OPINION: British PM David Cameron’s visit to India to start new history

Punjabis and Sikhs are very important in social and economic life of Great Britain

Today Great Britain is not that big power as it was in the last two decades.  But its presence in India is so deep that it will continue to be an important for us for a long time.   The British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to India and especially to Jallianwala Bagh is an indication of joint historical events.  Cameron not only visited Jallianwala Bagh but he also regretted over the massacre of unarmed civilians in 1919 which cannot be forget. 

Despite all this, there are not that much fissures in the relations between the two countries which are normally seen after such historical incidents which includes the relations between Japan and China or Japan ’s with South Korea or had come after the World War II.  There had not been many differences in relations of India ’s with British because of the fact in our independence struggle or movement; it was not the main basis.  No doubt, the view point of both the countries had been different on colonialism. They did not think that colonialism is some sort of tyranny and in fact, they were feeling as their duty to rule all over the world and to make the people “cultured, genteel, well-bred, well-mannered, civil, civilised, polite, and courteous”. 

 The culture of Indian and British people of that historical period was contradictory. But now the Britisher’s will not agree that colonialism was a good thing and that has some significance.  The incident of Jallianwala Bagh is the outcome of that colonial era. The incident was so terror which was attacked by the Britishers in which 1,500 people died in just no time.  This incident of firing over the unarmed people further aggravated the people against the British Government and because of this attitude, they felt that Indians are uncultured and dealing with them strictness is genuine.  Despite all this, some of the foreigners have condemned this incident.

The people of India do not expect any regret from the Englishmen but sometimes it looks we should be more sensitive and emotional towards the past.   One of the reasons for the same is that most of our problems are given to us by the rule of the Englishmen and to cope with the same, the emotional and sensitiveness would work.  If it is not that, the Englishmen left India because it was poor country which has no worries except to keep its identity and how to come out of the poverty.  

Now the circumstances have changed as India is now a developing and rising super-power while the Great Britain is dying super-power. The main purpose of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to India is to develop social and industrial business relations which could help to bounce its economy.   There is a specific reason behind the visit to Golden Temple in Amritsar and Jallianwala Bagh because Punjabis and Sikhs are very important in social and economic life of Great Britain.  The relation of mutual respect and confidence between both the countries is strong and to have one view on the past is also necessary.  

(Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of City Air News.)