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Believer
23 July 2015, 07:49 PM
Namaste,

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33618621

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7CW7S0zxv4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8c7XuDS4cs

Pranam.

PS, Shashi Tharoor, the presenter/debater in the videos above, was runner up for the job of the U N Secretary General in the last election for the post. He lost to Ban Ki-moon because one of the security council permanent members did not like him. Who was this member that hated Shashi you ask; the US under President Bush.

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markandeya 108 dasa
24 July 2015, 01:04 AM
Obviously some portions of the British not only owe a great debt to India which they must in some way pay back but also many other countries.

The elites even in modern days are the worst criminals who are causing and have caused complete havoc due to their materialistic greed and self imposed importance.

Meanwhile back in England at the time of Indian rule at the time of the Industrial revolution the main work force lived and worked in subhuman conditions, if people think that the British as a nation was lavishly enjoying the fruits of oversees exploitation then a bit more study needs to take place. Its the elitist that still exist today that need to be routed out and sent to the moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm6v3oOjaZ0

Eastern Mind
24 July 2015, 08:53 AM
Vannakkam: I don't think it's just British elite, but several European elite. For example, in Brazil, the Portuguese king gave away vast tracts of land to other royalty ... land that had many indigenous inhabitants. To this day there are landowners doing nothing but owning land and collecting rent, living off the labour of others. This remains a major reason why Brazil has huge wealth discrepancy. The Dutch, French, Spanish and others share in the debt owed to indigenous people all over.

Aum Namasivaya

deafAncient
24 July 2015, 08:53 AM
Namaskāra OP,

Finally, FINALLY! The words gets out about Britain's history. Finally! It's time to address this.

And yes, it was nearly all of the European countries who participated in this. There's a book called Asia and Western Dominance by KM Panikkar. You might want to read it.

Praṇāma

Believer
24 July 2015, 10:00 AM
Namaste,


Meanwhile back in England at the time of Indian rule at the time of the Industrial revolution the main work force lived and worked in subhuman conditions.....

Whereas on a human scale one feels sympathetic towards the British masses having suffered during the industrial revolution, but as a nation whose share of the world economy shrunk from 23% to less than 4%, it is hard to not hold Britain as a nation responsible for untold suffering heaped on others. What was done internally with the money looted from others becomes immaterial. The suffrage of British masses was due to internal weakness of the political system and the great DEMOCRACY that is flaunted by them in everyone's face. The living conditions in Britain were harsh, but at least people lived; whereas in India millions were starved to death and others looked like skeletons - death warmed over.

"At the beginning of the 18th Century, India's share of the world economy was 23%, as large as all of Europe put together. By the time the British departed India, it had dropped to less than 4%."

Pranam.

markandeya 108 dasa
24 July 2015, 10:01 AM
Namaste,

Who is going to be held responsible, as the elites belong to no nation in particular. Still today the Queen is the biggest landowner, but she is more from German descent than British and the elitists are of mixed European stock that control most of America too. So the real perpetrators can only be found by following the money trail, and its certainly not being held with the British public and more than likely not with government too.

Elitism is something that plagues and has historically plagued our civilization, this can be anything from media tycoons, monarchy, aristocrats and caste Brahmins.

Say for example the Indian Government sued Britain, then who would really being paying, Mr and Mrs 9 to 5. So if its an age to really point who is responsible it doesn't have so much to do with countries.

Eastern Mind
24 July 2015, 01:12 PM
Vannakkam: No court or army in the world will be able to retrieve what has been taken and horded by the very rich and powerful. The key (in my opinion about the nature of social change) is in going about changing them, (and ourselves in many cases) into realising this hording, war, greed, etc. actually does not make you happier or more satisfied, and certainly doesn't get you to moksha, or heaven in other belief systems.

The billionaire who lives like a relatively normal citizen, and works on how to share his/her wealth is the role model here.

Aum Namasivaya

markandeya 108 dasa
24 July 2015, 02:31 PM
Namaste,

In terms of the valuables like whats been shown in the British Museum and the things they have which are not on display, plus the jewels in the crown should be handed back, its amazing how the same system of justice will prosecute a poor person from stealing a loaf of bread from a shop just to feed them self.


