A Decolonization Parable for our Times

“A person is forced to run a race with their hands and feet chained. Well-wishers realise that the race is not really fair so they start thinking of all kinds of training workshops, technologies and schemes to help this person in the name of social justice. Many well-intentioned foundations and social entrepreneurs rise to the occasion and start funding all kind of programs to somehow make the person compete better in this game and to fit a few more people into this game. All kinds of new industries start to emerge for cleaning up (and profiting from) all the messes that are created by continually running this game. Everyone knows that the person can never really win the race; they will always be two steps behind because somebody else makes the rules. But no one really wants to really question: why are the person’s hands and feet tied in the first place?, why is the person being forced to compete against others in the race?, where does the race take you and what really happens to those who win the race?, or why do we have to even run this stupid race? Isn’t it time to stop running and make our own game?”

- Manish Jain, Shikshantar

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