The British came to India centuries ago to search for trade and commerce but they found an opportunity to conquer us and they successfully did that. It’s not that we did not have the power to fight and we had fewer resources. We did not have that zest to fight against them.
We all were not united to fight with them. Everyone started to think about themselves, about their kingdom but not about their country. As a result, the battle of 1857 was won by the British.
They established the East India Company and took our resources and developed their country. For two hundred years we were bleeding to fight our independence and Britishers were enjoying our wealth. After Independence, we are still under the colonial hangover. Don’t you think so?
Are we still following the British legacy?
My answer to this question would be yes. We see colonialism everywhere. In our constitution, in our culture, in our values, and in our language too. Though the British left us seventy-five years ago we did not leave the British.
That British legacy is still in us. The way we talk, our manners are too British, we believe speaking English more fluently than our own Language. Wearing suits is more formal than wearing our Indian Dresses because it comes under the category of traditional.
As Britishers were very conservative towards their own beliefs we became the same. Take an example of the dowry system which never existed in our country. Britishers were having in their culture so they instilled in us too. Now the Dowry system is deep-rooted in our culture.
Britishers were very dominating; they forcefully set up indigo plantations to satisfy their own greed and thus Indigo declined from our country.
Britishers considered eating with our hands does not come under the category of good manners because it was established by the British because they eat with spoons and other kinds of cutlery. But eating food with hands is a part of our Indian culture. Why shy away from it? We have become hypocrites just like the British.
Where are we now?
Though we have completed Seventy five years of Independence we as Indians look down upon themselves. We are so influenced by Western culture that we blindly follow them and criticise our own culture. As an Indian we have lost our own identity and trying to copy others.
We consider ourselves as slaves. Take the example of Ayurveda which is an ancient way of living is not very well considered because British destroyed it.
The education system which was set by the British we are still following the same for so many years. Be it our sex education which was liberal until British intervened and messed up because they did not believe and now as Indians we do not acknowledge sex education and created a taboo about it.
We are morden from outside yet conservative from inside.
Our administrative services are also of colonial times. No such improvement had been by the government to make the process easier. Even our constitution we feel that we are so proud about it is similar to British constitution. Some of the laws which need to scrapped in the present time are still exsisting take the example of Indian penal code. More of corrupt system than serving for the public.
We will be the same?
I feel we are on a critical mode where we as Indians are sinking our identity. Supporting your culture outside your country is not patriotism is showing off which we Indians often do. Wearing traditional clothes only for day is not supporting Indianness we have to embrace our culture.
Actually we are waiting for Gandhi like person to come and open our eyes. Just like when he came he started the independence movement and then the whole nation supported him until we got our independence.
Instead searching for Gandhi why can't we itself be Gandhi's and open our eyes ourselves. As an Indian we need to open our eyes ourselves and see the reality. Don't be British be more of Indian and be proud of who we are then only the world will accept you.
Be that Gandhi.
Written by Ananya Birla
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