The suffrage of British masses was due to internal weakness of the political system and the great DEMOCRACY that is flaunted by them in everyone's face.

I am sorry but I just cant agree with this, do you think people had any choice, England Britain what ever you want to call it has for many hundreds of years been a Totalitarian state, its hidden in more recent times by the illusion of democracy.

But somethings are much more complex than they seem, Believer says millions were forced into starvation and death, but at the same time under a different process millions of British at home were forced into slave labour in conditions with extremely high mortality rates and the average age of a person would have probably been around 40 years old, many dying before they reached maturity, I am not saying one is better than the other, the whole thing is mess.

A real British person is Celt, Druid and Briton and they have long been wiped out by multiple invasions. There is no such thing a British person, it all went down hill and our original culture was destroyed by the Romans. Historically and culturally we was not a waring nation, and have also been imprisoned suppressed and subdued and culturally annihilated due to foreign invasion, but its so long ago that nobody really understand these things anymore.

The world is run by criminals, whatever luxury people think they have in life is an illusion. What to do be done about the wrongs in history if we look from a dharmic point of view, is revenge on the menu if it is then its not dharma. Nobody in their right minds wants to see others suffering to the extent that has happened, but the main solution although we can make it as complex as we want is to be a sincere person looking for the profound of truth of existence and meantime while within the human frame be as good as person as possible.

I certainly hope and pray that India regains its former glory and many of the issues that has human suffering can be resolved to the largest extent possible, but for that to happen a country needs a good government and then any good government would need honest politicians, but is that asking to much.

As an British person I feel no guilt or shame for things that I have not been directly involved in, why should I but I am appalled at the way Britain has had its hand in many of the ills not just in India but in many places of the world. I know many English devotees when they go to India they say they are Irish, Australian, I have always said I am English and I have never had any problem in India.

Even Britain which is also known as a warring nation and people were hungry for war, no they were hungry for food and becoming a solider was the only way to earn money for people on the brink of starvation back at home, I dont think that people really understand just how much a suppressed country Britain was among the normal people. Today the average English person is quite modest and laid back and nice ordinary people, and one thing for sure is that when there is a world disaster the British public are the first ones putting there hands in their pockets to help out, we have a good backbone of charitable and very nice people.

Indic Brahmin
13 September 2015, 12:44 AM
no, not after 60+ years.

just move on Guys.

KasparHauser
13 September 2015, 08:32 AM
no, not after 60+ years.

just move on Guys.

Agreed. However it would be a nice gesture if some of those items looted from India could be returned, such as the Koh-i-noor diamond or some pieces in the British Museum.

devotee
13 September 2015, 09:40 PM
Namaste KH,


Agreed. However it would be a nice gesture if some of those items looted from India could be returned, such as the Koh-i-noor diamond or some pieces in the British Museum.

It hardly matters, dear ! What British did to this country is irreparable. The country which was considered a golden bird ... the country for which Europeans fought against each other and even went against the diktat of Papal Bull to discover Sea-route to India ... was reduced to a beggar due to their monstrous and inhuman policies. It is unimaginable that they imposed a tax of 400 % on indigenously produced things so that they could dump their own goods manufactured in their country ! They broke the backbone of India's economy. India was invaded by many tribes in her entire history and was looted by cruel invaders like Nadir Shah but they didn't destroy the economy of India. They looted us and went away and we could again stand up very soon. These British not only looted us, they crippled us so that we would need other's help for having to even stand up on our own.

Anyway, I am sure, India will again come up on her own. We neither need their looted diamond nor anything. We are happy with what God has decided for us.

OM

KasparHauser
14 September 2015, 11:19 AM
^Yes the British rule of India was a disaster for the entire region, the consequences of which are still with us today. A huge amount of antiquities and such like were taken from India - many stolen directly from temples. The Koh-i-noor, for instance, was once a Shakti peetha signifying the goddess's eye, though by the time the Brits arrived it had passed into the Moghul's possession. While one cannot go back and change history, (so there's no point going down the reparations route as it is looking backwards and we must look forwards) I do think stolen goods should be returned to the rightful owner whenever possible. Knowing a fair bit about the antiquities market, it may be that the majority of indian relics and antiquities are today to be found outside India.

