O Fon i Assam Dylan ar Daith

-*

-Adventurous Welsh people have

-explored the world for centuries.

-Many have chronicled their stories

-in words, pictures and maps.

-I'm researching their testimony

-and following in their footsteps...

-..to the world's

-most interesting places.

-They explored remote areas...

-..not knowing

-who or what they'd encounter.

-This time, we follow a missionary

-who took photos, wrote books...

-..was an exceptional academic

-and much more besides.

-For any traveller like me

-visiting India today...

-..this is a focal point in Delhi...

-..the exact place where

-Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated...

-..after leading the country

-towards independence.

-Helen Rowlands,

-the missionary from Menai Bridge...

-..met Gandhi and impressed him.

-She lived in India throughout

-the battle for independence.

-She also shared many of the

-principles we associate with Gandhi.

-Peace, self-sacrifice and kindness.

-Helen Rowlands

-arrived in India in 1916...

-..a year after Gandhi's return

-to campaign for independence.

-She stayed for the entire campaign.

-She supported Gandhi's attitudes

-towards society and justice.

-They belonged to different religions

-but shared the same ideas.

-Helen Rowlands was disappointed that

-Gandhi didn't become a Christian.

-According to Rowlands, he lived

-and thought like a Christian.

-In her mind, you had to identify a

-tree by its fruit, not by its name.

-Rowlands agreed

-with Gandhi on issues...

-..such as women's rights

-and understanding between religions.

-They shared ideas

-about the right way to live.

-Had she had her way,

-she would have lived like him...

-..with little more than a bowl,

-spoon, a simple mattress and books.

-Both appreciated the value

-of teaching handcrafts...

-..to help people sustain themselves.

-Hundreds of Welsh missionaries

-visited India.

-Helen Rowlands was exceptional

-because of her work here...

-..on the plains of North-east India.

-At the turn of the last century,

-for the first time in Wales...

-..women received

-university education.

-As a result, more women searched

-for a career beyond the home.

-If men were in the pulpit, the

-mission gave women an opportunity.

-In the years preceding the First

-World War, she worked as a teacher.

-In 1915, she decided to leave

-that world and embrace the mission.

-It had developed rapidly

-over 30 years.

-There'd been a greater emphasis

-on the recruitment of women.

-This inspired her to embark

-on her new career after 1916...

-..when she visited India

-for the first time.

-In October, at the age of 25...

-..despite having reservations

-about leaving her parents...

-..she sailed to Calcutta...

-..in the middle of the Great War.

-"The waters appeared to be calm...

-"..but submarines darted quickly

-underneath us.

-"We heard of other ships

-being sunk behind us.

-"Somehow, we remained afloat."

-Despite the dangers, she felt

-that the prayers of Welsh people...

-..surrounded her like a shield.

-This was Helen o Fon's

-destination...

-..Assam, an area renowned

-for its tea production.

-Six years earlier, Protestant

-churches from different countries...

-..had divided India between them.

-Welsh Presbyterians

-worked in the North-east.

-They'd had success on the hills...

-..but the plains

-proved a greater challenge.

-Like many missionaries...

-..Helen Rowlands started out

-as a teacher, in Sylhet.

-The missionary leaders soon

-realised the importance of women...

-..to turn a society to Christ.

-By targeting women,

-they would also reach the children.

-The emphasis was on establishing

-schools for girls...

-..which surprised local people.

-"'You'll ask us to send our cattle

-next,' was their response.

-"In their eyes, women and cattle

-were considered equal."

-Helen Rowlands taught 100 girls

-in her school in Sylhet.

-They were taught

-to read and write...

-..weave and knit, with a half-hour

-Bible lesson every day.

-The girls

-enjoyed hearing the stories.

-Missionaries would also visit girls

-in their homes.

-They'd teach women home crafts

-and organise Sunday schools.

-In a letter six months

-after her arrival...

-..Rowlands expresses her pride

-at visiting India, but...

