Colonial Past
Even years after the empire’s downfall, the commentary discusses the impact of colonialism. If we look at the world picture as a whole, then we can see a lot of remains of the colonial past that are still affecting us.
Context
- Colonial authority is no longer a topic of discussion in the public sphere, either at home or abroad.
- However, the effect of colonialism has been and continues to be felt by nations worldwide.
- In comprehending the problems and dangers it has left behind, colonialism remains a crucial element.
Impacts of colonialism
Improper departure by the colonial powers: These colonial powers occupied the countries for looting their wealth and exited the country without any proper backup to fill in the vacuum. These kinds of exits can be seen in Afghanistan, Africa, India, etc. These countries plunged into chaos. For example, when India and Pakistan were divided, the partition cost more lives. The lines drawn by the Britishers like the Mcmohan line and Radcliff still create struggles at the border.
- Arise in the conflicts between African nations: When the colonial powers ruled over Africa, these countries were promised the colonial powers more land and resources. And when they left these countries, these African countries started getting into civil wars.
- Social divide: One of the main weapons in the hands of the colonial powers is to divide the society so that they don’t have to face a unified group. To do that, they used to divide society based on sex, religion, caste, etc. For example, They divided the people based on the Belgian classification of Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda Burundi. Similar situations were seen in Sri Lanka in the cases of Sinhalese resentment of Srilankan Tamils.
- Socio-Political: The colonial powers made sure that the old customs and rituals are destroyed so that the youths don’t remember their history. The boundaries drawn by them still create civil wars which lead to massacres.
- Governance: These countries were so rich in minerals and diamonds. When the colonial powers invaded and conquered these countries, they started depleting these countries of their resources. By the time they got independence, these countries were so underdeveloped.
