British Colonialism and How India and Pakistan Lost Freedom
[Photo: Kashmiri refugees protest the Indian government’s revocation of the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir [Naseer Chaudary – Anadolu Agency via MEM]]
By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD
The transformations of the native cultures are near-permanent after a couple of generations as lost languages and ways can only rarely be even partially recovered. The term for this is “cultural genocide”, and today is an international crime. [The Convention was presented in 1948, signed by the U.S. in 1948, but was not ratified by the U.S. until 1988.] The complicate matters further, many regions under the imperial heel were not unified states to start with. There were multitudes of societies in regions consolidated under imperial rule, and lines drawn to create nation-states paid no heed to those ties and lands. Cultures are not phoenixes that arise from the ashes, nor do they fly out of the eye of god. Hence, like physical genocide, we are talking about extinction.
The purpose of imperialism is not simply to control the populace to facilitate meeting the needs of the imperial nations, but to reshape the minds of the controlled, This is generally referred to as internal colonialism, and it is so much more insidious than what happens in the outer world of social structure and concrete. Colonization of the minds of the colonized makes us unthinking participants in our own, and our childrens’ bondage. It ensures a world of imperial rule long after the imperialists have returned to their caves.
Today, we have not just the remains of old imperialism making a mess of life, but newer forms of imperialism, in part liberated from nation0state empires, placing a stranglehold on people across the globe. In the following article, Dr. Khawaja focuses on the problems of India, Pakistan, and Kasmir and Jammu, but this is a global problem that is generally ignored or hidden.
Mahboob Khawaja, PhD
The Irony of Historic National Freedom and the Unspoken Tyranny of Imperialism
Do nations and civilizations grow out of the moral mire of military conquests, killing of innocent people, political cruelty, and subjugation by imperialism? For more than 800 years, India as a Moghul Empire was an economically well integrated and politically viable entity and had strong trade and political relationships with western Europe. After intrigue, conspiracies, and pre-planned division, the British invaded India in 1857, committing cold-blooded massacres of two million people – mostly Muslims. Opposing the military invasion was described as “Mutiny” in the British chronicle. Bahadur Shah Zafar – the last Moghul emperor — was deposed overnight in Delhi, his youngest son’s head was chopped off and put on a breakfast plate to strangle the Shah and make him surrender unconditionally. Shah was hurriedly taken to Rangoon (Burma) and imprisoned in a garage where he wrote poems of the loss of his freedom and beloved country. Later on, he died and was buried. Did the British overtake India to be a free country for democracy or to support the Hindu domination of India? The British robbed Moghul India and it became Great Britain and an imaginary India as an absolute entity of the British Empire.
Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and Liaquat Khan though educated in British intellectual traditions articulated new missions and visions for national freedom as a revolution against the British colonial political traditions and continuity of British Raj in India. Was this violent and ruthless indoctrination part of the British heritage or history-making efforts to besiege India forever? Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy, made sure that Indians will remain loyal and subservient to the future blending of so-called celebrated national freedom after the 1947 partition into India and Pakistan. The British failed to deliver national freedom to either nation in a universal spirit of political responsibility. Both nations continued to engage in military warfare, ethnic conflicts, and hegemonic control to dominate each other, thereby undermining their own future.
History could not have confined the tyranny and oppression of “divide and rule” of British imperialism against the will of the Indian masses. Canons of rationality clarify that national freedom granted to both new entities in August 1947 was a fake chronology and history. The so-called national freedom perpetuated a hybrid socio-economic and political culture – part human- part vulture. The British made no security arrangements to ensure communal peace and harmony which resulted in millions of people being killed in ethnic violence while migrating from one place to another.
Tormented with injustice, public discord, and political lethargy, British imperialism changed the Indian mindset and behavior within a century. But even after 75 years India and Pakistan remain glued to the British colonial systems in thoughts, systems, and governance. Does it not signal a naïve leadership void of imagination of national freedom professed by both nations since 1947? They continue to interact with one another as the most hated enemy of time and history, wars, the threat of nuclear arsenals, Kashmir dispute, and worst of all, lack of direct people to people communication or business relationships – all seem to be part of a highly ruptured and purging pursuit of national freedom.