-"The situation here is terrible.

-Many only eat one meal a day.

-"Some must go without."

-The missionaries encountered two

-international religious systems...

-..on the plains of Sylhet -

-Islam and Hinduism.

-These two systems were willing

-to fight to retain their followers.

-"What we saw on the streets, Hindu

-and Mahometan worship houses...

-"..and the response

-we had from the people...

-"..leads me to believe

-that I am in a pagan country."

-A month after arriving, Helen

-claimed that parents asked her...

-..not to teach Christianity

-to their children...

-..such was their fear

-of this new religion.

-One Saturday,

-after reading Bible stories...

-..missionaries saw a paper

-placed on a wall...

-..warning people not to believe

-in Christianity.

-But Helen Rowlands' priority

-was the women and the children.

-She would dismay at seeing

-young girls marrying old men...

-..and then being left as widows

-for life.

-"I saw widows for the first time,

-wearing colourless clothes.

-"Their position

-in and outside the family...

-"..was disrespectful

-and contemptible.

-"The harvest amongst

-the women of Sylhet is truly great."

-She was a leader

-in that provision for women.

-She also taught them work skills.

-That was exceptionally important -

-how to knit and so on.

-These sound like trivial things...

-..especially now...

-..but back then, it gave women...

-..the opportunity

-to live independent lives.

-One aspect of Indian life the

-Welsh missionary liked the least...

-..was the caste system,

-the enclosed class system...

-..which determined people's roles

-and kept them in their place.

-There was little scope for people

-to improve themselves.

-Helen experienced the consequences

-of breaking the caste system...

-..including the story of Khetro,

-a five-year-old girl.

-Khetro's mother was in hospital. She

-ate with someone from another caste.

-When she returned to her home,

-no-one was willing to care for her.

-Not even her own mother.

-She died, leaving Khetro an orphan.

-There were four classes and one

-further class beyond the system.

-The Namasudras, the untouchables.

-They were treated like dirt.

-Much of Helen Rowlands' work

-centred around them.

-Within the group, she saw

-the greatest hope for conversion.

-"I am proud of the women here.

-"The Namasudran women

-can become excellent Christians."

-After being baptized

-and accepted as Christians...

-..the Namasudras

-were under great pressure.

-Many returned to Hinduism.

-Helen sought ways to work

-differently to achieve success...

-..in this part of India.

-Helen Rowlands wanted to work

-in villages such as this.

-In 1924, she made a formal request

-to the missionary authorities...

-..to abandon her Western life and

-move to live in places such as this.

-"This is the life I must lead.

-Side by side with the Indians.

-"I am currently looking down

-rather than sharing.

-"That will mean sacrificing

-my missionary salary."

-This would have changed the nature

-of missionary work in Sylhet.

-She didn't think she could preach

-the gospel of self-sacrifice...

-..unless she sacrificed elements

-of her own life.

-She thought it was

-the best way to succeed.

-She wanted to live with the people

-and share their lives.

-She believed the mission's

-influence should decrease...

-..and India's local church

-should become more prominent.

-The authorities didn't agree.

-They said missionaries

-needed comfortable homes...

-..to continue their work.

-Helen wanted to dress like a native

-woman. Her request was refused.

-She accepted the mission's answer

-even though she disagreed with it.

-For me,

-great wonders remain in rural India.

-Passing by in a car, all I could see

-was a tight cluster of houses...

-..and the odd hayrick.

-On exploring the area

-in greater detail...

-..I've discovered 2,000 cattle

-stored at the backs of the houses.

-Those were the hayricks.

-For the past 50 years, this village

-has produced enough milk...

-..for a city of 250,000 people.

-An industry of smallholders.

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-Missionary work

-started in India in 1840.

-For 120 years, there were close

-links with Welsh Presbyterians.

-The tea ships brought

-tea leaves to Liverpool...

-..and also carried letters

-from the missionaries.

-They were read

-in chapels across Wales.

