The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 124
[ 124 J own. Nations develop such a natural affinity with their own cultures that, if dissociated from them. they wither away and die like plants of a particular country, trans planted in a foreign soil. Science is uniform all the world over. But the Englishmen, the Germans. the French and the Russians,-all of them devote themselves to this in their own particular ways. The Indians' chief complaint against the Engli�hmen is that the latter have westernised their Eastern culture and have rendered them degenerated. In short, next to religion, culture is the dearest thing to a nation. It is to the nation as the breath of its life. A community, without a distinct cul ture of its own, is a life-less group doomed to merge sooner or later with other communities, for its existence brings no benefit to the world. Just as different scientists, working in different laboratories, have been contributing in their respective ways to the world of science, so differ ent peoples, in their distinctive cultural spheres have been experimenting in the philosophy of life, and are thus not only serving humanity at large, but also, by working for the realisation of their own view�points, have been developing their particular cultures. Communities which do not contribute towards augmenting this com mo� treasure-house are morally dead, and bound to die physically sooner or later. It is for the protection of their culture that the Hindus are to-day clamouring for Self� Government. '' Good government is no substitute for Self-Government " is an embodiment of the same truth. A good government can indeed make a people increase in wealth and comfort. but it cannot benefit their culture. On the contrary, it would destroy it. Cultural develop ment is possible only when the Government is run by the people themselves. Just as our Hindu brethren are inspired by their study of past history with a desire to have opportunities to develop their distinctive culture in I