Dear Mr. Charles,
"We are under no king; let each vindicate himself."-Seneca
I write this from India, a former
colony of Britain that still suffers from after effects of colonial exploitation.
Not that it was better off before colonialized, but then we need someone to
blame and british raj ticks all the excuses. The reason I am writing in English, and
not in Spanish or French, is just as fated. India was waiting to be colonized,
and it just happened to be Britain. So, we common people were fated. Your luck.
English is an interesting language though, and opened new areas of inquisitiveness
unlike Indian languages that were stuck in time warp of unenterprising self-obsessed
people. I don’t agree with civilizing mission of racist colonizers nor do I agree
on accomplished civilized mission of primitive Indian elite. India was always trapped
in worst of outcomes. So, nobody really can be blamed. Some talk of reparation
and apology. There is really nothing to apologize for nor any need for reparation.
What happened must be seen in the context of time. Line has to be drawn. Few centuries
back world was a nasty place. Might and power decided what was right. Most of
the world lived in terror of aggression and exploitation. Europeans were efficient
and enterprising to create technology to explore the world. While much of the
world lacked, it is not that they were non violent or peace loving -indeed societies
are brutal and it’s a common feature, they are essentially defined by dominant value
systems. Humans are as violent as nature is. For last few decades much of world
has created systems of law and order, democratic institutions and justice
system, hence spaces of peaceful secure existence for most people.
In the last few centuries monarchies
in Europe provided for long periods of tranquility within their boundaries, and
during these periods most of them encouraged and provided space for best of
human expressions and ideas, that accumulated from best of all across the world
through time from Greeks to Mesopotamia to Chinese and so on. Much of astounding
progress of humanity in the last few decades can be traced to these. It’s not
that other part of the world did not contribute. It was sporadic and most were incapable
to sustain due to various factors. Britain specifically was responsible for amazing
progress in science under the royal patronage. Not that science would not have
progressed without royal patronage but taken much longer time (facts are
already there, if not Newton someone else). Essentially this would have shifted
the trajectory of human progress which we see all around us, and possibly we
would still be living in the grip of fate driven fantasies and superstitions in
a much-diminished world. So, European monarchies despite committing atrocities
all across the world -which ofcourse seems natural in the context of time, have
served humanity immensely by creating settled secure space, hence traditions of
contemplating into streams of thoughts, consolidating into systematic learning and
enquiry, that put foundation to further search and research. Hence thank you to
the monarchs who lived during those ages. They guided for better world.
The world has come a long way
since then. Humanitarian values have consolidated in most part of the world. We
value freedom, equality, liberty and dignity of each individual, and these form
the lynchpin of human interactions and foundations for institutions on which
humanity’s progress is dependent on. Without these we are back to medieval uncertainties.
Reparations and apologies are not needed but systems that sustains feudal values
cannot be supported hence must go. Tradition and culture that doesn’t sustain egalitarian
values are not progressive hence persistent threat and source for misery. It is
therefore important for you to understand that existence of monarchy is an anachronism
that is challenging all that is precious to humanity, to each and every of
eight billion humans on this planet, particularly to the most vulnerable. How will you explain your position to that bright child negotiating her way to school despite overwhelming odds? Can you answer any of the question that
a man working 9-5 for meagre existence has? Will you be able to answer the
woman walking in treacherous heat for daily pot of water? You cannot. All your weight
of history and tradition is too light to the existential realities of life. Ascriptive
exceptionalism is worst of possibilities, it sustains the most degraded humans
that live among us and a constant threat whether caste cannibals (hindus) or
monster mullah (islam) or racist whites (christians) so on. The world is facing
enough serious crisis whether climate change, species extinctions or AI
generated polarizing disinformation set to be unleashed etc. and these need immediate
attention. What the world is witnessing in Britain is an embarrassing display
of medieval theatre of absurdity. It is an assault on humanity. It is exciting
the worst kind of people from all across the world, and initiating juvenile binary
discussions we don’t need. Adult humans can be better than this. Please grow
up. Have a reality check. Abdicate.
Best wishes
A concerned fellow
From your former colony
