Decolonisation: Reality or just a Myth?

Colonization is not necessarily performed by a foreign entity. It can be more closely woven to our internal thoughts to succumb to our visible weaknesses by neglecting our potential strength to rise above narratives and focus on people driven development.

Interestingly, I used to hold to the belief that low literacy levels, divided states, lower global exposure, etc had affected the capabilities of Indians to understand the real game plan of 19th century colonialism that resulted in tighter Imperial rule. Imperialism might be out of picture today but it really took me by surprise when my class ninth history teacher mentioned the term Neo-colonialism in the last decade.

Despite living in the Information age, we are falling short to understand the gravity of this situation. Neo colonialism has taken many faces under trade, diplomacy, technology and environment. Maybe the hunger of developing countries for foreign investments fuels this exploitation. On one hand we want private investments but our domestic policies make corporate sector run away as seen immediately after demonetization. This dichotomy in policy making is not an outlier but a general tendency.

In the AI race, we are opening some 250 data centers by 2030. Out of these one being in Vizag, where government is open to spend billions of dollars along with state government's tax concessions and Union government giving decade long tax holiday. This scenario reflects the Farman for EIC which merely demanded a payout of ₹3000 against their trade of lakhs of ruppees from the shores of Bengal. When the administration remembers about indigenous AI development, such reports stain the holy narrative of Amrit kaal.

We have been fed with a famous saying "Ease of doing business". In this endeavour, some set backs are termed as part of attaining the golden past so we accept the 176th rank out of 177 countries in Environmental Performance Index. We tend to misjudge the long term impact of our present inaction. Our myopic vision fails to see life beyond 2047 as we allow encroachment by run-away European factories under the veil of infamous Melody diplomacy. The famous saying was never told to us in entirety- "What's too dirty for Europe, it's Ease of doing business in India".

The dichotomy doesn't end here as political leaders tirelessly claim to limit the use of pesticides, but the same leaders don't hesitate to allow import of harmful chemicals. They reclaim mother Earth by planting Ek pedh maa ke naam and on the other hand shatter forested lands for their partners in crony capitalism.

The people in power are always reluctant to leave their seats vacant, but they didn't even blink before thinking to randomly relocate African cheetahs. Citizens often turn into their subjects as they become the victims of laws that were once introduced to protect nation's security but now secure, the insecure one in power.

Post Independent India, hailed Green revolution to become self reliant in agriculture. Now, the aspiring vishwaguru terms rushed E20 revolution as key to atmanirbharta but it is pushing the 80yr old Bharat to rely on sugar imports.

Reality warps; memory crumbles as we connote rebranding with decolonisation. When CrPC sec-144 becomes BNSS sec-163, the right to dissent is taken away as the liberty of thought is recolonised from the very point of deliverance of the Tryst with Destiny.

Every colonization toples under its own weight of over-reach when the voice of many reverberates in unison, it becomes the day of judgment.