188 FAREWELL BANQUET 



THE RESULT OF EDUCATION, 



In 1909 and again in 1910 Lord Minto gave 

 utterance to two weighty statements. 



" Indian affairs," he said, " and the methods of 

 Indian administration have never attracted more 

 public attention in India and at home than at the 

 present moment. The reasons for their doing so are 

 not far to seek. The growth of education, which 

 British rule has done so much to encourage, is 

 bearing fruit. Important classes of the population 

 are learning to realise their own position, to esti- 

 mate for themselves their own intellectual capa- 

 cities, and to compare their claims, for an equality 

 of citizenship, with those of a ruling race, whilst 

 the directing influences of political life at home 

 are simultaneously in full accord with the advance 

 of political thought in India. 



" We, the Government of India, cannot shut our 

 eyes to present conditions. The political atmo- 

 sphere is full of change, questions are before us 

 which we cannot afford to ignore, and which we 

 must attempt to answer." 



And he recognised that politically India is in a 

 transition state; that new and just aspirations are 

 springing up amongst its people, which the ruling 

 power must be prepared not only to meet but to 

 assist. "A change is rapidly passing over the 

 land, and we cannot afford to dally. And to my 

 mind," he added, "nothing would be more unfor- 

 tunate for India than that the Government of India 

 should fail to recognise the signs of the times." 



What was true then is equally true now. You 

 cannot set back the hands of the clock, and we 

 should combine to ensure its keeping true time. 

 You are not justified in forcing the pace ; but neither 

 should we be right in jamming back the regulator 