-Helen Rowlands was one

-of the great missionaries.

-Less than 10 years

-after arriving in India...

-..an excellent teacher

-and fluent in Bengali...

-..Helen Rowlands

-accepted a new invitation.

-She could leave the plains

-during the hot summer months...

-..to establish a language school...

-..for missionaries from various

-countries and denominations...

-..high up in the mountains.

-She described it as going from the

-great oven to the roof of the world.

-"After a night on the train...

-"..travelling across

-the Cachar hills...

-"..we reached Siliguri.

-"We stopped for breakfast before

-catching a bus to Darjeeling.

-"There was a big drop in temperature

-as we climbed from the plains...

-"..towards the Himalayas."

-Helen was a strong

-and intelligent character.

-She'd shown this from an early age,

-along with her two brothers.

-This was partly a result

-of their upbringing.

-Their father was often away at sea.

-Their mother raised them

-and she was modern in her ways.

-She believed Helen should receive

-the same education as her brothers.

-She was allowed to concentrate

-on her school work.

-The children also

-had their own playroom.

-It was evident

-from her early days...

-..that she was adept at languages,

-and French in particular.

-She did very well at school...

-..before going on to study

-in Bangor University.

-She had a First Class degree which

-was a rare occurrence at the time.

-She secured a scholarship

-for a research degree...

-..in Newnham College, Cambridge.

-Her minister encouraged her

-to become a missionary.

-She headed to India...

-..and within ten years, she was

-a regular visitor to Darjeeling.

-Many supervisors

-in the tea gardens were British.

-They had originally established

-the tea industry in India.

-"I like seeing the tea bushes

-growing on the slopes below.

-"A tea planter once said

-that the higher the land...

-"..the sweeter the aroma.

-"This is the secret

-of Darjeeling tea."

-To avoid paying vast amounts

-to the Chinese for their tea...

-..Britain brought plants and seeds

-from China...

-..and planted them

-in fertile ground in India.

-They created an industry in areas

-which were previously overgrown.

-Hundreds of workers were employed in

-the tea gardens from across India.

-The Welsh missionaries

-were crucial to that process.

-For me, one of the most difficult

-aspects of the mission...

-..is creating a link to Imperialism.

-The missionaries followed closely

-in the footsteps of the military.

-Here, it is clear that converting

-locals to Christianity...

-..would help

-the tea garden owners...

-..and aid British law and order.

-The reason Thomas Jones

-went there in 1840...

-..was to begin the work...

-..of bringing order

-to a part of the Empire...

-..which had previously

-been rather uncivilized.

-When Helen Rowlands arrived,

-the situation had changed.

-The sound of independence

-could be heard...

-..but she had a different target.

-She wanted to see an Indian

-Presbyterian Church flourishing...

-..on its own terms.

-"I sympathise with Indian desires.

-"It pains me to hear

-the condemnation of Europeans."

-Missionaries increasingly

-emphasise that their role...

-..is not to sustain the Empire

-but to create Christians.

-Christianity is important,

-not the ownership of the country.

-During the 1920s and 1930s...

-..that argument

-becomes more and more powerful.

-Missionaries from various countries

-worked in India.

-Speaking the local language

-was a help.

-Helen's work in the summer school

-was to teach the Bengal language.

-The days were long but rewarding.

-"A 6.00am start. Personal tutorials

-from 7.30 to 8.30.

-"Breakfast before walking to

-the communal house for our lessons."

-I know that Helen Rowlands

-used to visit this place.

-It was a Christian school back then,

-almost 90 years ago.

-Today,

-it is a private Christian school.

-Missionaries would come here

-to be fed and to use the library.

-Lessons would continue

-until tea-time...

-..and Helen would lecture

-on various subjects...

-..to introduce every aspect

-of Indian life to her students.

-"We must be friendly

-and co-operate with the Indians.

-"They courteously tolerate us

-in their own country."

-One of her subjects

-was the poems of Tagore...

