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can speculate on the likely course of events in case the British had
not arrived on the scene. Personally, I do not, as a rule, engage in
such speculation. I regard it as futile. We have to interpret facts
as they came to obtain on the ground, for whatever reason. In such
an approach, it is relevant to discuss the factors behind a
particular development. But it is far more pertinent to concentrate
on the consequences. That is what, in any case, I propose to do, of
course, in relation to my central proposition that we are set on the
path to Hindu rashtra. The consequences of the Raj form a vast and
complex subject. If, however, it is not possible for us to deal with
it in a meaningful manner here, it is also not urgent.
It is a commonplace that the Raj was
very different from Muslim rule. Two differences have been
spotlighted by any number of historians and commentators. They have
said that the British remained foreigners, while Muslim invaders and
immigrants made India their home, and that the British drained India
of its wealth which Muslim rulers did not because the latter settled
down here for good.
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