Queen's funeral

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 [19/09/2022, 3:10 pm] Raj Mahimkar: 

Today, 19th September is the Queen's funeral. I am sure there may a lot of strong and some mixed feelings about it. If the Queen was the last symbol of our colonial legacy, not sure if with her death we can say the last vestige of our colonial influence is over. However to her credit, she never exercised her position or reminded us about Britain's colonial dominance, but was rather dignified and gracious in her approach to us. India too, diplomatically kept up to its tolerant and forgiving stance and even took the visits of British royalty with a bit of indulgence. 

I believe we should let bygones be bygones... forbearance is the key. It will release us from the indignities and hurt of the past and allow us to focus on our future...with all its problems and opportunities. No better time than now to put behind the scars of colonization and bid the Queen a dignified farewell. 

We have instances in history where countries like Germany and Japan were badly beaten and humiliated, but today with their progressive and nationalistic approach, have risen much above their trauma. The dark period in their history did not chain them down or make them regressive, but rather urged them to prove their own identity.

[19/09/2022, 4:37 pm] +91 70423 41155: 

I am sorry but I disagree. Wasn’t she aware of all the atrocities Indians were going through, when millions died in WB due to famine etc etc , the list is endless.


[19/09/2022, 6:51 pm] Raj Mahimkar: 

In a way, I would not say you are entirely wrong. After all, all the atrocities were carried out in the name of her grandfather, George V. However, it does not make a case to pin her down for them.

Over the years since Independence, Britain has felt distinctly uncomfortable of their history. When the Queen visited India and Pakistan in 1997 on their 50th year of Independence, she addressed a state banquet in Delhi, a day before her visit to  Jallianwala Bagh to pay respects to men, women and children who were massacared. She had said, “It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past —Jallianwala Bagh, which I shall visit tomorrow, is a distressing example. But history cannot be rewritten, however much we might sometimes wish otherwise. It has its moments of sadness, as well as gladness. We must learn from the sadness and build on the gladness." British officials had agonized over months to get the right words. Eventually, it fell short of a full fledged apology.

Years after the Queen’s visit, in 2013 British PM David Cameron visited the public park and described the massacre as a “deeply shameful event in British history". Cameron, too, as expected, did not give a clear apology. 

As recent as 2019, on the centenary of the tragedy, Dominic Asquith, the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to India, visited the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in Amritsar, and expressed regret for the massacre at the site by British officials. “The events of Jallianwala Bagh 100 years ago today reflect a shameful act in British Indian history,” Asquith wrote,  “We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused.” Again no apology, which would have made a huge difference, elevating general respect for the British. 

However on the same occasion the way forward was clearly indicated by PM Modi, who tweeted, “Today, when we observe 100 years of the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre, India pays tributes to all those martyred on that fateful day. Their valour and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Their memory inspires us to work even harder to build an India they would be proud of.” As rational, educated and understanding individuals, it reiterates our approach to move on.

Coming back to the Queen, her speech, however, remains the first and only public reference of the massacre by a reigning British monarch. To this, we must give her credit. She obviously could not take responsibility of the decisions of the then British cabinet, but in her capacity it was a honorable gesture.

Mr.Ghosh has raised an interesting point of view on the theory of Karma. Nations who gave suffering have to receive suffering and we are seeing this happen. Question is can humanity raise our principles of 'forgive and forget' to the level where we stand in support of affected countries? I think we may still be far away from this model behaviour.

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