Indian and Pakistani Leaders Follow Egoistic Agenda for the Future
The aerial view of New Delhi reflects an Islamic image of the city – grand New Delhi Mosque, nearby historic and beautiful Taj Mahal, Old Fort, and a lot more. To foreigners, it does not look like the capital of Hindu India at all. If this inference has any reality, the future of India and Pakistan should have been a collaboration and lasting friendship. India always wanted to subdue Pakistan and its national freedom. Pakistan’s bad luck entailed many military coups breaking its integrity and trust in freedom. Egoistic and foolish Generals created bogus and corrupt politicians claiming to be the leaders of future-making. They lacked the moral and intellectual capacity to imagine their future with a new generation of educated, intelligent, and proactive people who could have contributed to a promising future for Pakistan. Most pernicious consequences defy logic as most Indian and Pakistani elite would not dare to be on the rational side of time and history. Nation-building is a forgotten and unreasonable goal to their pursuits.
India’s political agenda was intact when in December 1971, East Pakistan was disintegrated and Bangladesh was created by Mrs. Indra Gandhi –the Prime Minister – a power conspirator in India. The Pakistani governing elite would not dare to admit that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Yahya Khan both major conspirators who led to the defeat of Pakistan. Even half a century later, Pakistanis still live with the delusional and unarguable conclusions of that historic misfortune. As a graduate student, I met General PNK Choudry (the former Chief of the Indian Armed Force) forcibly retired by Mrs. Indra Gandhi and sent as an Ambassador (HC) to Canada. At a local university campus, we met when he was a guest speaker. Later on, I invited him for a class gathering with fellow students and lunch. During the summer while working at a photo store, General Choudry came in with two cameras on his shoulder, and many times we had lunch together and walks and photography together. On weekends, at the university library- often I got library books to share with him and we talked about global affairs and his own past and India-Pakistan. He denied any alleged conspiracy against Mrs. Gandhi to oust her and bring a military coup in India. My interaction with General Choudry continued for almost two years. After his diplomatic assignment, he was hired by McGill University, Montreal as a lecturer and that is where he died in 1975. He was a striking 6.5 ft tall, but simple man, humble and speaking openly and truthfully as I recall him. As an Indian top army General, he may have been a tyrant but as a human being and a diplomat, he was a decent person. He fought wars with Pakistan and knew most of the military establishments. Here is what he disclosed during many conversations and it should be alarming to Pakistanis if they deny it:
ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib were Appointed by Mrs. Indra Gandhi
Prior to the defeat and surrender of East Pakistan in 1971, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had direct contact with Mrs. Gandhi and wanted India’s help to become the next leader of Pakistan. India was looking for such an opportunity and wanted East Pakistan to become a new entity- Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujib Rehman was a nationalist but was enthusiastic for a new homeland except to become the next elected leader of Pakistan. Bhutto-Yahya Khan was competing for power even without elections. Sheikh Mujib’s Awami Party won the majority of seats in the 1971 elections of the National Assembly to be a legitimately elected leader of Pakistan. The ill-informed Pakistani Generals had questions about Mujib’s futuristic intentions and delayed the peaceful transfer of power. ZA Bhutto (Peoples Party) carved up his own egoistic agenda for grabbing political power even if Pakistan was defeated, otherwise, Sheikh Mujib-Yahya could have become the next governing leader. Bhutto was a power-hungry individual without any political capacity to be a leader. Mrs. Gandhi helped both – ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib – and the price was the defeat and surrender of Pakistan. Mrs. Gandhi appointed Bhutto as the next President, Martial Law Administrator, and Prime Minister of Pakistan and Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman as the next President of Bangladesh. Some Pakistanis would blame General Niazi for the surrender but in reality, it was Yahya-Bhutto and the Pakistani Generals who should have faced full accountability (and perhaps firing squads) for their treachery and dishonesty to the national freedom and integrity of Pakistan. None of this ever happened in Pakistan. [To see more, please view the articles by this author: “Pakistan: Leaders who Stabbed the Nation” (2009), “Pakistan: Leader or Criminals.” (2014); “Pakistan: Reflections on the Turbulent 69th Independence Day”, “Pakistan: How to change the culture of political corruption and rebuild the Future.” (2014), and “Pakistan and India’s leaders mark freedom from British Colonial Rule but Masses look for a Navigational Change.” (2020)].
