Brit Rant: The Other Harry - Big TO DO...

[Caius Marcius]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at y...> wrote:
> 


> 
> Perhaps we should ask the people of India, the many India-heritage
> citizens of Britian, and other African and Asian nations what the
> British military uniform symbolizes. Perhaps we should ask the 
people
> of India what they think about the countless thousands of Indians 
who
> were mercilessly slaughtered and enslaved by the British Colonial 
Empire.
> 

Jeez Louise, Steve, you're going to trash talk the Empire all on 
account of a few paparazzi gate-crashing the half-brown(shirt) 
Prince's National Socialist soiree? 

If the British are going to be indicted for their crimes, they should 
at least get some credit for their positive accomplishments. But 
don't take it from me  - look to see what Dadabhai Naoroji had to say 
in his 1871 
The Benefits of British Rule:


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. 

Summary: To sum up the whole, the British rule has been: morally, a 
great blessing; politically, peace and order on one hand, blunders on 
the other; materially, impoverishment, relieved as far as the railway 
and other loans go. The natives call the British system "Sakar ki 
Churi," the knife of sugar. That is to say, there is no oppression, 
it is all smooth and sweet, but it is the knife, notwithstanding. I 
mention this that you should know these feelings. Our great 
misfortune is that you do not know our wants. When you will know our 
real wishes, I have not the least doubt that you would do justice. 
The genius and spirit of the British people is fair play and justice.

End quote (see the whole thing here)

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1871britishrule.html

Dadabhai Naoroji also notes some debits, more to do with unfair 
taxation and lack of representation rather than merciless massacres 
and slavery. The British legacy in India, despite its manifold evils, 
has resulted in what seems to be a rather well-functioning democracy 
these days. At any rate, India is lucky that its colonizers wore 
British uninforms as opposed to the group who adopted one of India's 
own mystical symbols as their very own (i.e., the one Prince Harry 
wore).

   - CMC