Anirudh
14 September 2015, 05:13 PM
Say for example the Indian Government sued Britain, then who would really being paying, Mr and Mrs 9 to 5. So if its an age to really point who is responsible it doesn't have so much to do with countries.

Namaste HDF

Pardon my choice of words. But can't hide myself behind superfluous politeness. That said, I haven't heard this kind of rubbish and absurd arguement.

If my dad had looted money and with that if my future was secured, the victim has all the right to recover from me.

Why US and allied forces fly out to establish DEMOCRACY when they SMELL oil? They (UK being the prime ally ) bombed IRAQ and AFGHAN to smoke rats out.. So when the matter is to plunder eastern wealth for their own benefit western public terms that act as establishing democracy or weeding out rouge nation(s) to SECURE the world but if their hollow claims are exposed they come up with nonsensical defense. Wasn't there any COLLATERAL DAMAGE when they were BUSY smoking rats out?

Who will pay for its geo-political effects ? The neighboring countries or people living 1000's miles away?

Can the Western Elites enlighten me and other illogical Indians like me that Mr and Mrs 9 to 5 of today's west hadn't benefited from the loot of their grand parents (looted especially from India)?

Didn't the countries that were on the winning side of WWII USE Indian public as foot soldiers???

What did INDIA get by dying for securing WESTERN interest or Should I ASK the Mrs and Mr X of today's WEST, what did Indians GET by securing the future of Mrs and Mr 9 to 5 of today's WEST ? (Kindly don't tell us to follow the money trails to know your predecessors)

PARTITION OF INDIA? or DISTORTION and AMPUTATION of SOUL (cultural wealth) and BODY (Physical & Financial health ) of INDIA ???

I can go on and on until HDF hard disk has no free space left but that's not my intention.

PS: My reply is not meant to hurt MD 108 or any other non Indian. My reply is to highlight the philosophical or the intellectual hypocrisy of WESTERN Elites


Namaste,

Who is going to be held responsible, as the elites belong to no nation in particular. Still today the Queen is the biggest landowner, but she is more from German descent than British and the elitists are of mixed European stock that control most of America too. So the real perpetrators can only be found by following the money trail, and its certainly not being held with the British public and more than likely not with government too.

Elitism is something that plagues and has historically plagued our civilization, this can be anything from media tycoons, monarchy, aristocrats and caste Brahmins.

Say for example the Indian Government sued Britain, then who would really being paying, Mr and Mrs 9 to 5. So if its an age to really point who is responsible it doesn't have so much to do with countries.

Anirudh
14 September 2015, 06:36 PM
We neither need their looted diamond nor anything. We are happy with what God has decided for us.

Namaste Devotee ji

I completely disagree with your magnanimity. Recovering is just an hypothetical event but our magnanimous attitude is perceived as our weakness and lack of firmness. Time has arrived to deal things in its appropriate and present context.

West is working full time to remove Modi. Do you know Western Intellectuals think and also inform us that Aurangazeb or other Islamic invaders sweren't bigotry ? They even think Sanskrit flourished during Akbar / Aurangazeb era.

If you don't want to believe me google for some recent write up about Aurangazeb in The Hindu newspaper :-(


http://m.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/scholar-audrey-truschke-aurangzeb-is-a-severely-misunderstood-figure/article7648723.ece

Namaste KH,



It hardly matters, dear ! What British did to this country is irreparable. The country which was considered a golden bird ... the country for which Europeans fought against each other and even went against the diktat of Papal Bull to discover Sea-route to India ... was reduced to a beggar due to their monstrous and inhuman policies. It is unimaginable that they imposed a tax of 400 % on indigenously produced things so that they could dump their own goods manufactured in their country ! They broke the backbone of India's economy. India was invaded by many tribes in her entire history and was looted by cruel invaders like Nadir Shah but they didn't destroy the economy of India. They looted us and went away and we could again stand up very soon. These British not only looted us, they crippled us so that we would need other's help for having to even stand up on our own.

Anyway, I am sure, India will again come up on her own. We neither need their looted diamond nor anything. We are happy with what God has decided for us.

OM

markandeya 108 dasa
16 September 2015, 02:06 AM
Namaste Anirudh Ji,


Pardon my choice of words. But can't hide myself behind superfluous politeness. That said, I haven't heard this kind of rubbish and absurd arguement.