-..an important poet of the time.

-When Tagore visited the mission,

-Helen was translating his poetry...

-..from classical Bengali into Welsh.

-They were circulated in Wales

-during the 1920s.

-Hello. Is this the Bengali lesson?

-May I join you?

-OK. I'm Dylan.

-In English.

-What's your name?

-OK. Tomar nam ki.

-Very good.

-'Ama' is mine.

-Ama nom.

-Ama nom Dylan.

-Ami Wales theke ashchhi.

-Ami Wales theke ashchhi.

-Thanks to Helen Rowlands'

-leadership...

-..Darjeeling's summer school

-was a success.

-Students would pass their

-language exams with high marks.

-In 1926,

-they welcomed a special visitor.

-Gandhi visited the school and

-gave his opinion of Helen Rowlands.

-"It is wonderful that a foreigner

-who came to India in 1916...

-"..could speak Bengali

-as perfectly as a Bengalese."

-They say this is travelling.

-From this vantage point,

-on a clear day...

-..you can see

-almost as far as Everest.

-For the past few days,

-it's been like this.

-In terms of views, I may as well

-be standing in a box...

-..in a cellar in Port Talbot.

-When Rowlands wasn't working on

-the mountains during the summer...

-..she was spreading the gospel

-on the plains the rest of the year.

-She didn't take a holiday

-for three whole years.

-She also studied for a MA in Bengali

-in Calcutta University...

-..to raise the language's status

-amongst missionaries.

-The mission insisted on missionaries

-taking a break every now and then.

-It was called a furlough.

-They were expected to return

-to Wales for six months or a year.

-Rowlands went to Sorbonne University

-in France to gain a PhD degree.

-I am forever impressed

-at Helen Rowlands' intellect.

-In 1908, she gained

-a First Class degree in French.

-Kate Roberts,

-a fellow student at the time...

-..said that such degrees

-were very rare.

-In India,

-she became fluent in Bengali...

-..to allow her to write

-and preach in the language.

-At the end of the 1920s,

-she attended Calcutta University...

-..and gained an MA degree in Bengali

-and many other languages.

-She was also rewarded for being

-the university's best student.

-Soon after,

-a PhD degree from Sorbonne...

-..for an essay written in French

-about women in Bengali literature...

-..in the Middle Ages.

-Incredible.

-She was offered chairs in Bengali

-in universities...

-..in Britain, America and India.

-She refused them all and returned

-to work as a teacher and missionary.

-Her focus was converting Indians

-to Christianity.

-She stopped working in Darjeeling...

-..to concentrate

-on her missionary work.

-This is one of the areas

-tourists travel through...

-..to cross North-east India.

-The city of Guwahati has grown

-seven-fold in the past 40 years.

-Unfortunately, the transport system

-hasn't kept pace.

-It is now a city of 1.6m people.

-It's a sign of the growth

-that's happened in India's cities.

-The story in rural areas

-is very different.

-With all the pollution

-and exhaust fumes...

-..someone is paying

-for this growth.

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-Helen Rowlands from Menai Bridge

-had been worked as a missionary...

-..in Sylhet, India, for 15 years.

-She also taught

-at a language school in Darjeeling.

-1931 heralded a new era in her life.

-She was made head

-of a school for girls in Karimganj.

-She left Darjeeling

-and started her journey.

-One of the first things

-that struck Rowlands was the heat...

-..especially in summer.

-Muggy and sultry on cloudy days

-and scorching in the sunshine.

-As one of the missionaries

-pointed out...

-..the plains were hot-beds

-for another reason.

-Religiously, two strong religions

-existed - Hinduism and Islam.

-Politically, the battle

-for Indian independence intensified.

-It often turned violent.

-That violence could be aimed

-at missionaries.

-They were associated...

-..with the oppressive

-British Imperialistic order.

-Helen believed

-in Indian independence...

-..for its country and Church.

-The missionaries understood

-they had to operate on many levels.

