A book, “Making of India” by Dr. Kartar Lalvani, to record gains and losses by British and India during British Raj, must be informative, but sugar coated to please Anglophiles. Yet some facts cannot be denied.
When English traders landed, India was ravaged by Sikhs in north, Moguls in east, Marathas in west and Tipu Sultan in south. British merchants repeatedly defeated these to protect business. Mutiny in 1857 and brutal suppression motivated Engand to take over reins from traders, and establish British Empire. Building infrastructure of administration, roads and railways were meant for smooth rule rather than love for India. British, “divide and rule,” created Pakistan, a permanent barb for India. Positively, this has caused foolproof banishment of Mogul rule and resultant resuscitation of Hindustan. Though Congress was founded to create brown sahibs controllable from London, they turned tables and drove away British. Ironically, British educated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel united 500 states under single rule from Delhi.
Only history and time will show whether India was wise to pursue romanticist path of Anglo centric adventuristic modernism or path of maturity as laid down by Indo centric teachings and values propounded by nine faiths prevalent in India.
Ramesh Jhalla
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