India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15 each year. Although it is a day to rejoice and be patriotic about, it is disheartening to reminisce
India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15 each year. Although it is a day to rejoice and be patriotic about, it is disheartening to reminisce that millions had to lay their lives to enjoy freedom! To enjoy the right to live by their means. But, although the act of the British was outright inhumane to cage a section of people as slaves, there are several things that the colonization has given India. There is the contribution of the British in the development of India as an economy, administration, and many more.
But, have you ever thought, what if the British never colonized India, or took over India?
The years British ruled India, brought in several rooms of changes and further ways of development to the country as a whole. But, the foremost is India might not have been the same sub-continent we see today. The freedom struggle led to the separation of India and Pakistan into two countries. But, if the colonization would not have taken place, there are two possibilities. One, The Republic of India must have been a bigger geographical region or would have split into smaller countries by now.
What would be the current scenario of the administration of the country? Would the state still be ruled by regional kings, and would there be wars to acquire kingdoms?
British brought in administration and the hierarchical functioning of all departments that could function in coordination to serve the people. Registers, recording of essential details, maintaining files, everything was a learning from how the British administered India.
Although the administration and structure came in through colonization, India was robbed of its raw materials and became a market to sell final products. This was the case with all fields, and India lost its individuality in the process, and thus grew as a perfect market for many foreign companies.
Would pigeons and spies be deployed to send messages and make communication possible? Would traveling take hundreds of hours?
India has the busiest railways and the largest postal system on the planet. Certain infrastructure and developed trade routes are what the British created in India to aid their trading motives and profit from them. But, the huge connectivity that Indians enjoy today is a result of what the Britishers initiated.
Millions laid their lives down for independence, but millions lost their lives and livelihoods due to the barbaric nature of the British and their rules. The British passed several rules and had so many taxes that many people starved to death, and some gave up helpless.
The heartland of the country still has hundreds of languages in use. Would better communication be possible without what the British gave India?
Today, Indians are everywhere, from running the biggest companies to being integral parts of elections. People of Indian origin have made a mark, and have reached heights. This is a result of their hard work, but also the result of the education they acquired. British brought in the English language, and a proper learning structure to India. Over the years, the system has been edited and changed for good. But the people who started this remain the British. And, many social reforms were the result of their education.
But, the ultimate aim of the invaders and the rulers of British India was to make money and change India, the best place to take benefit from. This led to several inhumane laws, taxes, and the deaths of many. Objecting their presence and fighting against them did fetch India the much-needed freedom, but while we rejoice on the day of Independence, it is not wrong to say that the British were a catalyst for India in reaching the stature it has achieved today.
Image credits: Photo by Still Pixels from Pexels