Did the people of Britain have any say in the invasion of most the countries Britain has occupied or went to war with, no that would be the state or the Government to decide, the common people just follow orders.

Do the general public support the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, in fact do the general public support us being modern allies of American, I think you will find the highest percentage of British people in regards to foreign policy are appalled at our government, but yet its Britain as a whole who is being judged.

In recent times when the economy was under threat many countries had austerity measures to balance the economy, taxes raised, food prices up, fuel and energy prices up, cut backs on social welfare benefits and the health systems, property prices rises so the normal person cannot even buy or afford to live where they want. But did the elite lose any money, on the contrary their wealth and profits increase.

So my point was that while Britain does owe more than it can ever pay back its not purely the responsibility of the average British public, who in general are more liberal minded and if having the choice would separate themselves from Britain's foreign policies. And if the country was sued do you think the elite would foot the bill, no they would pass the debt onto the normal people, via raising higher taxes and more austerity measures. My point is that simple.

If people want to go on Judging the British public as a whole rather than target the real source no real justice would ever be done.

The Romans destroyed and annihilated all of Ancient Britain's cultural fabric from top to bottom and long ago replaced it with a foreign concept. Should I blame Italy and the Italian people. My point is simple, if there is to be any debt repaid to anyone who has suffered due to the oppression of historical Elites, then you have to look past the average person.

devotee
16 September 2015, 08:14 AM
I agree with Markandeya ji ! No point in digging old graves and fighting against those who cannot be blamed for whatever happened in the past. Yes, the British Govt should accept this and tender unconditional apology for the Cruel and inhuman British Rule in India.

OM

Believer
16 September 2015, 04:21 PM
Namaste,

First of all, let us all settle down. No money is ever going to change hands. This is purely an academic debate. Oxford is known for hosting debates on controversial subjects and many times they are meaningless, unenforceable topics just to rile the intelligentsia. This is one of them.

With that as the backdrop, no one should be surprised for Shashi Tharoor, a big bull$hitter, making a strong case in favor of reparations. Regarding the thought that the British elitists and not the 9 to 5 working stiffs be held responsible/accountable for the debt; as far India is concerned, it an internal matter for UK. How they raise the money and who actually ends up paying for this hypothetical situation is none of the concern of the Indian government. It will be unfortunate that the wrong people will get hurt, but they are the ones who vote to elect their government. So it is not really the concern of the Indian government as to whose pocket is picked to pay the reparations.

Regarding the British Govt. tendering an apology, they are so heartless that they even start contesting the number of people killed at the Jallianawalla Bagh. An apology from the stiff upper lips is a pipe dream. And they are not going to return any of the looted items either. To them it is like the spoils of war, except in this case there was no war and things were stolen outright by people who considered themselves to be morally upright.

So, to recap, this debate is just an exercise in futility. Let us stay calm. No one is actually going to be paying a penny to anyone. And they are not going to apologize for their extremely poor behavior as the rulers either. Paying or apologizing to one ex-colony would start a trend whereby another hundred countries would line up demanding the same, as UK had a vast empire encompassing many of the present day sovereign nations.

Pranam.

PS, I started the thread just as an information item and did not mean for anyone to start losing sleep over the thought of reparations. :)

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Anirudh
16 September 2015, 06:57 PM
Namaste

@ MS ji
Believer ji has echoed my ssentiments. When ever I pass through new bridges or metro (under construction) see how the children of Great Kings like Chandra Gupta Maurya and Ashoka (present day Bihar and surrounding states) are suffering in inhuman conditions. Because they form the majority of low level labourers. Many of them are not even aware that their great great grand parents had built world famous (multi disciplinary ) Nalanda university which burned for more than 3 months. The Islamic Invaders couldn't digest that Indians were so much unbelievably advanced.

During British invasion to cripple Indian agricultural industry Brits slaughtered cows (cattle)24/7. Some reports say in Bengal alone it could be more than 30,000 per day.

When ever I use the Metro service or flyover or the ring road always remember that some Bihari or a Bengali or some one from the Gangetic plain would have worked around 14 hours and more in a inhumane conditions to make my journey relatively better. In return he/she would have got peanuts...
I don't want to say anything more because we the tech savy handles don't knowwhat it means to live in slums.

