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SHEIKH SHAND ENTERTAINS CONGREGATION WITH SONGS OF NATIVE LAND Shekh Shand (A. Osborne) widely known as the “Camel Driver of In dia,” spoke at the First M. E. church to a very appreciative audience Sun day night. He spoke to the Epworth league and then at the regular evening serv ice, The speaker said: “I was asked by a little boy some days 1g0 if I was a camel driver. Well, I believe I have the right to that title, for I have had a great deal of trouble with the camel, especially the one that was at the Methodist centennary celebration, which was held at Columbus nearly two years ago. “When Wm. Jennings Bryan was delivering his prohibition speech on July ithn the Centenary grounds, my camel began to make a noise, that almost brought an end to the meeting. One of the prohibition lead ers came to me and asked me if I could control his mouthpiece. I re plied it was not making a noise be cause the camel was opposed to to the meeting, for it always prefers to fhlow the water wagon.” “On another day, while I was tak ing the camel for a little exercise, end the goat which usually followed. A lady said you look very tired, young man. I relied yes, and I feel very sad. Why? Came the quick inquiry, because four people have asked me if that bill goat was a baby camel. “The camel is a good Mohammedan for when free he will turn toward Mecca. The Prophet Mohammed him self was a camel driver and always cherished the liking of a true Arab for the beast of which he said, ‘Speak in neither of the camel nor the wind? The camel is a benefit to man, the wind is an emanation of the spirit of God! At the regular evening service he spoke on “The Religious Life and Condition in India. Jie said, in part: “There is probably no part of the world of equal extent that has seen such a number of profound religious thinkers or been the birthplace of so many for religious movement as In dia. Hundreds of years before Christ great philosophers arose and sat un der the trees that clothe the lower ranges of the Himalayas, where they compose their hymns to Brahma and to the divine powers of nature. “Brahmanism of twenty centuries ago is not Brahmanism of today. The Hindus of today have no less than 500 million idols and gods, and divided subdivided into more than 100,000 so cial ranks or “castes” and no two of these can inter-marry. Of these castes there are, roughly speaking, three great divisions, numbering as follows: Brahmans fifteen millions, one twen tieth of India’s total population, mid dle castes, one hundred and forty-two milion, or one-half; low castes or outcastes. fifty millions, or one-sixth. It is among this latter class, who are called by the upper classes “untouch ables” that we are chiefly working among. “These untouchables.” when they are brought into the church, they face bitter persecution. The reasons for this persecution can easily be so cler ly explained that all can understand from what cause they emanate. The Brahmans as priests has lived for centuries upon the earnings of these depressed millions and therefore can not stand uninterestedly by and see them moving up beyond and out of their power to coerce and oppress. The land owners, whose slaves they practically are, clearly realize that when these multitudes have become Christians and educated they will as sert their manhood and individual tirhts, and will no longer remain ab solute serfs, therefore they persecute them to frighten them away from Christianity.” The speaker told many stories of work and labor among the Hindus which were very interesting.
Newspaper Details
Princeton Daily Democrat
Princeton, Indiana, US
Mon, Mar 28, 1921
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Bridget L.
USA 07 Jan 2026
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