paid regular visits to my villages, and I well knew from the nature of these animals that they did not go without a purpose. One day I called the ryots together and discovered that a number of them were paying from fifty to one hundred per cent. for loans—a profit to these extortioners that not a mercantile man of Calcutta, or his wicked partner, hardened though they be, would expect. I made a list of the names, with the amounts. I told them that I wanted all this borrowing stopped at once. I drew up a paper, and said that I would advance the sums they had borrowed, without any interest, on condition that they would make their marks on the paper promising never to borrow from the bunyas again. And they all agreed and signed. I got no interest, but received what was better, the good will of these poor men. I advised them to wear their rags, and live on weeds, rather than go in debt. I loaned them money, but at the same time I tried to give them a lesson in political economy. I gave not only one talk, but repeated it. The result was excellent. In a couple of years there was not a man in the villages who owed a rupee. They had a pride about this, for knowing my feelings, it became a disgrace for a man to borrow, and any one was marked when he went into debt. I got a good deal of pleasure out of this in the hatred of the bunya tribe.

Another thing I noticed. Before my improvements and the new regime, the people went to different melas to see the tamashas, for however low and poor a people are, they will have their pleasures. I have read this somewhere. “One way of getting an idea of our fellow men’s miseries is to go and look at their pleasures.” I have often thought of this when seeing the simple trifling amusements of the millions of India people at a mela. How narrow and empty the minds that could take any pleasure in what they enjoy! My whole feeling toward them was pity, even to sadness, as to bring tears to my eyes. Immortal souls, with no desires worthy of immortality!

After a few years, what with the improved culture of the fields, the gardens, the trees, flowers, our fairs and school exhibitions, the people had so much to look forward to and prepare for, that they had no time or inclination to run about the country, or go away from home for amusement.

I made very few rules, but gave many suggestions which they were very quick to take up. Once in our assembly under the big tree, one of the younger men wore a rather earthy looking coat. I suggested that he ask his wife to loan him her clean sari. He left at once and soon appeared with a nice clean coat to the amusement of the company. This little hint was enough, and they showed respect by appearing as cleanly as possible.

I gave them a lecture on the impurities of water and showed them by means of a magnifying glass, first to the women and then to the men, what hideous creatures there were in foul water, to their great disgust, for I saw it in every face, and explained that when they drank such water, and all these clawing, wriggling creatures got into their insides, they would see bhuts, ghosts, even in the day time, and get fever, cholera and all other diseases.

I may have magnified even the truth in this, but as it is what all medical men do when they wish to frighten their simple-minded patients, my little exaggeration was excusable. I talked very plainly to them of the nasty, filthy habit of the Hindus, washing their bodies and rinsing their mouths in the foul pools, and then using the water for drinking and cooking purposes. Of all the customs of the India people this is the vilest, and often have I seen these self styled holy Brahmins, so fastidious as not to drink water out of my clean glass, yet bathing in water so foul that I would not allow my dog to be washed in it, and then drinking the same water.

The Government sends to Europe for learned Medicos to come out here at great expense and publishes octavos on the prevention of disease, and yet allows these talaos or cess-pools to exist near every village, the very hot walloes and breeding places of nearly every kind of disease. It is a very soft thing for these gentlemen to get such a pleasure trip, and that is about all there is in it, except the taxes on the people to pay the bills.

I think my talks on this subject were a great success, as I saw afterward that the people were particular to get water for drinking and domestic purposes from the wells, and the water for bathing they carried away from the tank to use outside.