Looking at Britain, Shashi Tharoor style

The wrongs of yesterdays helps us to understand the present reality. Writer diplomat-turned-politician Shashi Tharoor makes a case for learning from the pages of history, reports Vidyarthi Kumar.

Shashi Tharoor (right) with Vice President M Hamid Ansari and journalist Karan Thapar at the release of his book 'An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India' Perhaps the most unthinkable thing happened on November 4, 2016 evening at the release of famed writer and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India. Tharoor disagreed with the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari on the point of absence of emotional unity amongst Indians before colonial rulers had arrived.
Few expected that Tharoor would contest the views of the incumbent Vice President – whom he calls "Hamid Bhai" privately and for whom he has immense respect. Moreover, Vice President Ansari was the chief guest on the occasion and he only launched the book.
However, there was a small saving grace as Tharoor's disagreement came to light only when Ansari had left the venue and the writer made the observation when he was interacting with popular TV anchor Karan Thapar.
In fact, prior to that, Ansari in his inimitable style did a candid and plain speaking and complimented Tharoor for giving his readers – meaning through his book, --"an interesting and engaging account of a period whose shadow on modern India remains disturbingly relevant".
Releasing the book, Vice- President Hamid Ansari said "famine, forced migration and brutality" were principal characteristics of the colonial rule in India. These were 'three examples'of why British rule over India was "despotic and anything buten lightened". The Vice President also went on to add in the same breadth,

"But is this not the story of all c o l o n i a l a n d imp e r i a l ventures i n history?" Yet again, A n s a r i p o s e d questions to the audience,
" W a s there an India as a cohesive entity" before the advent of colonial masters?
He also wondered: How did the British succeed in enslaving India with such ease? Did the colonial rule actually lead to active or passive resistance? Was there any social, intellectual or ideological awareness about these changes?
Ansari himself tried to answer some of his own questions that would help understand the process by which the Britishers emotionally," he said.

Manmohan Singh However,after Ansari had left the venue and the interaction with Thapar commenced – fielding a question from the TV anchor, Tharoor said, rather categorically, that he "disagreed" with the Vice President on the point of absence of emotional unity amongst Indians before colonial rulers had arrived.
At one point Thapar countered Tharoor saying even Dr Manmohan Singh had spoken on these lines during his stint as Prime Minister - to which Tharoor, however, sought to downplay the entire episode saying, "I have high respect for Dr Singh".
Tharoor argued that both the schools of thought - the Hindus and the Muslims in ancient India - suggested that there was enough "emotional unity" between people from different parts of India.
In this context, Tharoor referred to the visit of Adi Shankaracharya to various parts of India - from south to north and from Gujarat to Puri in Odisha. Similarly, the Congress MP said Indian Muslims during their Haj always "jointly identified themselves as belonging to the Hind".

On the British 'policy of Divide and Rule' – as articulated also by Hamid Ansari, the former Union

Minister said that Britons pursued a "conscious" policy, especially to divide Hindus and Muslims.

"The war of 1857 had actually frustrated the Britons as they saw Hindus and Muslims marching together to protect the monarchy for a Muslim ruler," Tharoor remarked.

He and even others at the book release venue agreed about Hindu-Muslim disunity after Britons played up the Divide and Rule card. According to Tharoor, the colonial masters ingrained amongst Muslims the fearof the Hindu majority.

"It led Muslims to feel the burden of the complexity," Tharoor opined. While the British hand in dividing Hindus and Muslims goes without saying, Tharoor assertively maintained that the colonial masters also exploited Indian caste system – among Hindus - to keep Indians divided. Prior to the British rule, the caste system in India was "more fluid", he contended strongly.

"The consequences were tremendous," Tharoor said adding the impact on both Hindu-Muslim disunity and the caste divisions are being felt even today.

On a different plane – but an issue – he has been very forthrightly trying to put across, the Congress MP said he would demand an apology from Britain for the wrong doings and misgovernance during the colonial rule.

Stating that the Britons should also teach their children the "true history of the "horrendous colonial rule in India",Tharoor stuck to his gun: "To say a simple sorry will wash out a lot".

The British scholars have only portrayed "one-sided view"of their rule in India. He suggested the British children should know the past in which their forefathers indulged in loot of India.

"After all, the beauties of the city like London were built by the resources taken away from India," Tharoor said,adding "the loot in fact was extensive."

On the 'apology' from Britain for the colonial misrule,Tharoor maintained he was not expecting the "apology" from Britih Prime Minister Theresa May. Incidentally, the book release function was held on November 4 – just a couple of days before May's first visit to India November 7.

To a question, he answered saying Britain has constantly suffered from"deliberate historical amnesia" about their wrong doings during their colonial rule in India.

Therefore,in this context, he said his decision to pen the book at this juncture - 70 years after Indian Independence – was justified.Tharoor said his book – 'An Era of Darkness : The British Empire in India' would serve a lesson for many who probably did not know about the British brutality and misrule.

The book would be a lesson for Indians too as he said rather wryly, "If you do not know where you are coming from, how will you know where you are going".