-They maintained that their aim

-was to create a Christian society...

-..but they knew it would

-never happen in their lifetime.

-There were other things

-they could achieve.

-They could transform society,

-modernise it...

-..introduce rights for women, better

-living conditions for children...

-..better education - these were part

-of the process of changing society.

-They also persevered

-with their Christian mission.

-Today's Karimganj would have been

-unfamiliar, even for Helen Rowlands.

-It's larger and busier.

-There are less green spaces

-for relaxation.

-The buildings have changed,

-transportation has changed...

-..the people's clothing has changed.

-The people remain the same

-and here, in Karimganj...

-..Helen Rowlands

-did her most important work.

-She was welcomed

-as she visited the towns.

-People would turn to her

-for different reasons...

-..to fill in forms

-or obtain medicine.

-One smallholder turned to her

-because a neighbour's bull...

-..had destroyed his rice crop.

-She thought that helping people

-would lead them to Christ.

-She also witnessed hatred.

-Many suffered in their villages

-after converting to Christianity.

-They were prevented

-from washing in the lakes.

-They were refused clean water, they

-were shut out of people's homes.

-The more she lived with Indians...

-..the more Rowlands believed her

-missionary work needed to change.

-In 1937, her wishes were granted.

-Missionary schools in Karimganj

-were closed down.

-Teachers were released from teaching

-to work "from the bottom up".

-They targeted the needs of children

-and mothers in rural areas.

-Soon, she established Dipti Nibash -

-House of Light.

-She was appalled

-at the old way of life for women.

-Dipti Nibash provided shelter, a

-home for women, widows and orphans.

-They learnt how to make jam,

-sew handkerchiefs...

-..knit socks, weave blankets,

-make silk and grow rice.

-Everyone had to contribute in some

-way to achieve self-sufficiency.

-Right from the start, Rowlands

-realised that a skill was important.

-Simple things such

-as a spinning-wheel and weaver...

-..would be important

-for the rural economy.

-It also offered a future

-for the women...

-..and sometimes raised funds

-for the work of the House of Light.

-Having said that, I'm not sure

-this was the type of future...

-..that Helen Rowlands had envisaged.

-In this little factory

-behind a shop, women work...

-..but the salary is a pittance.

-100 rupees a day - a pound.

-These workshops

-are a symbol of the inequality...

-..that remains in India.

-Wealth for some, poverty for others.

-Despite Gandhi and Helen Rowlands'

-hopes, little changed.

-There are far worse places

-than this.

-Some Western clothes shops...

-..capitalise on cheap labour and

-poor working conditions in India.

-This shop

-is very different to the workshop.

-It's clean, modern

-and a mat made by the women...

-..can sell for eight times

-their daily salary.

-In Dipti Nibash,

-care and fairness were key aspects.

-Helen talks of the children

-singing and praying.

-"I enjoy having them around me.

-It's like a real home."

-She would nurse a child

-as she typed...

-..wash another's face

-and share sweets from Wales.

-She was didima - the grandmother.

-"Sunday was a difficult time.

-"Nikhil and Naba Kishor's mothers

-were incensed.

-"Nikhil's mother

-bit the other mother's arms.

-"She said she would rather kill

-the children...

-"..than have them raised

-as Christians.

-"The easy option would be to send

-them away but that's not the answer.

-"We want the children to have

-a mother, but a new mother.

-"We must tolerate this behaviour."

-The door was open to any mother

-or child in search of a safe haven.

-This is one of those rare moments

-when you've read about someone...

-..and then you feel their presence.

-Helen Rowlands' presence

-can still be felt in this room.

-These books highlight her interests.

-There are Welsh books,

-English books, French books...

-..a Welsh New Testament,

-hymn books....

-..and Canu Llywarch Hen,

-given to her by Ifor Williams...

-..the author,

-a book of early Welsh poetry.

-These are her notes for her essay

-about the early poetry of Bengal.

-You can only be astounded

-by her work.

