PANDITA RAMA.BAL
[TO Tax EDITOR OF TES SPIBOT8TOR."1 Bra,—In the Spectator of May 8th Miss Tait calls attention to an error in your review of Mrs. Diver's book, "The Englishwoman in India,' as regards Pandita Ramabai's great and successful work. I have now Mrs. Diver's book before me, and find that it contains some curious misstatements as to the present condition Of Rainabai's institution at "Mukti," Kedgaon, India. Mrs. Diver says that from the moment that Ramabai insisted on Christian ' teaching for her pupils "time doom of her enterprise was sealed." She describes how one by one the Indian widows under her care forsook her. Finally, Mrs. Diver affirms that "if she (Ramabai) still lives, one may safely add that she still works." Perhaps these statements can best be met by quoting directly from the 1908 American Ramabai Report, which contains an extract from a paper read by Mr. Welinkar before the National Indian Association at Caxton Hall, Westminster. Mr. Welinkar said :—" In reviewing our educational machinery in Western India, I must not leave unmentioned two very remarkable intititu- tionS. The first is a large widows' home which is called Mukti - Sedan, and was brought into existence by Pandita Ramabai, one of the most remarkable women, not only in India but, I shall venture to say, in the world. Hero is this great institution which comprises almost an entire village a few miles from Poonah Moro than two thousand women (most of them widows) are not only being clothed, fed, and educated, but what is more, are Clothing, feeding, and educating themselves." It is a fact that the iastitution is now Christian ; but this has in the long run only made it the more necessary for Paudita Ramabai to enlarge her borders, and now no destitute girl is turned away.
In England Pandits Ramabai gained many friends, amongst them Miss Dorothea Beale of Cheltenham. It is as treasurer of a fund, started by some former pupils of the Ladies' College, Cheltenham, to continue Miss Beale's subscription to the work of Pandits, Ramabai, who was for some time at the College, that I venture to ask for space in your columns to correct misrepre- sentations which, though wholly unintentional, might consider- ably lessen the support which is given to this brave and talented
Indian lady.—I am, Sir, kc., Eveurx C. GIODGE. 12 Montpellier Groue, Cheltenham.
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