Being part of the Sunday reading activity, we students are expected to work on this activity dynamically, so we may have many ideas from different fields and which we can present as our perspectives, refering any task which is actually our prime concern and the other things based on it.
As we are knowing when Britishers ruled in India, the period had become dark and had its negative vibes all over the world. In this blog also I'm going to discuss, some of the arguments put forward by "Shashi Tharoor" an indian politician and diplomat. Who had written his book in "An era of darkness: The British Empire in India". In which he has put his views as how "They"(britishers) had widened their legs through Bengal, to have power all over the india, in 1757 and how gradually by implementing their book designed laws(seems working as power), with concernment of politics and economics, they destroyed, weakened and drained india through its resources and how those are responsible for dividing Muslims and Hindus, while this wasn't prevailing earlier. Though their superficial concern was to show their nicety towards india but deeply they were eating india due to the Indians lackness in identifying their abilities and capabilities.
 |
| Refer this book for better understanding Any revolution in any country/region/continent is based on some factors, which were being happened priorly, and were able to give lesson to those who were colonised by th colonizers. Laterly those happenings are inscribed by the respective writers of the particular age or by those who are well aware of and can differentiate those treatment,dealing manner and in the name of civilization, exploiting the colonised people. |
ARGUMENTS IN INDIA'S DEFENSE-SHASHI THAROOR
Let's see some arguments put forward by "Shashi Tharoor" in his videos's speeches, how he has represented his ideas and arguments, regarding "the british colonialism in india and its empire".
Argument-1:
Central argument to make for "British Raj" is : Britishers came into the country, which was one of the richest countries in the world in 1700 India was the single riches country. GDP growth 27%(world gdp 23%[India's gdp]).
As it is said that they had invaded through "Bengal" in India, from where they gradually expanded their colonial land and those were also recognized as their princely states, which was made possible by negotiations of Jagirs and Mughals and some of the other unknown resources.
They were known of that these Indians are foolish, they don't have adequate knowledge of things as they had and as they are influenced with modernism aspects of life, they're not and it would be easy to take everything, for what those are destined to eat but as they're ignorant then why we shouldn't have our maneuvering share and they (britishers)had!
They implied their book for laws, where poor people prevented from Charity and it was excused that it is because they want them to work and for which those have established such working camps where indians were constantly made to toil and work with their body and soul.
Bengal also faced famine for two times; respectively in 1770 and 1944-43. Where as per the announcement of Winston Churchill all the grains was exported in Europe, though the people of Bengal were starved to death. It seems as he was only interested to prosper his own country rather than thinking for welfare of the people of India. Simply predicting invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia, which is actually indefinite while what was seen, wasn't repaired.
A movie story based on this famine, during "the II world war":https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Thunder_(1973_film).
It seems as they wanted Indians to be engaged somewhere so they may have, what is required for their country. For this they had also levied unfair punitive tariffs on such exporting goods, concerning ships, steel and textile industries. Their country's ship has life of only 7 years, while India's was qualititavely high and solid and also was the case of "Damascus sword" which wasn't seen in their country.
Perhaps the resources have been utilized but needs awareness, skills, capability and specific ability to utilize in such extent but in absence of such things whatever you have what is its use if you're not able to utilize in proper way.
We can study political aspects from such novels also, in either way it can be done, though pros or cons may be differing but similarises somewhere and as it is said "in literature all the happenings of society/country/people are mirrored" literally can be seen here.
Shashi Tharoor's "Oxford speech"
Argument-2
(Views on post-colonial mindset):
Enough education for their own purposes: As we know before the advent of "British Raj" in India, India was ignorant of English language and only we had some of the regional languages, regarding diverse religions, along with gurukul system for gaining education, which was in conventional manner and if in and around something in regular manner is going on, introduction of something eye catching, attractive, lustrous would be proved as a means for hypnotizing people into its depth and involving them at such extent that they would become blind to see, what is going on at surface level. The same was happened with Indians.
They had introduced their language but only what will help them to fulfill their own purposes, only the chunks of language were given, which were unable even to chew properly. If it is chewed properly then only it can be digested or able to provide its required nutritions to body. But if not then how?
For example: Robinson Crusoe(25th April, 1719) Daniel Defoe: We also see here relationship between "Master and Servant". How as being cannibal Friday though in nice manner but is served what his master wants him to.
Refer to the below mentioned link to know more about the novel.
While in India the existing languages "as Sanskrit is called the mother of all languages, and all indian languages are its descendants, were serving the spiritual purpose" to its country as well as the people.
Can it be said, that under influence of religion or excessive spirituality they weren't able to recognize their duties towards country, along with how they are blessed with all resources that if being utilized in proper way, they may be having something new, regarding India.
Argument-3
Private profit was of all British and public profit was for Indians:
As we know by refering the speeches of "Shashi Tharoor" that how they don't like anyone from India having an equal foot in politics as they have in the form of "British East India Company". If anyone has in India then perhaps there will be questions for the manner of distribution or equal proportion but as there is none then obviously what share they would like, they throw among the public of India. Where how they are given and if they are satiated with what they are provided, won't be their business to see. Their only aim was to loot the essential resources from India and affluent their own country.
As we had seen in Indian movies of 80s, how "Zamindar" are exploiting "Aam Janta". E.g: Aaj Ka Arjun ( Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri).