-She writes in Welsh and English

-very neatly.

-According to the headmaster...

-..her writing in Bengali

-is also very accomplished.

-Helen Rowlands

-had great communication skills.

-Relaying information

-was an important part...

-..of a missionary's work

-to help the fundraising campaign.

-Helen would include photos

-of children in her reports...

-..to bring her work to life.

-In one year,

-she wrote over 900 letters.

-To the mission's offices,

-her friends...

-..and her closest friend,

-Evelyn Roberts.

-When she returned to Wales

-on a furlough...

-..she would stay

-with Evelyn Roberts.

-On returning to India once,

-she said everything was fine.

-Had Evelyn been with her,

-it would have been perfect.

-"My joy would be complete

-if you were here too."

-Evelyn was very supportive.

-She would send books, magazines,

-corsets and suspenders.

-She made sure they were ones

-that wouldn't rust.

-Evelyn attended Pont Morlais chapel

-in Merthyr Tydfil.

-When the chapel closed,

-a contribution from its sale...

-..was sent to the House of Light.

-"The name of Pont Morlais

-is above the door.

-"When the name is but a memory

-in Merthyr...

-"..it will live on in Karimganj."

-This is true. The name remains

-to this day in Karimganj.

-The building is home

-to Christian teachers and families.

-Funds were always stretched

-in the House of Light.

-Jam and blankets would be sold.

-When the situation became critical,

-Helen invested her own savings.

-"Between everything...

-"..my matured life insurance

-and my money from home...

-"..I can perform miracles here."

-Whilst following Helen's life story

-in India...

-..it becomes clear that her time in

-Dipti Nibash is the most important.

-I'm in search of children who lived

-in the House of Light 60 years ago.

-Horesh Watson is now 67 years old.

-When I was three years old, my

-mother, brother and sister died...

-..during an earthquake.

-My father became very ill.

-He was mentally ill,

-he tried to kill himself and me.

-He had caring friends...

-..and they told him about

-Helen Rowlands and Dipti Nibash.

-He stayed until he was 13 years old.

-One notable event

-sticks in his mind.

-I was naughty

-and I was sent out of class.

-I had to wear a piece of slate

-around my midriff as punishment.

-Even though I was naughty...

-..Dr Rowlands said

-she'd accept my punishment.

-I have something to show you.

-Can you see your name there?

-Helen had written about Horesh

-and that exact same incident.

-"'Stand up, Horesh,

-I've come to take your punishment.'

-"'No, no, Didima,'

-he screamed and cried.

-"'Stand up, I can't bear this.

-I'll be a good boy.'

-"He was forgiven."

-Very nice, very funny.

-It's true. It's true.

-I can not forget it.

-And she couldn't forget it either.

-It is very wonderful.

-In some ways, this small church

-is evidence of Helen's influence.

-It was established ten years ago.

-Pastor Benjamin,

-its founding minister...

-..had been taught by Helen Rowlands.

-He also spent time

-in the House of Light.

-More importantly,

-Helen Rowlands told him...

-..that he should become a minister.

-Dr Rowlands was very kind.

-They would call her Didima -

-grandmother.

-I'd chosen to be baptized

-a Christian.

-I was forced to leave my village.

-Dr Rowlands said,

-"We must care for Benjamin.

-"One day he will lead the church."

-The Christianity which developed

-and evolved in this area...

-..had strong Indian characteristics.

-Its form of expression,

-its style, its music, its hymns...

-..the way they used the Bible,

-the way they spoke to each other...

-..and the way they organised

-their Christian community.

-Leaders such as Helen Rowlands

-understood this and supported it.

-They felt strongly that Christianity

-was the religion of the West.

-Their role was to relay its message.

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-The pinnacle

-of Helen Rowlands' career...

-..was establishing

-the Dipti Nibash in Karimganj.

-But that's not her

-only contribution.

-This college was opened

-in Karimganj in 1946.

-Helen Rowlands would visit

-once a week to lecture the students.

