DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6523#0258
Indian Civil Service, I wonder what kind of Indian
Civil servants we shall have here. South Africans,
and Australians, and Canadians, and all the rest of
them, who keep Indians out of their own countries,
will then come here to fill up the ranks of our
Civil Service with their hatred and contempt for
the coloured man.
That is one of the great difficulties facing us with
this colour bar in the Universities to-day. And
suppose after the University difficulties you take other
questions in England. There is not the same social
equality to-day in England that there was some time
•ago. Mr. Gokhale says that it is because of the large
number of Indian-returned officials. His opinion is
always to be listened to with respect, and if he says
he has found it so, he is probably speaking of what
he knows. For I have heard him speak with a
righteous bitterness of the feeling of inequality con-
tinually present in the Indian heart; and as you get
greater and swifter communication between England
and India this difficulty is ever increasing. The old
official came here to live. He settled in India. His
friendships were here. His interests were here. His
home was here. Now they come over and go back
on short leave. Now they are always thinking of
how quickly they can return to the land they love,
and leave " the land of regrets " ; and so the official
becomes less Indian in his affections and not more so,
for he is always looking to the day when he will go
Civil servants we shall have here. South Africans,
and Australians, and Canadians, and all the rest of
them, who keep Indians out of their own countries,
will then come here to fill up the ranks of our
Civil Service with their hatred and contempt for
the coloured man.
That is one of the great difficulties facing us with
this colour bar in the Universities to-day. And
suppose after the University difficulties you take other
questions in England. There is not the same social
equality to-day in England that there was some time
•ago. Mr. Gokhale says that it is because of the large
number of Indian-returned officials. His opinion is
always to be listened to with respect, and if he says
he has found it so, he is probably speaking of what
he knows. For I have heard him speak with a
righteous bitterness of the feeling of inequality con-
tinually present in the Indian heart; and as you get
greater and swifter communication between England
and India this difficulty is ever increasing. The old
official came here to live. He settled in India. His
friendships were here. His interests were here. His
home was here. Now they come over and go back
on short leave. Now they are always thinking of
how quickly they can return to the land they love,
and leave " the land of regrets " ; and so the official
becomes less Indian in his affections and not more so,
for he is always looking to the day when he will go