Decolonisation?
Why haven’t I heard of it back home?
I used to be the person who would scoff at peers who did projects about India whilst abroad. “Why can’t they be more dynamic?”, “ Can’t they respond to site instead?”, “How is that even relevant?” I would wonder. They say distance gives you perspective, and moving to London sure gave me a whole lot of perspective. I have come to feel a connection to my homeland more so now than ever- over 8000 Kms away. I wonder why that is.
RCA campus, White City- a poster caught my eye. There was going to be a talk “Decolonising the Institution” it said. Hmm, what does that even mean?
I left the talk with a lot of questions.
Wouldn’t it be great to voice them to a fellow Indian? Vivek and I have been invariably discussing these very matters since we got to London anyways, except now we were aware of the wider context.
Vivek and I have been friends for over a decade now. Before the course started we decided that we would step out of our comfort zone and work with other people. Basically sticking to each other and grouping up for projects? No and No! (The last time we worked together was back in 9th grade when we found ourselves in a painted fridge box putting on a puppet show on the Evolution of Man- and of course we won first place, ha!) Somehow our resolve dissolved and we broke the rules. So glad we did. There couldn’t have been a better time and a better brief. The ‘Amplification of Marginalised Voices’ module gave us the perfect opportunity to explore this vast topic and seek the answers to our ever increasing questions.
Is it possible to distill contemporary Indian culture from post-colonial culture?
How might we as Indians extricate ourselves from the invisible shackles of colonialism, years after British rule?
Could recognising and honouring largely forgotten progressive practices from the ancient civilisation, some of which embodied sustainability and mental wellness, be a way forward?
These were questions we increasingly became aware of as Indians. At this stage we believe ‘Decolonisation’ is a term accessible only to the privileged. How then might we be able to have an inclusive conversation with those who were truly affected? How can we introduce such a loaded term to those who have no awareness of its implications?
What does it mean to those who hoist the flag to celebrate Independence Day, sing the National Anthem before a movie at the cinema, and the little ones who dress up as Mother India? “The British left India”, but did they really?
As these topics go there is a chance of slipping down the slope of blame and victimhood so it was important for us to lay out some ground rules. The map below illustrates the intentions we hope to stand by over the course of this project.
During the mapping process we identified an extremely interesting trade loop. At school we were constantly reminded of Britain’s initial intentions with India, back when they first landed on her shores. India was seen as a great source of raw materials and later as a vast new market for goods. Britain would take produce from India, process it and sell it back into the market. It is interesting to note that this system continues to exist, with India and the West at large. Be it with sustainable products, medicine, yoga and even turmeric! It seems Indians are turning to the west whereas the west is turning to ancient practices of the east and the east is simply consuming the re-packaged, re-branded version of itself assuming it’s coming from elsewhere instead of looking within and claiming that we are becoming ‘westernised’. Twisted?
As Shashi Tharoor says “ If you don’t know where you come from, how will you know where you are going?”
We hope that through this project, we can study this deep-rooted shame that still exists in India, decades after the British rule and identify just where it is coming from.
Despite the heavy nature of this discourse we really want to keep it light and airy. It needs to be digestible if we want it to be accessible, approachable and comprehensive.
Something tells me a positive, hopeful and optimistic approach is the way to go.
