Author Archive for: ‘admin’
How a British royal’s monumental errors made India’s partition more painful
The midnight between August 14 and 15, 1947, was one of history’s truly momentous moments: It marked the birth of Pakistan, an independent India and the beginning of the end of an era of colonialism. It was hardly a joyous moment: A botched process of …
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Colonialism was a disaster and the facts prove it
Recently an academic article, asserting the historical benefits of colonialism, created an outcry and a petition with over 10, 000 signatures calling for its removal. The Case for Colonialism, published in Third World Quarterly by Bruce Gilley, argues Western colonialism was both “objectively beneficial and …
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India Under PM Modi
While India and Indians worldwide celebrate India’s 75th Independence day, Prime Minister Modi’s seven+ years in office marks the longest uninterrupted non-Congress government at the centre. It’s a combination of the pull of PM Modi’s personality, a right-of-centre stream of politics, and a few lessons …
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Colonialism in India was traumatic – including for some of the British officials who ruled the Raj
When India gained independence from Britain on August 15 1947, the majority of Anglo-Indians had either left or would leave soon after. Many within the Indian Civil Service would write of the trauma that they experienced from witnessing the violence of the years leading up …
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The Pledge of Independence
The Indian National Congress, on December 19, 1929, passed the historic ‘Purna Swaraj’ – (total independence) resolution – at its Lahore session, which called for “complete freedom from the British.” The Purna Swaraj resolution—proclaimed on January 26, 1930, – a day, which the Congress Party …
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Churchill and India: imperial chauvinism left a bitter legacy
For those who enjoy debunking the reputations of national heroes, there can be few softer targets than Winston Churchill. The phrase “flawed hero” could almost have been invented to characterise his long, wilfully erratic career. Running through it, like some bitter-tasting lettering in a stick …
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How Gandhi’s Dandi March Shook the British Empire!
The march on foot undertaken by Gandhi and seventy-eight freedom fighters was the most significant event in the history of the breach of salt law in our country. It was commenced in accordance with a fixed schedule to be carried on by them during the …
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The Dandi March and its Long-term effect
The Dandi March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, salt March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 5 April 1930 as a direct …
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Britain, India and the Koh-i-Noor diamond – don’t expect the jewel to be prised out of the crown
The history of the Koh-i-Noor diamond is steeped in mystery and conflict. It is currently stored in the Tower of London, as part of the British Crown Jewels, set the crown of Queen Elizabeth (the crown of the late Queen Mother), though many Indians have …
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August 15, 1947 – From Bondage to Freedom
Every year on August 15, the Indian nation celebrates its Independence Day with great pride and enthusiasm. It is the day on which in 1947, the British transferred political power to the Indians after nearly 200 years of imperial rule over the country. This day …
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