Great Britain’s ‘Colonial Mindset’ – OpEd
By Patial RC
‘India: The Modi Question’ a documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that revealed the government of the United Kingdom carried out an investigation into the 2002 Gujarat riots is a piece of “propaganda” that reflects the “agencies and individuals” who carry a “Colonial Mindset”, an official of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. This news item set me thinking about the Colonial Mindset system of the British.
“The Empire on which the sun never sets” has been used to explain the vastness of the British Empire. Between the 18th and 20th century, the British Empire acquired more territories making it the largest empire in history. The Empire had establishments in Africa, Asia, Europe, America, and numerous Islands across the globe. Historians established that roughly 25% of the earth landmass was in control of the British. The region was so extensive that at any one time there was daylight in one of the territories. Having ruled the world the Colonial Mindset is ingrained in their system considering themselves still superior to the colonies and their people.
Now Great Britain Island has an area of 209,331 sq km even India’s state of Uttar Pradesh has a larger area 243,286 sq km! It is high time the word ‘Great’ be dropped as it is no more Global Britainand UK be also replaced from the UN Security Council permanent membership. No doubt Britain still has a global voice, but it is slowly losing its political power which has shifted towards Asia and is now being dominated by China, Japan, South Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and by India.
The Colonists believe without question, that their way is superior, that it was their God-given duty to impose it on the natives and this mindset persists even today. The colonists are still enjoying the fruits of the wealth looted from their colonies and thereby making these nations poorer. In India still there is a class of people who still praise the British rule and a significant number of people would willingly welcome back the British. It seems that after 75 years of ‘independence’, we still want to look like our former colonial masters. Stuck in its colonial mindset, and often disrespectful of India, London must get its India policy right and shed its superior colonial mindset attitude. Britain is also trying to assume a global role through the US-NATO stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Britain’s Love for Pakistan
Britain had interests across the globe post WW II with India occupying the center stage looking and ready for independence. It was in Britain’s strategic interest to partition India by cleverly crafting out a new Muslim nation Pakistan to enable Britain to sustain its position in the Middle East. Britain therefore can be considered as the creator of Pakistan.
In early 1980, shortly after the Russians had invaded Afghanistan and installed a proxy regime, Britain and the US took the lead in giving birth to Islamic Jihad in order to counter Russia. The plan was to bring Muslims from all around the world into Pakistan where they would be trained as Mujahideen and sent into Afghanistan to fight the Russians.
Encouraged by Britain’s support for International Jihad, shops in London’s Muslim ares started displaying posters exhorting customers to contribute money for killing Hindus in Kashmir.
British Mindset towards India
Britain cleverly partitioned India and crafted out a new Muslim nation the only of its kind on the lines of religion and left a permanent divide in the region between Hindus and Muslims which has spread across the world. Britain ruled the world through their policy of ‘Divide and Rule’.
Britain allows demonstrations every year against India in London by a combination of Sikh separatists and Kashmiri elements. Britain’s intelligence agencies are well aware of the background of the agitators but, despite India’s repeated official objections are permitted time and again for vote-bank politics and to maintain some pressure on India.
India’s internal matters are often discussed and debated in the British parliament. The recent Farm protests in India were also debated in the parliament.
MPs from all political parties condemn India’s Human Rights (HR) abuses in Kashmir quite often. The closure of Amnesty International and the revocation of articles 37o and 35 A of the constitution have been debated. Many said HRs were ‘not a bilateral issue’ and called for UN HRs officials to get asses to both sides. Britain to take a bigger role in facilitating peace in the region saying it had a duty given it had overseen Partition.
The book titled ‘Snakes in the Ganga Breaking India 2.0’ suggests according to the research suggests that Harvard University is the Epicenter supporting the Breaking India Work on the campus with some Indian billionaires funding it. So Britain is trying to displace the ancient Indian Vishwa Guru (World Guru) and converting India into a student follower.
India of 2020s
December of 2022 began with India assuming the presidency of two global bodies the G20 and the UNSC. G20 presidency is driven by the vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family).
Yesterday, India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day and has come of age and the world listen to Modi’s India of 2020s.India is once again moving on the path to be a World Guru.
India’s response on Russia–Ukraine crisis has shown to the world that India has an independent foreign policy. India’s Minister for External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar; “Europe has to get out of the mindset that Europe’s problem is the world’s problem but the world’s problem is not Europe’s problem”. Making it clear that ‘I am one-fifth of the world’s population. I am today the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world …. I feel I am entitled to have my own side.
The Western media has been lecturing India on its democratic responsibilities. The international order is evolving at a rapid pace and structural changes such as the changing balance of power with the rise of China are compelling India and the West to deal with each other on the basis of these 21st century realities of a multipolar world.
The world is not tuned to witness a more pro-active Indian response to regional challenges with India wanting to play the role of a ‘leading power’ in the international system, one that shapes global norms and institutional architecture, rather than living with and under the “Colonial Mindset”. Today’s India has a new face and a voice on the global arena. India has after 75 years started coming out of the “Colonial Mindset” and the Colonial Legacy.