-She established

-the Bengali department.

-She could have secured

-a full-time role here...

-..but she wanted to work

-in the House of Light.

-Towards the end of her life...

-..she admitted

-to being offered teaching posts...

-..at numerous universities.

-Although she rejected them all,

-she had no regrets.

-She had no interest

-in an academic career.

-She wanted to spread the gospel

-in India.

-When she wrote her PhD,

-she revealed her desires.

-This was written in 1930, when

-the campaign for independence...

-..was gathering speed in India.

-She had lived with

-the Bengali people since 1916.

-She was dedicated

-to the service of India...

-..and had aspirations in the future

-to walk side-by-side with India...

-..towards the dawn of a new life...

-..when her deepest desires

-are realised.

-During that time, the national

-movement led by Gandhi, develops...

-..and the missionaries

-play a part in that process...

-..partly by creating the type

-of people that became active...

-..by providing them with literacy

-and historical information.

-They were part of the political

-change that swept through India.

-In 1947, the Indian Independence Act

-was passed.

-Two countries were created

-independent of Great Britain...

-..Pakistan and India.

-There would be religious freedom

-and an end to the caste system.

-"This is a tremendous victory.

-"Freedom, according to state law...

-"..allows us to preach and

-spread the gospel of any religion.

-"There is no such thing

-as an outcaste or an untouchable."

-More than anything, Helen had wanted

-an end to the caste system.

-It's difficult for me,

-an outsider...

-..to determine what has happened

-to the caste system today.

-Officially and legally,

-it no longer exists.

-People aren't kept

-at a certain level in society.

-It appears that the Namasudras,

-the untouchables, no longer exist.

-On the other hand, some people

-are still kept in their place.

-It appears that some people still

-marry from within their caste.

-It exists in some ways,

-in people's minds and cultures.

-The Kushiyara river

-flows past Karimganj.

-It's one of the city's

-most picturesque areas.

-In 1947, it was a cause for concern.

-During Indian independence,

-there were divisions.

-India on this side,

-Pakistan on that side.

-It is now Bangladesh,

-but at the time, it was Pakistan.

-For months, refugees flowed

-from one side to the other.

-At one time, Karimganj was

-in Pakistan, then it was in India.

-Helen Rowlands lived on the border

-in North-east India...

-..where refugees crossed.

-Almost 40% of Hindus left East

-Pakistan, crossing over to India.

-Muslims on the other side,

-Hindus on this side.

-The situation

-worried Helen Rowlands.

-Refugees stayed in Dipti Nibash.

-There were deaths,

-there was persecution and pain.

-"These are perilous times.

-"Homes and shops

-were destroyed and burnt.

-"People were killed.

-"Martial law is in place.

-"No more than five people

-can gather on the streets.

-"The governor told me that the

-population had risen from 20,000...

-"..to 25,000.

-"The difficulty is organising

-medical care for the refugees.

-"Hundreds die of cholera

-and smallpox."

-She emphasized from the very

-beginning how important it was...

-..if a new country was formed...

-..it shouldn't be separated...

-..in terms of religion

-or tribal groups.

-That's precisely what happened.

-That was the tragedy of India

-after 1947.

-She recalls seeing Hindus killed

-on a train while fleeing Pakistan.

-When the train

-reached Karimganj in India...

-..innocent Muslims in the town

-were persecuted.

-What she witnessed was part of the

-tragedy that swept both countries.

-A million people died

-from both sides.

-Despite this, she was overjoyed

-when the law was passed.

-India became an independent country

-on January 6, 1950.

-"At the crack of dawn, the

-three-coloured banner was hoisted.

-"Green, white and saffron.

-No more Union Jacks.

-"Tears fell from my eyes

-time and time again...

-"..as the people's desires

-were realized."

-The same constitution

-remains in place today...

-..but I don't think even she

-could have imagined seeing this.

-In Assam and Tripura, the Indian

-General Election of 2014 began.