To General Choudry, if the whole of Pakistan was captured by India except the Sindh province, ZA Bhutto would have gladly become the Chief Minister of Sindh to co-exist with India. He disclosed, there were five or six “soft-hearted” Pakistani Generals willing to align and not to challenge India’s plan for Bangladesh. Shocking as it is, future Pakistani leaders never held anyone accountable for the crimes against the nation. Were ZA Bhutto and Yahya Khan more important than the existence, national freedom and integrity of One Pakistan? Dr. Ishtiaq Qureshi (Editor Urdu Digest) wrote “Skoote –Dahaka Say Purdah Uttha Hey” (1972), in which he described the details of how Bhutto and Yahya khan betrayed Pakistan and stabbed the nation. Dr. Qureshi was imprisoned by the Bhutto government. This dreadful tragedy infallibly resulted to question the very basis of the originality of Pakistan and remains unacknowledged and districted by the Pakistani political elite even to this day. Are the Pakistanis still living in any rational denials of their own chapter of history?
Moral and intellectual corruption is rampant in both countries. Masses are systematically compelled to bribe officials to get the basic services and official necessities of nationality ID, passports, driver’s licenses, and a lot more in life. National freedom has changed from the enlarged scope of corruption and exploitation – the legacy of British imperialism. Both Indian and Pakistani neo-colonialists look for an escape from reality and are allergic to seeing the mirror of the present and future. Allama Iqbal (pioneer of Pakistani national freedom) did not live to see his dream come true in Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist, Nehru died a natural death. Mohammad Ali Jinnah passed away in a broken ambulance on a Karachi street, and Liaquat Ali Khan (first PM) was murdered by the then Pakistani politicians. Mrs. Gandhi was killed by his Sikh bodyguard. Sheikh Mujib was murdered by his military commander and Bhutto was hanged for killing a political opponent.
Is there any Glimpse of Hope for People-Oriented Change for Future Generations?
India has multiple problems of socio-economic and political diversity. It is unable to counteract the national freedom movement of the Sikh Nation for an independent Khalistan. Kashmir was never a part of British Indian dominion and its masses continue to seek freedom from India occupation and violations of their basic human rights. Muslim, Christian, and other minorities are oppressed under Hinduvata managed India claiming to be a secular and democratic country. Pakistanis miserably failed to take proactive initiatives to support the freedom movement for the people of Kashmir. The old servicemen-led elite could not imagine new and creative strategies to organize international conferences or effectively communicate to the Western world the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The degeneration of the Indian-Pakistani moral and intellectual culture is well in progress. The essence and purpose of historic British colonial systems are operative across all public affairs, policies, and practices in India and Pakistan. The armed forces, the civil service, and legal jurisprudence all remain under the sinister influence and disfigured reality of the two so-called free nations. Police still beat the protesters and open fire on peaceful demonstrators, be they in New Delhi, Kashmir, or Islamabad. National freedom does not empower future-oriented societies to establish political absurdity, immoral and intellectual decadence, and political injustice. Common people in both countries are besieged by obsolete systems of political governance while rich landlords and the affluent compete in elections and gain power. There is no change for the people in the colonized landscape except the enlarged scope of moral and intellectual corruption disguised as freedom. If you question both elites having many common values of the British Raj, they would deny there is anything wrong with their thinking, political roles, and management of public affairs. The younger generation who could not imagine a new sustainable future is vanishing fast as they migrate to Europe and America in search of better opportunities. The hub of political culture is divided and delusional about national freedom and a sustainable future. There are no wars for the people of the sub-continent to fight but they are fighting wars on several fronts without reason – known and unknown. The compelling realities across the beleaguered sub-continent demand new thinking, new visionary leadership. People with new ideas and plans to deal with the unwarranted exploitation of the masses, violent deaths, and deliberate destruction of historic cultures. Millions of people are looking for a change and a new beginning of peaceful borders and cordial relationships.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace, and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Lambert Academic Publications, Germany, 12/2019.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012. His forthcoming book is entitled: One Humanity and The Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution