India's Dominion status and the legacy of imperial rule

Were British claims that India was unready for Dominion status driven by prejudice or by institutional and infrastructure concerns?

Both motives appeared, while the infrastructure argument still pointed back to damage and neglect that Britain had a duty to repair.

Arguments that India was not ready for Dominion status came from mixed motives. Some reflected the worst prejudices of imperial rule. Others pointed to weak infrastructure and institutions after years of underinvestment, yet those deficiencies were themselves a legacy the British government was responsible for correcting. The exchange also warns that the loudest and most objectionable voices can overshadow quieter people making a different case, so the policy debate should not be reduced to a single motive.