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Widen the Scope of Activities
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With the opening of this new Baha’i year our Guardian
trusts that it will be marked by a new and greater effort, by
a more intense cooperation among the friends in India and
Burma and by an unsurpassed record of success.
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Now that Mrs. Schopflocker has in many places broken the
ground, it devolves upon the faithful workers in India
to follow up the work, to seize every opportunity and to
give to her hasty and in many places insufficient services a more
permanent and lasting character.
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I express the hopes of our Guardian without disregard
to your many problems and difficulties, but the field is so
vast and the ground so fresh and fertile that it cannot but
evoke almost unreasonable expectations. This feeling and
yearning, I am sure, is much more yours than ours could be.
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I urge you to take every means at your disposal
… to follow up the work that
has been so splendidly begun by Mrs. Schopflocker.
I would also urge you to arrange for the preparation of an
annual report by the National Assembly of the activities
of the friends in India and Burma, to be forwarded to the
American National Spiritual Assembly for insertion in the
next issue of the Annual Baha’i Year Book. A representative
group photograph of the Baha’is of divers races and creeds
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in that land would also greatly enhance the Year Book, if
such a thing is possible.
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He is very glad to learn of the good work of Nabilzadeh
and Mrs. Schopflocker and hopes that the friends will
follow up their work in order to obtain some definite and
permanent results. For a teacher to fly from one end of India
to another is not sufficient, there must be somebody who can
stay long enough in one place and start regular gatherings.
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The latter function naturally falls upon the friends in India
and he earnestly hopes that the new year may bring fresh and
lasting achievements.
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Shoghi Effendi awaits eagerly the results of the election of
the N.S.A. and he should like to see that body accomplish
something more than routine work. They should take new
steps and carry out a regular campaign in India and Burma.
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It is my hope and prayer that the newly-elected National
and Local Assemblies may widen the scope of their activities,
initiate new and valuable measures, extend the circle of their
correspondence with foreign Baha’i centres, and promote
the independence and distinctiveness of the Baha’i Faith. I
would urge you to inform the Year Book Committee
through Mr. Holley of the results of all elections in India
and to send if possible an annual report to that Committee.
Wishing you success and happiness.
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In the midst of his work and many responsibilities, it is
a source of comfort for him to feel that the initiative and
guidance of the Cause in India is in such able hands and he
trusts to see in the near future greater and fuller results.
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True, the minds of many are turned away from all that
sounds religious, but it is only because they are ill-advised as
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to the meaning of true religion and it is just that mission that
devolves upon us—to give a new viewpoint, to revive fresh
hopes and to guide by the sacred utterances the thoughts and
actions of mankind.
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Perhaps India has not yet reached the high mark which our
hopes have made us expect, but the time still remains and the
hopes of our Guardian are anxiously turned to the educated,
sincere and zealous fellow-brothers he so much loves in India
and Burma.
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I have received lately your second letter dated June 10th
enclosing the list of the members of the newly-elected Indian
Assemblies as well as the report of the receipts and expenditures
of the National Fund. Your loyal and untiring attention
to the pressing manifold requirements of our beloved
and steadily expanding Cause is a thing never-to-be
forgotten and worthy of unqualified praise. I trust you
will continue to keep in touch with the American National
Assembly whose Secretary is only too anxious to incorporate
in the newsletter and the Year Book every bit of news
regarding the progress of the Faith in India & Burma.
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