BY: USWAH ISLAM RAHI & SYED HASSAAN NAQVI
Pakistan got independence in 1947 from British raj, India was a colony of British for more than 100 years. In these 100 years Britishers successfully changed almost all native systems of India and introduced new systems that were healthier for their government. On the first hand they changed the education system to influence the youth of the state. Authorities tried to introduce a new system by the name of the modern education system. This system has nothing to do with modern science or rational thinking rather it was designed to manipulate the minds of youth in favor of the government. Pran Neville, a student of Government College in the late colonial era writes, “We were keen to look modern, act modern, and imbibe modern ideas in general, which in other words, meant that we gladly welcomed western influences.” This modernity, thus, did not ‘educate’ them to question, but ‘trained’ them to obey their masters. This colonial-era changed the minds of people in different ways. Britishers left India but they also left behind a colonial mindset which is still haunting Pakistan.
Colonial mentality, is an inferiority complex of own culture goods and systems over western civilization. The colonial approach is when a certain society thinks that foreign talent, foreign language, and products are far better than local ones. The reaction of colonialism is the colonial mentality and it is seen in the case of Pakistan-once colonized by Great Britain.
Pakistan is highly affected by this colonial mindset, leaders of Pakistan got Pakistan in almost died form. It was our colonial mindset which forced us to believe that our state can’t be run without seeking help from the west that was the reason we asked western states for aids. That was our colonial mindset when we chose the USA over the Soviet Union during the cold war.
Rule of Britishers can never get rusty, our ruling class had never tried to get rid of the chains of slavery of English men. In the present era, we may not seem under Britisher’s rule but they have left an influential mark on our mindsets. The most prominent factors which Britishers had left in our lives and we are bound to obey are Language, Culture, education system, and behavior of elites towards the poor.
Most people of Pakistan like imported goods and dampens local goods that is the reason imports of Pakistan are very high which resulted in the decline of the local industry. People love to wear western clothes and adopt a western lifestyle which is not bad but it doesn’t mean that someone should speak against domestic culture. The next thing is language, in Pakistan mostly people love English, yes English has become an international language there is nothing wrong with learning a foreign language but in Pakistan English has become a standard of intellectuality, English could be seen everywhere. in offices in the education system and all, inappropriately, one has to learn English to prove his knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, inclinations for foreign jobs and foreign products have also impacted after British raj. It is another example of the colonial mentality mentioned previously which is hurting Pakistan in different ways. Both, foreign jobs and imported products have affected our economy brutally. The fondness of foreign jobs has caused decrement in our GDP. The warmth for foreign goods has caused an upsurge in imports and a reduction in exports. As a result, our local industry is looking for skilled people to provide jobs and are at the same time affected by low revenues due to the preference of foreign products. This situation has affected our industry
The education system of Pakistan is of no exception. After almost 73 years of independence we are unable to teach the true meanings of Pakistan and Nationalism to our young generation through education. Our education system is still under the influence of colonialism as our system is unable to provide an equal level of education with its mythology. Depriving the needs of the poor unfortunately has become the agenda of elites which can be said a feudal system linked to the Britisher’s behavior over poor and labor class in colonies. Pakistan is facing a huge influence of the feudal system introduced by Britishers at the time of the colonial era. They deployed their loyal people as rulers even they had no prior knowledge to deal with the state’s operations, now this feudality can be seen in the government officials who are ruling by giving priority to their interests on national interest and the common man is not allowed to challenge their behavior.
Developments in Pakistan are still based on the western thoughts. This dominated alien power of westerns is now creating hindrance in the implementations of our own needs, as our leaders are in the slavery of westerns due to their interests outside the country, these chains of slavery are helping westerns to get more interference in the national interest of Pakistan. They always fulfill their interest either in the loss of half of the country.
We are facing an era of duel Neo-Colonialism i.e, industrial imperialism of the west and cultural imperialism of Hindus and the west. These ill colonial legacies are red alert to Pakistan’s democratic system. Pakistan needs to reshape its fair and balanced national policies, promote equality and justice, and fair play for all to keep the democratic system prevail. Britishers had left the lasting impact on our mindsets which is following us from generations, we cannot overcome this illness until our rulers break the chain of western slavery and enforce the policies according to the national interest of the state and people living in it.
Pakistan got inherited feudalism from our colonial masters and which has destroyed our administration. Preferring English over local language and fond of foreign jobs and foreign goods has led Pakistan to under development and has caused inferiority complex and brought intellectual decline. To make an improved future we should get rid of the ill mentality of the past. For those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
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