Page:Hyderabad in 1890 and 1891; comprising all the letters on Hyderabad affairs written to the Madras Hindu by its Hyderabad correspondent during 1890 and 1891 (IA hyderabadin1890100bangrich).pdf/18

page 10 The Chairman by way of explaining the object of the meet- ing said: He was sure that all present missed the presence amidst them of the Rajah Murli Manehur Bahadur, the President. He was sorry that the Rajah was not where he was to advise them with regard to the proposition that had brought them together, and by his words throw the weight of his influence as a member of one of oldest and noblest Hindu families in the State into the scale against any possible oppo- sition in high places. But this consoled him, that the Rajah had been in the Club's rooms a few hours previously, and called away by urgent business elsewhere, left assurance of his sympa- thy with the object of the meeting and as such would no doubt subscribe his name to the memorial that might be voted to be submitted to the Government by the meeting. Then reading out Mr. Krishnamachari's proposition, he continued: He knew every one would admit that the advantages accruing from a sojourn, however short, in the land of the most enlightened people on the face of the earth, the English-in the land of those whom Providence had put in charge of the destinies of India were very great. If a short sojourn by reason of giving an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the West was so advantageous, how much more must it be when made with the object of an educational training there? Whether the Shastras allowed of Hindus crossing the seas or not, he could not say. Opinions were divided upon the point-the same passages in the Shastras were differently construed. But this he could say, the times in which we were living were not the same as those in which our ancestors had lived, that we could not, with impunity, remain stationary while all the rest of the world was moving, that the wave of enlightenment, of advanced thought was growing bigger and bigger day by day, that the tide was increasing in volume and to stem it back would be attended with grave consequences. As to antagonism to Hindus going to England, it was not as strong as it had been-as time advanced it grew weaker. The caste people, even Brahmins, were now, in a way of course, willing to admit their England-returned