“As the President of the Countess of Dufferin Fund, Her Excellency (Lady Curzon) has issued an appeal to the people of India for funds to further certain aims and objects of the National Association for providing female medical aid to the women of India. Never before did a Viceroy’s wife promote so noble and so humane a movement as the one which bears the name of Lady Dufferin. Whatever may have been Lord Dufferin’s failures as the ruler of India, there has been a wide and lively appreciation of Lady Dufferin’s services for the relief of suffering among the women of this country and it is indeed a worthy task that Lady Curzon has taken upon herself to enlarge the scope of the Dufferin Fund by founding Victoria scholarships for training native midwives”.
FEBRUARY 13, 1901
In commemoration of the Queen-Empress
NOT A FEW ARE THE OBJECTS OF BENEFICENCE AND CHARITY on behalf of which their respective advocates think it possible to enlist public sympathy at a time when the whole country is moved as one man to commemorate the name and reign of Queen-Empress Victoria. Objects of local and imperial interest, those which are intended to enrich the country or elevate the people as well as those which are intended to relieve human suffering and misery, have all found their respective advocates; and if it is possible to find money for all these, the field of beneficent activity in India is wide enough for the satisfaction of all desires of benevolence and charity, and of all interest in the relics of antiquity or in the trophies of war. Lord Curzon has utilised the psychological moment for carrying out his pet idea of a grand imperial memorial at Calcutta. To people outside Bengal this memorial has, by no means, commended itself; and even in Bengal the interest in it must be confined more or less to the citizens of Calcutta. If, then Lord Curzon was not quite happy in his conception of an all India memorial, everybody will gladly acknowledge Lady Curzon has been more successful in gauging the special needs of the country, especially of her sex. As the President of the Countess of Dufferin Fund, Her Excellency has issued an appeal to the people of India for funds to further certain aims and objects of the National association for providing female medical aid to the women of India. Never before did a Viceroy’s wife promote so noble and so humane a movement as the one which bears the name of Lady Dufferin. Whatever may have been Lord Dufferin’s failures as the ruler of India, there has been a wide and lively appreciation of Lady Dufferin’s services for the relief of suffering among the women of this country and it is indeed a worthy task that Lady Curzon has taken upon herself to enlarge the scope of the Dufferin Fund by founding Victoria scholarships for training native midwives. Her Excellency tells us how keen a personal interest the Queen-Empress has always taken in affairs relating to the movement, and how its existence was due to Her Majesty’s initiative. “A matter in which the Queen-Empress took a special interest, and which the Dufferin Fund has up to the present been unable to sufficiently encourage owing to lack of funds and regarding which about eighteen months ago she telegraphed me her hope that we should be able to promote its success, was the training of a greater number of native midwives to work in zenanas. Her Majesty fully realised the difficulty of persuading women of, this country to leave their homes and was always anxious that we should encourage trained midwives to practise in the outlying districts.” Lady Curzon has thus clearly shown that the object for which she seeks public help was one which very much appealed to the active sympathy of Her late Majesty; and what more fitting can be thought of as a memorial to Her Majesty than the development of the movement in which she took so much interest? “I now hope if possible,” adds Lady Curzon, “to establish an endowment fund, the interest accruing from which shall be solely used in forming “Queen-Empress” or ‘Victoria’ scholarships for training native midwives of suitable caste in the hospitals or schools which lie nearest to the localities in which they would be ultimately engaged. I feel sure that there will be many persons who would like to help in founding these scholarships, and to contribute to an object which Her Majesty was known to have very much at heart, and which will do much to relieve the suffering women in India.” Her Excellency says that she has received numerous testimonies of the grief felt by the women of this country at the death of their beloved Sovereign, and she therefore hopes that her proposal will meet with their sympathy. She further expects some native ladies of position and influence to give her their assistance by organizing the collection of subscriptions. We hope the appeal will meet with ready response, especially as we have seen that some ladies have been proposing a women’s memorial through the columns of newspapers. If ladies like these who have displayed such intense desire to have a women’s memorial, will duly cooperate with Lady Curzon and help her in getting subscriptions, Her Excellency’s task will be very much lightened, and the proposed Victoria scholarship will be soon available to those young women who may be disposed to take to the study of midwifery as well for making a living as for relieving the sufferings of their sex. All contributions may be forwarded to Lady Curzon personally and will be duly acknowledged, so that anything done in promotion of the object will not escape the personal recognition of her Ladyship. We need hardly emphasise the extreme appropriateness and value of the special form of memorial which Lady Curzon has proposed in the name of the late Queen-Empress and on behalf and in the interests of the women of India. There need be no more letters to newspapers from Indian ladies of position and influence; for the form of memorial has been very wisely settled; and it now remains only to make it a success by influential cooperation and munificent subscriptions.
Reference:
The First 100
A Selection of Editorials, 1878-1978, THE HINDU, VOLUME I