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Mainstream, VOL LI No 44, October 19, 2013

Colonial Master

Monday 21 October 2013

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by Shahnawaz Ahmad Mantoo

Justice continues to elude the present-day world as there are still exploitations, conflicts and miseries inflicted on the Third World states by the colonisers or neo-colonisers. Colonialism or imperialism is still there but in a new shape and form. The terminology hardly matters because what is important to mention here is that exploitation in the form of imperialism or colonialism was in the colonial era and its contemporary form happens to be neo-colonialism. Whether one calls it colonialism or neo-colonialism, the rules of the game are the same with only one change, that is, in colonialism the rule was direct and now in neo-colonialism the rule is indirect and more reliance is laid on diplomacy, alliances and international agreements than on the sword.

The main purpose of the coloniser is the socio-economic and political control which is being exercised economically, linguistically and culturally. Although there is no direct colonial rule today, there are countless countries which are being indirectly ruled by the neo-colonial masters. In this game there are two classes or groups—one the colony and the other coloniser, one the exploiter and the other exploited, one the developed and the other the under-developed. Right from the beginning it has been the law of the coloniser to exploit and marginalise the people and resources of the colonies.

The coloniser has certain ultenior motives and one among them is to maintain the colony and not let it to disappear. For this purpose the coloniser uses certain tactics and methods which are very difficult for a layman to understand. These tactics are very much part of the larger policies and schemes of the coloniser and it is difficult for a layman to identify them. The coloniser always tries to build a larger structure where it could adjust the smaller tactics and methods which it may use from time to time in controlling the colony.

The socio-economic and political structures and institutions are built in such a way as the layman is made to believe that they are for their well-being but actually they are not. I would like to summarise the overall political gimmick of the coloniser in the following lines:

Behind every step there is a wild fire,
Behind every word there is cunningness,
Behind every developmental scheme there is a trap,
Behind every move there is a motive,
Behind every meeting there is a conspiracy,
Behind every leader there is an army,
Behind every caravan there is a tank,
Behind every plan there is a game,
Behind every scheme there is a death,
Behind every promise there is a deception,
Behind everything there is a coloniser,

It is imperative to mention here that there is no coloniser who has not grasped the rules of this filthy game. One important aspect of this game is that the exploited people are made to think in terms of hard work only and the colonial master thinks only in terms of earning more and more profits. The Britishers came to India not with the motive of genuine development but with the purpose to loot and plunder—the golden sparrow, and the same is the case with the present day neo-colonisers. The offerings of these neo-colonial masters are highly positive in appearance but the fact of the matter is that they are negative and dangerous in reality. Their plans are deceptive in nature and the common people are supposed to remain cautious and careful at every point of time; otherwise they will be devoid of everything, as has been the case with the past colonies.

The only way to get out of this inhuman trap is not to cooperate with the colonisers and disobey them at every step. The present-day colonies, whether they are directly or indirectly under the coloniser, should unite against these so-called masters and throw them out of their lands. The people of the colonies should not lose heart because behind darkness there is light and behind every autumn there is a spring.

The author is a Ph.D Scholar, Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar.

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