The ravages of colonialism

This is not a new subject and the devastation caused by colonialism to so many countries have been discussed many times before. I just want to give you another perspective. In countries like the Pearl, we demanded and, in some cases, actually fought for independence. We had brilliant minds and educated people who thought their time to rule had come and that they could do a better job than the Colonials and build their country up. A handful (I can only think of Singapore and Dubai) succeeded and that too by not severing their ties with the colonial master too severely and in the case of Dubai using their money to virtually single handedly save the British horse racing industry! Singapore too trod a cautious path and kept the colonial masters happy and have been rewarded.

The South Asian countries around us are in ruins. Arbitrary declarations of republics, impositions of national languages, nationalisation of thriving businesses and industries have contributed no end to the obvious devastation of culture and acquisition of lands and assets not to mention the pillaging of national treasures that actually took place. In 70 odd years of “independence” we have steadily eroded our economies, devalued our currencies and removed any semblance of good governance that was ever in place. Of course, any chance we get we blame the colonials, but that excuse is wearing thin to put it mildly!

I currently live in Aotearoa New Zealand, which for reasons that are not the issue, remained under the colonial yoke in some form or another. They still have a Governor General appointed by the Queen of England and, in fact, declare national holiday to celebrate the birthday of the Queen. There was a race that occupied Aotearoa before the British, and they were the Maori originally from the pacific islands. History records that they arrived by canoe and formed their own identity and culture upon arrival and settling down. Now, they too claim the ravages of colonialism. Everything from the suicide rate among the young people to the substance abuse and domestic violence is all blamed on the colonials. Their demands are being addressed. They are getting compensation and getting it in spades. Every budget from the strong and robust economies of New Zealand and Australia pumps billions of dollars every year to these people and their welfare. This is REAL currency not the monopoly money that our currency in the Pearl has become. They are being given their land back, land that is worth real money not the type of assets that would be unrecognizable in value by our forefathers who so proudly left them to us, as is our lot in the Pearl. These people have a country that is listed in the first world, a country with good governance and fantastic infrastructure an education system and civil governance that is the envy of the world.

Who won the war of independence? We in South Asia may have won a battle but doesn’t the ultimate victory lie with the so called “indigenous” races of the antipodes? What did we save of the pride and heritage of our nation by getting independence? We saved our culture you may say, we saved our religion…. but did we? Is the “dog eat dog” culture we practice today what made our country the granary of the east? Is the main religion that is practised in our country even recognisable from the original preached by the Buddha? In New Zealand the Maori language is gained more and more traction with the ultimate aim being to have a bilingual nation in a generation.

Meanwhile, English has ensured that Kiwis have access to the latest research and can hold down jobs in any country in the world. Maori culture and methods of care for the sick are recognised by the government and even encompassed in the law of the land. These methods have been carefully assessed and researched and then included unlike the “Dhammika Peniya” of recent times!

While on the subject of the magic potion that was not to be, the Covid situation in the Pearl seems to be totally out of control. Even the Opposition Leader and his wife have contracted the disease. A magnificently bungled vaccination plan due to the perennial problem of “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” with everyone from the Army commander to the Mayor of Colombo claiming rights to dispense the vaccine and scant regard being given to the scientists who are the only people who should be consulted, has resulted in real desperation among the people. We feel very helpless and almost useless, sitting in these countries of our self-imposed exile and hearing about our friends, classmates and the general populace trapped in this web of incompetence and innocuousness. There is a real fear that should any form of organized protest arise we will be pushed down the path of Burma.

There is no hope of intervention from the rest of the world as, no one cares, this once resplendent land and the ex–pearl of the Indian ocean has no oil or any other natural resources that will make an impact on the global economy, should we sink into the mire of oblivion. When the voter base decided to give massive majorities to a family who set a new benchmark for corruption and asset grabbing, even in a country that was already among the front runners of that field, maybe this is the outcome they wanted? But it is certainly not the outcome the thrice-blessed land deserves!