A highly democratic system of the western typ[unclear] might be suited theoretically to the needs of our people or to any people anywhere, but we must bear in min[unclear] that a true government of the people cannot be evolve[unclear] overnight; there can be no true democracy unless th[unclear] electorate is generally well-educated in social an[unclear] political thought. There is no reason to believe tha[unclear] our people will not, after some years of training an[unclear] experience, be able to attain true self-government but we are not yet prepared to delegate grea[unclear] powers to a body of men untrained and unqualified to use them. To attempt to do so at this time would b[unclear] running the grave risk of allowing power to fall into th[unclear] hands of men not only inexperienced and insufficiently trained for the responsibility imposed on them under a democratic system of government, but possibly even morally illequiped to serve the people without fear or favour, and without self interest. If such a blunder should be made at the very outset of Indian self-government, the results to the orderly development of our country might well be disastrous.