@ Devotee ji
I admitted that nothing will change. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be aware of facts. It is the same Western public that elected Bush twice.

We are courageous to say to weed out corruption from India common man should stand up but fail miserably to get to the bottom of the problem.

A man with a conscience will not take or give bribe. But when we have lost our conscience who can help us? The next question is how did we loose our conscience when we followed Veda at different levels. Each puranic (not the one which was intentionally modified) story or the customs that we follow if researched will give the deep spritual meaning. Our conscience was intact as long as we were spiritual. That's why the Vegetarian poor Brahmin decided to fight against the atrocities of powerful Dhana Nand.

Now a hypothetical personal question. Assume your grand child committed a grave crime. Tell me who has failed just your grand child or the society around your grand child that created a suitable environment to commit that act.

If my grand parents get the effects of austerity as a part of pithru tarpan I do why shouldn't they be held responsible if I grow up as an irresponsible child.

Why do we say that we shouldn't be disturbing the natural equilibrium as it will affect the planet our grand children would live in.

When we have no answer we are quick to say it is all the effects of Maaya or Leela. I am not highly literate but the Hinduism I know (even though very little ) CLEARLY SAY we have the obligation to spread the light of truth BECAUSE Sathyameva Jayathe


PS: Members might feel that I am all over the place and trying to connect that aren't suppose to be. Those who think so ask yourself are you directly and indirectly responsible for the EVIL around you ...

markandeya 108 dasa
21 September 2015, 04:11 AM
Namaste Anirudh,

Firstly, I am not condoning any invasion or the forcing of a new culture and wiping out the previous one, but India is not the only one to have faced this, in fact every country on the planet is a victim of this over the course of history. However India is not a white sheet virgin to internal injustice, thats the part I find hard to accept, the part where it is everyone else's fault apart from ones own, this is neither true nor in line with Dharmic knowledge. It may be worth some research that both the Moghuls and the British were invited to settle, not just for economic reasons but also to settle some old scores. If India was not so fractured and more united then the invasion and changing of culture would not have happened.

I like the way you call British people stiffs Believer, just proves you do not know anything about Britain, so lets keep this debate/discussion on a objective level with a small of degree of intelligence at least.

Ultimately humans in general still have animal tendencies, this is global truth, nothing is so black and white and easily defined, although propagandist and partial understanding delivers this into mainstream to invoke reactions, its better to be a bit smarter, but who wants to be smart these days when animalistic tendencies are accepted as normal and even glorified.

India may have its glory days restored to some degree, who knows, but perhaps not as it was in the days of Rishis or great Universities such as Nalanada, because now people are sold out to sense gratification, which is the obstacle to this profound knowledge of the science of atma-vichara.

Hare Krsna

Punit
21 September 2015, 01:32 PM
Apart from the monetary reparations there is the question of returning non-monetary stuff they took from India. Monetary reparations will be difficult to get back; but others (jewels, artifacts, idols, Sanskrit manuscripts, etc) can and should be definitely returned - specially the Sanskrit manuscripts.

Anirudh
21 September 2015, 01:56 PM
Namaste MD ji,




However India is not a white sheet virgin to internal injustice, thats the part I find hard to accept, the part where it is everyone else's fault apart from ones own, this is neither true nor in line with Dharmic knowledge. It may be worth some research that both the Moghuls and the British were invited to settle, not just for economic reasons but also to settle some old scores. If India was not so fractured and more united then the invasion and changing of culture would not have happened.

I like the way you call British people stiffs Believer, just proves you do not know anything about Britain, so lets keep this debate/discussion on a objective level with a small of degree of intelligence at least.


Does it mean the invaders had the right to plunder and had no moral responsibility.

If that's the case why did they divided Germany in to two after WW2 ? Do you think countries in the German camp were all EVIL and the rest were snow white? How many years did the world war last and how many years Brits occupied India?

If the torture chambers set up by Germans were inhuman, do you think imposing tax on the production of salt by Brits was an act of white Angel?

Did Hitler or Mrs and Mr 9 to 5 of divided Germany pay for the atrocities committed by Hitler team?

We can definitely compare the Snow White Angelic actions committed by the Invitee (s) and Hitler followers.

Also we will compare the same with the atrocities committed by the host on its own people under Indian Varna System.