By: Muhammad Shahram Bhutto
It goes without saying that anatomizing the dark pages of the scourge of colonialism still haunts the bedrock of a myriad of countries. Ranging from Africa to Europe and Asia to the frigid abyss of North America, the colonization and the colonizers’ expansionist designs not only debilitated the nations but also badly ruined and depredated them. If a genuine view is taken in the case of the effects of colonization, it would not be much problematic because the positive and foremost plethora of negative effects which caused an acute blow in various bodies; whether from within the power circle of regimes or the outdated style of shaping ideas in a same colonized channel, which in the spite of enormous change, one can easily feel.
The Britishers left the subcontinent in a state of mayhem and turmoil, but many of the people hailing from south Asia preferred the same deceptive approach of these infamous colonizers who ruled the world with an iron fist. Pakistan and India both countries gained independence in 1947 from the cruel bane of Britain, however, the mindset of rulers as well as some elements of social class have been encircled by this colonized thinking that doesn’t let them go beyond the dark days of chequered past. For example, the bureaucratic system of Britain had been applied in colonized India which works in India and Pakistan with the same degree and magnitude even the educated class of both countries are accustomed to it; the major reason for this lackadaisical structure governance is the leanings of the successive regimes that succumbed to this bureaucratic system which they garnered from great Britain. Also, reforms are intensely required to get rid of such a terrible way of governance which Pakistani and the Indian rulers could not carry out on account of a host of reasons. Regrettably, the people of the subcontinent started tilting towards the western culture whether from the linguistics side or cultural norms rather they call themselves modern citizens.
So, the crux of the matter is, how did they adapt to the British culture, is due to the living standards of colonizers who stoked unparalleled change into the society, which could have been abandoned by the educated class of the subcontinent but they were so inclined to it due to which they begin to deviate from their own culture that is nothing short of cultural decay; this is the major effect on the part of Eastern society. Wherever colonizers exercised their abominable tactics in order to overpower the masses and the country, had whooping aftermath on nations. The crystal clear example of Jamaica shows how the British embedded their linguistics approach which was entirely abolished into English society, English language was getting accentuated and the flow of the Spanish language started demeaning albeit Jamaica remained the colony of Spain too. The consecutive episodes of colonization completely brought an enormous amount of change amongst the inhabitants of Jamaica, and now people are compelled to speak and write in English with a view to proving themselves as educated and modern citizens which is widely done by the eastern part of South Asia.
The present society is not adhering to their religious, cultural norms any longer owing to the impacts of colonization. These mindsets and notions are the unequivocal manifestations of colonized mindsets. The role of some hybrid elements in this regard cannot be ruled out as they follow both paths whether western or eastern to substantiate their patriotism or else if they do not do, then it would be a wild goose chase for them to prove their identity in view of the eastern culture. In Pakistan, more or fewer people seek to be more modern since this rhetoric has become a hallmark of Pakistani society ever since Britishers left the subcontinent. The main onus on the part of governments is to not only preserve the precious culture but also chalk out substantial reforms in governance which need to be taken otherwise the juggernaut of colonization will be afflicting with more shocks that may disfigure the countries if they go on to the same trajectory. To cap it all, I have written this column on the instance of my erstwhile professor Anum Hussian.
Shahram writes for domestic and international issues. He can be reached at [email protected]