406 EARLIER INDIAN SPEECHES.
literary education our women are as cultured as any on the face of the earth. The remedy largely lies in the hands of husbands.
It makes my blood boil as I wander through the country and watch lifeless and fleshless oxen with their ribs sticking through their skins, carrying loads or ploughing our fields. To improve the breed of our cattle, to rescue them from the cruelty practised on them by their cow-worshipping masters and to isave them from the slaughter house is to solve half the problem of our
poverty We have to educate the people to a
humane use of their cattle and plead with the Govern- ment to conserve the pasture land of the country. Protection of the cow is an economic necessity. It can not be brought about by force. It can only be achieved by an appeal to the finer feelings of save the cow from the slaughter-house. This question involves the overhauling of the management of our Pmjrapoles and cow -protection societies. A proper solution of this very difficult problem means establish- ment of perfect concord between Hindus and Maho- medans and an end of Bakr-id riots.
I have glanced at the literature kindly furnished at my request by the several Leagues who are rendering admirable Social Service. I note that some have inclu- ded in their programme many of the items mentioned by me, All the Leagues are non-sectarian and they have as their members the most* distinguished men and women in the land. The possibilities for services of a far reaching character are therefore great. But if the work is to leave its impress on the nation, we must have workers who are prepared, in Mr. Gokhale's words,
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