India and the future . d ourselves behind the in-most line of defence* and not gone out to meet a possibleinvader. This opinion may conceivably be right in itself ;but it is held in India, not because it is right, but becauseit is the opposite opinion to that of the Government. Ido not mean that the politicians have not studied the ques-tion ; I mean that they have accepted the arguments whichappealed to them in their character of a permanent Oppo-sition, and which made for immediate, if not ultimate,economy. For my part, I do not attempt to decide. Allgovernments are fallible ; and if the Gov
India and the future . d ourselves behind the in-most line of defence* and not gone out to meet a possibleinvader. This opinion may conceivably be right in itself ;but it is held in India, not because it is right, but becauseit is the opposite opinion to that of the Government. Ido not mean that the politicians have not studied the ques-tion ; I mean that they have accepted the arguments whichappealed to them in their character of a permanent Oppo-sition, and which made for immediate, if not ultimate,economy. For my part, I do not attempt to decide. Allgovernments are fallible ; and if the Government of Indiahas made a mistake in its frontier policy, it has at least not * British Baluchistan and the Gilgit Protectorate are beyond theline of our impregnable defences, and India has no concern with themexcept as Imperial charges. Mr. Gokhale, Evidence before the WelbyCommission, 1897. It is a little surprising to find Mr. Gokhale speakingof the impregnable defences of the most invaded country in the world. 130.
Size: 1332px × 1876px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidindiafuture00archuoft
