Thursday 23 July 2015

Because Its Personal

I watched a video today, that brought forth a lot of emotional anguish that I personally carry with me, and it brought forth a need to say, what possibly 'political correctness', makes me hold back.  I will share here the video of Shashi Tharoor, talking about what the British 'rule' did to India, how much, it materialistically took away, and more. What he talks about are facts and numbers, which are overwhelming in themselves, but what I feel is pain and anger for all that my beloved India and Indians had to endure. 




I am not a racist, but I am not a fan of the British, to put it mildly, and yes, its personal. I am sharing this video, in the hope that people who watch it, will know the facts, facts that have never been shown to the world, the world which has been led to believe that India is a land of slum-dwelling, snake charmers. But managed to be the ones to send their Mission to Mars in their very first attempt! I am not attempting to say India is better or worse than any other nation on earth, but what I am saying is, it has been looted, and stripped to its very gut by the greedy British monarchy for over two hundred years. But what it has built up from, in less than 100 years is nothing but remarkable.

My family lost their home and every material possession when India was divided into 3 parts, as they walked across the border, uprooted in their own home and land, looking to survive. I feel extremely proud to say that my own grandmother was a part of the group of revolutionaries fighting off the British. She at the tender age of 13 was on the list of the 'people to look out for', for the Brits. The word British, somehow never brings in a single positive feeling in my heart or mind, and it never will. It is personal, it is not based on media outcry, or hype, but knowing my History, and knowing what we lost in order to be free of the shackles of greed.

The Great Bengal Famine, was created by these greedy colonialists, to feed their never ending greed, while millions died. No one ever talks about this genocide. I wonder why? It is personal to me, I am a Bengali, I have had ancestors face this trauma.  I am quoting directly from the article linked above, to give a picture of atrocious cruelty the British govt, was capable of.

Winston Churchill, the hallowed British War prime minister who saved Europe from a monster like Hitler was disturbingly callous about the roaring famine that was swallowing Bengal’s population. He casually diverted the supplies of medical aid and food that was being dispatched to the starving victims to the already well supplied soldiers of Europe. When entreated upon he said, “Famine or no famine, Indians will breed like rabbits.” The Delhi Government sent a telegram painting to him a picture of the horrible devastation and the number of people who had died. His only response was, “Then why hasn’t Gandhi died yet?”

Humanity at its worst?

India, known back then(before the entry of Brits), as the golden bird of the world, has had plunderers pour in to loot its wealth for generations, these were not the first ones, but they were the worst. The difference however was, that the British had a big plan, and greater power than, any before them, so they took and took and took, till they could no more, and then they cut the country into pieces and left.They were just looters, with more might, no different than any other, except that their capacity for cruelty to fuel their greed was unprecedented. Hindu and Muslim families that had lived side by side in peace for generations, were now warring against each other. The number of people who actually gave up their lives with a smile on their face, filled with patriotism, is unbelievable. The atrocities committed on them much much worse. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacare, a case where there was peaceful assembly of people in a park, with a single point of entry, is to be noted. There were women, children, old and young who sat there, listening to a speech. A certain General Dyer, came in with full ammunition and shot all those unarmed civilians dead. Women jumped into a well with their children to escape rape and torture.

It has been a long time, and the world has changed since, and we all need to forget the past. My question remains though, will you forget it, if your own home was burnt down to ashes? It is personal. I see the US apologise to Japan on every anniversary of the Hiroshima attack, though it happened in an act of war. Has the UK, ever had the decency to apologise for its unspeakable acts? No! And the fact that they think, and try to portray themselves as superior to India, is what shows what they truly stand for! As Shahi Tharoor beautifully says, what is needed, is first an acknowledgement of the wrong that has been done. An apology, if that may follow!

The fact is they are bullies, they try to oppress as long as they can, then when the whole nation rises up, they run away, and pretend they plundered a whole nation and killed its people for its own good. Grand lies and deception at its best. India, in close to 70 years of being free of the master manipulators, and having to start from scratch, has learned, and grown more than any other nation in the world. And that shows that no matter how long and how hard you beat someone up, they will stand up and rise up to their own potential. It has been a test for a country, the 200 years of being hurt and murdered, but as they say, even gold needs to go through fire to be purified. But never ever will it be hidden, what a greedy and cruel bunch the British monarchy and govt. are.

India is blessed, and will grow and prosper with each passing day, growing stronger and smarter, and showing that material wealth is but only a possession, what truly makes a person, or even a nation is what lies within its soul. Jai Hind!

Something to soothe the soul, and infuse us with patriotism, and pride for being the strong people, to the strong mother nation Indians are!
 

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