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FRAGMENTS OF A PRISONER'S DIARY
possession-never as a play-mate, not even a plaything, but just a possession."
*יי
The pious defenders of Indian traditions and the ideals of Indian culture are perturbed by the spread of Western influence among the educated women of the younger generation. They not only deplore the tendency, but publicly castigate the corrupt for deserting the noble ideals of Indian womanhood. But in doing so, they themselves expose the sign Gcance of these cherished heals.
In a meeting held on March 20, 1936 under the auspices of Delhi Women's League, such an authoritative exponent of Hindu culture 23 Dr. Bhagwan Das declared: "We must not talk in terms of equality between man and woman. They are both halves of humanity. We must rather talk in terms of companionship than equality." It is all very bewildering-this mystification of the simplest things. For harmonious relationship between man and woman, equality is not necessary. But these very custodians of Indian culture, as politicians, criticise the doctrine of India's partnership in the British Empire on the ground that true partnership is possible only on the basis of equality. Have they been talking nonsense all this time? Or do they talk through their pugrees or Gandhi caps, while expounding the metaphysics of the relation between man and
*Nilima Devi, "Hindusthan Times", February 10, 1936.
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