Refer this link to clear the context of "the dominative power called zamindar and the poor public".
We may also have some arguments by refering some of the videos.
As per Shashi Tharoor's speech they had also systematically tried to separate Hindu and Muslim community people and accordingly majoritized them by placing them in their particular region in Bengal. While before their invasion in India, Indians were living altogether happily, Hindus were going in masjid and muslims in temple.
We find the same aspect in "Medieval period" where people don't speak of "Augustine's six ages of the world or believe in Joachimite prophecy(an Italian theologer). If some are excluded from their natural environment then obviously havoc will be generated among the people and so perhaps we had many volunteers like; Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Gandhiji and many writers, who by mirroring India's situation in literature, had tried to bring awareness.
For example: Henry Dorezio's: 'The Fakeer of Jungheera' where how satiparatha was at that time is highlighted. Aurobindo's some of the novels: the life divine, the secret of the veda, synthesis of the yoga(describes the divinity in india before the arrival of Britishers) and how the India will be if they are thrown out(the future poetry).
We also have an example of "Kanthapura" where we can literally see the state of india prevailing at that time and how with the advent of Mahatma Gandhiji it changes gradually.
Personal impact on Shashi Tharoor's arguments and reasons
As Shashi Tharoor studies each and every treatment of Britishers that they paid towards India with all his perspectives, his argument and its reasons and solutions seems to be constructive rather than destructive. He isn't only claiming Indians or Britishers, he also says though they were manipulative, nominative, negatively constructed, superior in many aspects comparing the Indians, but if Indians have oppressed and adapt concerning the prevailing situation and equipped with required abilities and capabilities perhaps they wouldn't had succeed in doing so as they did to india, a century ago. Perhaps as he is politician he can understand politics going in and around in proper context.
when we know the former status of something and then compare it with contemporaneous time, along with all the happenings in between, we come to know that how in such ignorance a country/thing/human can be dethroned from his/her/its own place and if it is getting stimulation further we don't know at what measure it will be destroyed, we open our eyes from ignorance when everything is already done and now we don't have anything to do, "helpless".
Examples:
We may have an example from "Heart of darkness"(congo-Africa): How "Kurtz" the another reflecting self of "Joseph Conrad" as said in the novel, is assigned such illegal tasks by Europeans, under influence of imperialism and colonialism and as "Kurtz" is unable to understand and can say due to his greed, he had blocked all his working/common senses where atleast he can open the door of realization but as unable to, lead to his own annihilation.
Know more about the novel story "click here"
If evaluating with the same perspective the novel "Ghashiram Kotwal" by Vijay Tendulkar. Here "Nana Phadanvis" one of the prominent ministers of court, while "Ghashiram" as the chief police. Where how Nana Phadanvis by being in power give rise to such ideologies to serve his own purpose, here the subject is Ghashiram. Where as we see back in the days of British raj, we come to know as evaluating with political aspect that there may be someone like "Ghashiram Kotwal" who himself is humiliated for uncommitted deed and who wants revenge from Brahmins of Pune, who are responsible for such guilt. As he blinded himself at such extent that he is unable to see clearly that "Nana" is using him to fulfill his own purposes, would have been done the same in india and in that darkness he commits uncountable ignorant sins in his own ignorance and gradually thrown out of the flesh as seed of something is removed out. We can see literally here that without seed anything would be in distortive manner(in india its resources were its seeds/bones and as it is snatched by other country, those will make their place but always remains in defeciet state). As said by "Horace Walpole":
"What is England now, a sink of Indian wealth"!
Refer this link to know more about the novel.
You can refer to some of the videos to know about the "British Raj" in detail.
India In Contemporary Times
If we see this in contemporary times, what the Britishers were used to do in past as told by Shashi Tharoor that they had systematically tried to create conflict between two fractions Hindu and Muslim. The same is happening in these days, concerning "NPR" and "NCR" like implementations regarding "citizenship registration". And as we know that day by day India gdp is spiralling down to 4.5 as per the present data statistics record of 2019, due to many issues(like demonatization in 8 November, 2016)going hand in hand we don't know what is going to happen but can predict that if it isn't prevented then perhaps the india and it's people may be facing dire/horrific consequences of some unusual amendments.
A blog on Ngugiva Thiongo: African Literature and on Colonial films.
Hence we learnt here how "the British crown" has ruled over India, how due to famine in Bengal most of the people were died ignorantly, and how Shashi Tharoor has put his each and every argument and statements in very systematic manner and tried to rectify it in it's own arena, without manipulating or disrupting any aspect, introduced in his book "An era of darkness: The Britsih empire in India".
Click above on the link.
Thankyou
Samiya Kagdi
A learner in PG center
Department of Englsih
MKBU
Applied sources:
1. https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/robinson-crusoe/friday
2. https://youtu.be/O72Oit3Hnxw
3. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness
4. https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2018/09/shashi-tharoor-and-dark-era-of.html.
5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Thunder_(1973_film)
2 comments:
شركة تنظيف بالقطيف
شركه نقل عفش بالقطيف
شركة تسليك مجاري بالقطيف
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالقطيف
شركة تنظيف بتبوك
شركة نقل عفش بتبوك
Jazaakallah!
Post a Comment