This refers to “Burying Curzon” (July 29) by Jyoti Malhotra. I edited and published Lord Curzon Speeches in India — 1898-1905 and found the article lacked balance. The author does not seem to appreciate Curzon’s broader contributions to India like the establishment of the Archaeological Survey of India and preservation of ancient monuments, his understanding of and views on the frontier question that are still relevant, his support to Indian art and culture and irrigation, and his belief in game preservation, among other things. I am not claiming that he was without faults, however, his unfortunate partition of Bengal was driven by the belief that the province was simply too large to be governed effectively.
The author refers to a strange and incredible fascination for Curzon — the fascination is neither strange nor incredible because Curzon did achieve a great deal for India. Regarding his views on foreign policy, I refer to his speech of March 30, 1904: “My own view of India is this. She is like a fortress....but beyond those walls which are sometimes of by no means inseparable height and admit of being easily penetrated extends a glacis of various depth and dimensions. We do not want to occupy it but we also cannot afford to see it occupied by our foes...”
Curzon’s views on India’s security are probably as relevant today as they were in 1904 — I would challenge the author to produce a more effective advocate for India’s security.
Roddy Sale, Mumbai
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