Sunday, May 09, 2004 Undercover brothers Snipped from http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040509/asp/look/story_3225539.asp "Yes, I think we would welcome more members from the Asian community," declares John Hamill, director of communications for the United Grand Lodge. "We would be very delighted to see an increase in members from the ethnic minorities." In his book, World Freemasonry, An Illustrated History, Hamill says: "In India, Freemasonry went from strength to strength. Increasingly from the 1830s, natives were admitted to the lodges. At first there was a problem with the admission of Hindus, because of the mistaken belief that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. An appeal was made to the Duke of Sussex (the Grand Master) who insisted that the lodges admit Hindus, knowing well that the various 'gods' of the Hindus were not separate gods but personification of characteristics of one central deity." He adds: "Freemasonry had a great appeal to Indians, who joined in great numbers. As Kipling and others were later to point out in their writings, whatever quarrels there may have been between the various Indian religious groups and between Indians and the British, they all met on an equal footing in the lodge." Some of the biggest names in society, including rajahs and maharajahs, became Freemasons. There exists a photograph of Motilal Nehru, in the colourful regalia of the "District Grand Deacon of Bengal". A Parsi, Dorabjee P. Cama, became the first Indian Grand Officer when he was appointed Grand Treasurer in 1886. The lodge at Fort William, Calcutta, appears in the Engraved List of 1730, as No. 72. "Swami Vivekananda was a Freemason of the Calcutta Lodge," exults Shah. Records do show Vivekananda was "initiated in Hope and Anchor Lodge No. 1, Calcutta, in 1884". The Indian cast list also includes W.C. Bonnerjee, Justice R. Bhattacharya, Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer and Presidents Rajendra Prasad, Dr S. Radhakrishnan and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. [snip] ============= --- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar

Here's to an under-reported & wonderful Indian network. As we sit before our screens, India's Freemasons continue a campaign through much of central/south India in organised Eye Camps staffed by travelling Masons, nurses and surgeons laid on -- eye glasses to treatment for infections/cataracts -- some in districts, others in the towns, anywhere that numbers of needy patients have been located. In western India, lodges do a great deal for children with multiple disabilities, those apt to be abandoned by poorer families. At least one of Bombay's several lodges is mainly Parsi -- known to generate crores, year after year, for ongoing and new projects. Megan S. Mills PHD198 St Helen'sToronto CDA M6H 4A1 > From: bosham@gmail.com> To: india-british-raj@rootsweb.com> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:33:33 +0530> Subject: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] British India in World Freemasonry> > Sunday, May 09, 2004> > Undercover brothers> > Snipped from> http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040509/asp/look/story_3225539.asp> > "Yes, I think we would welcome more members from the Asian community,"> declares John Hamill, director of communications for the United Grand> Lodge. "We would be very delighted to see an increase in members from> the ethnic minorities."> > In his book, World Freemasonry, An Illustrated History, Hamill says: "In> India, Freemasonry went from strength to strength. Increasingly from the> 1830s, natives were admitted to the lodges. At first there was a problem> with the admission of Hindus, because of the mistaken belief that Hinduism> is a polytheistic religion. An appeal was made to the Duke of Sussex (the> Grand Master) who insisted that the lodges admit Hindus, knowing well that> the various 'gods' of the Hindus were not separate gods but personification> of characteristics of one central deity."> > He adds: "Freemasonry had a great appeal to Indians, who joined in great> numbers. As Kipling and others were later to point out in their writings,> whatever quarrels there may have been between the various Indian religious> groups and between Indians and the British, they all met on an equal footing> in the lodge."> > Some of the biggest names in society, including rajahs and maharajahs,> became Freemasons. There exists a photograph of Motilal Nehru, in the> colourful regalia of the "District Grand Deacon of Bengal". A Parsi,> Dorabjee P. Cama, became the first Indian Grand Officer when he was> appointed Grand Treasurer in 1886.> > The lodge at Fort William, Calcutta, appears in the Engraved List of 1730,> as No. 72.> > "Swami Vivekananda was a Freemason of the Calcutta Lodge," exults Shah.> Records do show Vivekananda was "initiated in Hope and Anchor Lodge No. 1,> Calcutta, in 1884".> > The Indian cast list also includes W.C. Bonnerjee, Justice R. Bhattacharya,> Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer and Presidents Rajendra Prasad, Dr S. Radhakrishnan> and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. [snip]> =============> > --- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar> > > > > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message> >

G'day folks, On 22/08/2008, at 8:48 PM, megan mills wrote: << Here's to an under-reported & wonderful Indian network. As we sit before our screens, India's Freemasons continue a campaign through much of central/south India in organised Eye Camps staffed by travelling Masons, nurses and surgeons laid on -- eye glasses to treatment for infections/cataracts -- some in districts, others in the towns, anywhere that numbers of needy patients have been located. In western India, lodges do a great deal for children with multiple disabilities, those apt to be abandoned by poorer families. At least one of Bombay's several lodges is mainly Parsi -- known to generate crores, year after year, for ongoing and new projects. >> And I can report that a team of doctors and nurses from Australia visit South India doing surgery for women who have medical problems that aren't being fixed in local hospitals because the women do not have the funds to pay for the required procedures. Apparently these doctors and nurses have been visiting S India for some years now. ooroo If you don't hear the knock of opportunity - build a door. Anon.

----- Original Message ----- From: "John Feltham" > > And I can report that a team of doctors and nurses from Australia > visit South India doing surgery for women who have medical problems > that aren't being fixed in local hospitals because the women do not > have the funds to pay for the required procedures. Apparently these > doctors and nurses have been visiting S India for some years now. And one must not forget the ground breaking work attributed to another fine Australian - Fred Hollows, who gave freely of his time and expertise to the people of Nepal with his sight restoring work. The Fred Hollows Foundation established after the eye surgeon died continues his work headed by Dr. Ruit who trained with him and is now one of the world's foremost eye surgeons. Fred Hollows was appointed an Honorary Officer of The Order of Australia. Sally