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Shashi Tharoor (right) with Vice President M Hamid Ansari and journalist Karan Thapar at the release of his book 'An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India' Perhaps the most unthinkable thing happened on November 4, 2016 evening at the release of famed writer and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India. Tharoor disagreed with the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari on the point of absence of emotional unity amongst Indians before colonial rulers had arrived. Few expected that Tharoor would contest the views of the incumbent Vice President – whom he calls "Hamid Bhai" privately and for whom he has immense respect. Moreover, Vice President Ansari was the chief guest on the occasion and he only launched the book. However, there was a small saving grace as Tharoor's disagreement came to light only when Ansari had left the venue and the writer made the observation when he was interacting with popular TV anchor Karan Thapar. In fact, prior to that, Ansari in his inimitable style did a candid and plain speaking and complimented Tharoor for giving his readers – meaning through his book, --"an interesting and engaging account of a period whose shadow on modern India remains disturbingly relevant". Releasing the book, Vice- President Hamid Ansari said "famine, forced migration and brutality" were principal characteristics of the colonial rule in India. These were 'three examples'of why British rule over India was "despotic and anything buten lightened". The Vice President also went on to add in the same breadth, "But is this not the story of all c o l o n i a l a n d imp e r i a l ventures i n history?" Yet again, A n s a r i p o s e d questions to the audience, " W a s there an India as a cohesive entity" before the advent of colonial masters? He also wondered: How did the British succeed in enslaving India with such ease? Did the colonial rule actually lead to active or passive resistance? Was there any social, intellectual or ideological awareness about these changes? Ansari himself tried to answer some of his own questions that would help understand the process by which the Britishers emotionally," he said. Manmohan Singh However,after Ansari had left the venue and the interaction with Thapar commenced – fielding a question from the TV anchor, Tharoor said, rather categorically, that he "disagreed" with the Vice President on the point of absence of emotional unity amongst Indians before colonial rulers had arrived. At one point Thapar countered Tharoor saying even Dr Manmohan Singh had spoken on these lines during his stint as Prime Minister - to which Tharoor, however, sought to downplay the entire episode saying, "I have high respect for Dr Singh". Tharoor argued that both the schools of thought - the Hindus and the Muslims in ancient India - suggested that there was enough "emotional unity" between people from different parts of India. In this context, Tharoor referred to the visit of Adi Shankaracharya to various parts of India - from south to north and from Gujarat to Puri in Odisha. Similarly, the Congress MP said Indian Muslims during their Haj always "jointly identified themselves as belonging to the Hind". On the British 'policy of Divide and Rule' – as articulated also by Hamid Ansari, the former Union Minister said that Britons pursued a "conscious" policy, especially to divide Hindus and Muslims. "The war of 1857 had actually frustrated the Britons as they saw Hindus and Muslims marching together to protect the monarchy for a Muslim ruler," Tharoor remarked. He and even others at the book release venue agreed about Hindu-Muslim disunity after Britons played up the Divide and Rule card. According to Tharoor, the colonial masters ingrained amongst Muslims the fearof the Hindu majority. "It led Muslims to feel the burden of the complexity," Tharoor opined. While the British hand in dividing Hindus and Muslims goes without saying, Tharoor assertively maintained that the colonial masters also exploited Indian caste system – among Hindus - to keep Indians divided. Prior to the British rule, the caste system in India was "more fluid", he contended strongly. "The consequences were tremendous," Tharoor said adding the impact on both Hindu-Muslim disunity and the caste divisions are being felt even today. On a different plane – but an issue – he has been very forthrightly trying to put across, the Congress MP said he would demand an apology from Britain for the wrong doings and misgovernance during the colonial rule. Stating that the Britons should also teach their children the "true history of the "horrendous colonial rule in India",Tharoor stuck to his gun: "To say a simple sorry will wash out a lot". The British scholars have only portrayed "one-sided view"of their rule in India. He suggested the British children should know the past in which their forefathers indulged in loot of India. "After all, the beauties of the city like London were built by the resources taken away from India," Tharoor said,adding "the loot in fact was extensive." On the 'apology' from Britain for the colonial misrule,Tharoor maintained he was not expecting the "apology" from Britih Prime Minister Theresa May. Incidentally, the book release function was held on November 4 – just a couple of days before May's first visit to India November 7. To a question, he answered saying Britain has constantly suffered from"deliberate historical amnesia" about their wrong doings during their colonial rule in India. Therefore,in this context, he said his decision to pen the book at this juncture - 70 years after Indian Independence – was justified.Tharoor said his book – 'An Era of Darkness : The British Empire in India' would serve a lesson for many who probably did not know about the British brutality and misrule. The book would be a lesson for Indians too as he said rather wryly, "If you do not know where you are coming from, how will you know where you are going". On the 'apology' from Britain for the colonial misrule,Tharoor maintained he was not expecting the "apology" from Britih Prime Minister Theresa May. Incidentally, the book release function was held on November 4 – just a couple of days before Theresa May's first visit to India November 7.