-These are the first hours

-of the first day of the election.

-The process lasts

-for more than five weeks.

-The vote moves from state to state

-across this vast country.

-These are the first people

-to vote in the election.

-The first people from the 840m

-people who have a right to vote.

-What would Helen

-have made of the result?

-The victors were a party

-that represented Hindus.

-There are concerns they will

-ignore the desires of people...

-..from other religions

-and backgrounds.

-The banks of the Kushiyara river

-is a busy place.

-In the days of Helen Rowlands, there

-were public areas along the river.

-There, she experienced an event

-she was proudest of.

-During the time of Gandhi's death...

-..she was part

-of the public memorial in Karimganj.

-A memorial service

-was held on the riverbank.

-Many religions were included.

-After the Hindu scriptures

-and the Koran was read...

-..she read extracts from the Bible.

-For her, it was an indication

-that her religion was now accepted.

-She was part of the three religious

-communities that joined together.

-"Gandhi died to open a door

-for representatives of Christ.

-"Previously,

-the door had only been ajar."

-Towards the end of 1954,

-after spending time in Wales...

-..Helen Rowlands returned to the

-House of Light for the final time.

-She knew it was the final time.

-She'd been diagnosed

-with a serious illness.

-Few people knew about it.

-When she returned,

-the welcome was as warm as ever.

-The children shouted,

-"Didima is back, Didima is back."

-India, and Dipti Nibash,

-was her home.

-She wanted to become

-an Indian citizen...

-..thus forfeiting

-her British passport.

-"It's been a month

-since I arrived back in Karimganj.

-"My heart is filled with joy

-once more.

-"It's a pleasure to be stopped

-on the street by non-Christians...

-"..who tell me they are happy

-to have me back here again."

-People who were here at the time...

-..claim she was on a higher

-spiritual plain on her return.

-In February 1955, she passed away.

-She was buried here,

-in the grounds of Dipti Nibash...

-..according to her wishes.

-When she died, her body

-was laid to rest in the chapel.

-Around 8,000 people paid tribute.

-A request was made to carry

-her body through the town...

-..but the Church decided this didn't

-conform to Christian custom.

-It was an indication of respect

-from all religions.

-When she was buried, the chapel

-was full. Hundreds stood outside.

-The children of Dipti Nibash

-sat with her coffin.

-The eulogy described how the mothers

-and children of Dipti Nibash...

-..had lost a loving mother.

-She not only belonged to Wales

-and Christianity, but to everyone.

-The lowly and the noble, the

-intellectuals and the uneducated.

-Although she didn't become

-a citizen of the new India...

-..she was part of its heart.

-She remains in people's

-minds and hearts today.

-PRAYER

-In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

-This is a relatively new school.

-It was built less than 30 years ago.

-It was named in memory

-of Helen Rowlands.

-It was built by the Mizoram Synod

-of the Indian Presbyterian Church.

-It's a private Christian school...

-..and teaches

-through the medium of English.

-It was named after Helen Rowlands.

-Without her, it wouldn't be here.

-When Helen Rowlands died,

-Dipti Nibash closed down.

-Didima had passed away and with her,

-the driving force.

-One of the most interesting aspects

-is that the mission...

-..had offered different options

-across a wide range of fields...

-..for young women.

-They had the skills to do this work

-as doctors, nurses and teachers.

-These were careers of a high status.

-Such opportunities

-were rare in Wales and Britain.

-The mission offered different

-opportunities and possibilities.

-I don't think anyone would argue,

-then and now...

-..that the mission had been

-a great success on the plains.

-Very few people were converted

-to Christianity...

-..and often, the other two religions

-would accept them back.

-Would it have been different

-had Helen Rowlands had her way...

-..and provided a mission

-that was closer to the people?

-Would it have been different

-if she wasn't influenced...

-..by male-dominated committees?

-What remains is the legacy of

-her care for children and people...

-..and her contribution

-to education in Karimganj.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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