Originally posted by: Pradarshak
I have recently came across this information written by Dadabhai Naoroji. I am an ordinary person and my views might not appeal to all. But I hope when this man who was also known as "Grand old man of India" and was also a mentor to Gandhi said something there must be some weight in it. He lived the era we are talking about and was well aware of the social-political scenario.
No Indian can ever forgive the foreigners who came to our country and made their luck out of our country, losing our wealth and life. I heard stories from my parents how they lost their closed ones and their wealth and land due to formation of Bangladesh and in '71 war(that's also cause of partition). Hindus came here(India) and started their life from the scratch. The wound in us is still fresh, the detriments may outway the benefits. But may be one day we will acknowledge(even in a small proportion) and history would tell us that it did serve little good.
Modern History Sourcebook:
Dadabhai Naoroji:
The Benefits of British Rule, 1871
The Benefits of British Rule for India:
In the Cause of Humanity: Abolition of suttee and infanticide. Destruction of Dacoits, Thugs, Pindarees, and other such pests of Indian society. Allowing remarriage of Hindu widows, and charitable aid in time of famine. Glorious work all this, of which any nation may well be proud, and such as has not fallen to the lot of any people in the history of mankind.
In the Cause of Civilization: Education, both male and female. Though yet only partial, an inestimable blessing as far as it has gone, and leading gradually to the destruction of superstition, and many moral and social evils. Resuscitation of India's own noble literature, modified and refined by the enlightenment of the West.
Politically: Peace and order. Freedom of speech and liberty of the press. Higher political knowledge and aspirations. Improvement of government in the native states. Security of life and property. Freedom from oppression caused by the caprice or greed of despotic rulers, and from devastation by war. Equal justice between man and man (sometimes vitiated by partiality to Europeans). Services of highly educated administrators, who have achieved the above-mentioned results.
Materially: Loans for railways and irrigation. Development of a few valuable products, such as indigo, tea, coffee, silk, etc. Increase of exports. Telegraphs.
Generally: A slowly growing desire of late to treat India equitably, and as a country held in trust. Good intentions. No nation on the face of the earth has ever had the opportunity of achieving such a glorious work as this. I hope in the credit side of the account I have done no injustice, and if I have omitted any item which anyone may think of importance, I shall have the greatest pleasure in inserting it. I appreciate, and so do my countrymen, what England has done for India, and I know that it is only in British hands that her regeneration can be accomplished.
to that list we can add how English has contributed to our IT/ BPO growth story, perhaps the biggest catalyst for our economic take-off and for lifting so many of our folks out of poverty. it's rather extravagant to talk of a glorious past and of culture, music, literature and all that jazz when folks dont have enuff to live on. we've managed to out-compete the Chinese and others in some areas because we can speak the language of our customers out west. we'd still be plodding thru 19th century industrial revolution stages if not for the unintentional fortune the English left behind with their English.
... sorry for returning to the peripheral topic again.
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