The Executive Officers.
The Hon’ble Justice Sir Narayan G. Chandavarkar
—President
Shet Damoderdas G. Sukhadwala, J. P. —
Vice-President.
Mr. P. B. Gothoskar, B. A. — Treasurer.
„ V. R. Shinde B. A. — General Secretary.
„ V. S. Sohoni—Assistant General Secretary.
Mrs. Laxmibai Ranaday—Secretary, Ladies'
Committee.
Mr. L. B. Nayak B. A.—Captain General of the
Rupee Fund.
Trustees.
Shet Damoderdas G. Sukhadwala, J. P.
Mr. Hari Sitaram Dixit, B. A., LL. B.
Mr. Yithal Ramji Shinde, B. A.
SCOPE OF WORK. ( For PDF Click here)
In all there are at present 15 Centres with 25 Schools, 5 boarding houses, 5 Theistic Congregations, 7 Other Institution, 55 Teachers, 1,100 pupils and 5 Missionaries
The extent of work and sphere of influence of this Mission may be classied in to sections as follow:-
Table 1 (For PDF Click here)
Nature of the Mission Work.
Speaking at the Prize Distribution of the Society on the 21st of March 1911, His Excellency Sir George Clarke, Governor of Bombay, observed “It is an Indian Society working for Indians, and we may feel sure that it is helping indirectly to mould opinion, and thus to produce effects which cannot be calculated in figures or embodied in reports. As I have said it has a doable mission to accomplish—to educate public opinion and to arouse sympathy for the wrongs of the Depressed Classes on the one hand, and to promote the education of these classes on the other,” Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, Ph. D. LL. D., remarks in the visitors’ book—“The whole institution is typical of the times in which reasonableness is invading the domain of prejudice and superstition”.
V. R. S.
THE ARYA SAMAJ OF INDIA.
The Arya Samaj is the second great theistic movement in India. It was started in 1875 by Swami Dayanand Sarswati (1824-1883), a Brabmin monk of a very powerful personality and great Sanskrit learning. He was the Luther of morden India. He held trenchant controversies with renowned orthodox Pandits and ruthlessly refused the authority of all the Hindu scriptures, except the orginal four Vedas, on which he exclusively based all his teachings about the one spiritual Godhead. He insisted on one particular school of Vedic interpretation, viz. of Yaska (about 500 B. C.) as the true one, and fearlessly exposed the later corruptions of Hinduism. Although the Aryas by which name the followers of Dayanand call themselves, still a here to the infallibility of the Vedas, they so .... ingeniously interprete the texts as to bring them into complete harmony with modern thought, which is virtually a more dominating element in their faith than the texts. In condemning idolatry, maintaining the purity of the doctrine of the Godhead and promoting social reform in all its aspects, the Aryas are as strong and sincere as the Brahmas. Nay, inspite of their exclusive regard for the Vedas, the enthusiasm of the Aryas many times glows almost to the white heat of the Universal Religion, as is manifest in the words of one of their exponents, Lalla Rala Ram.
“The Christianity as embodied in Ihe high ideals of the Christ but not the Christianity of the Church dogmas, it (Arya Samaj) claims as its own; the Islam not of fire and sword but of peace and good will to true believers, and of the submission to the will of God, it recognises as its own truth; the personal purity, the resignation and the ethical loftiness of Buddhism are indeed its inherited treasure. The Arya Samaj accordingly preaches the Dharma of Universal Brotherhood and Fatherhood of God”
Even in their peculiar attitude to the Vedas, the Aryas do a great service, viz. of drawing the national attention to a fresh and thorough going study of the long neglected ancient scriptures. During the short period of 25 years, they have made a marvellous progress in thought, organization and propagation. They make converts evenfrom Christianity and Islam.
Dr. Kalyandas J. Desai, B. A., L. M. & S. Vice-President of the Arya Samaj of Bombay sends the following facts :—
The Arya Samajes of the different provinces are under the Government of their separate Pratinidhi Sabhas whose account I send in a tabular form on the next page. Many Samajes have their own independent preachers. There are many honorary preachers and Sanyasis doing work not under the control of the Pratinidhi Sabhas.
Yours sincerely,
K. J. DESAI.
Arya Samaj Mandir,
Girgaum, Bombay.
29-11-1912.
Table 2 (For PDF Click here)
INSTITUTIONS.
Gurukuls or Boarding Schools .... ... ... 11
College ... ... ... ... 1
Boys’ Schools ... ... ... .... 116
Girls’ Schools ... .... ... 80
Widow’s Homes ... ... ... 4
Orphanages ... .... .... 10