Terrible Toll of Colonialism

Some of the interesting and notable questions listed in Nottingham Castle

The reason for the city of Nottingham’s fame is a personality and a fortress-like royal palace. You know the personality, yes it’s Britain’s iconic character Robin Hood and the fort-like royal palace is Nottingham Castle. I am on an upper floor of this fort today. I am feeling provoked and some indignation at the colonial thefts and looting in my homeland. At first I was struck by a painting that seemed to me to be a civilian from the local elite of Bahawalpur or Multan.

Apparently, the British colonialists had conquered our homeland by riding on the shoulders of our local elite. The British associated this painting with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Pakhtun brothers are also close to my heart. But this painting did not look like any Pakhtun from its dress and appearance. However, I have not seen any Pakhtun wearing Bahawalpuri or Multani Khusa. This painting was not mounted on any wall but was placed in a frame in the centre of the hall. A little further on, the pots, ornaments, clothes and other articles looted from our cities were displayed in a large glass showcase. I was in a shock. A similar situation had come over me years ago, while looking at various antiques in Edinburgh Castle. Tipu Sultan’s turban, shirt, sword and other paraphernalia were kept in Edinburgh Castle along with that the uniforms of the British Ghaghra platoon were also hanging. It is said that the same Ghaghra platoon of Scotland conquered Mysore and martyred Tipu Sultan. Now, the same uniform of the Ghaghra platoon is worn by our local musical instrumental bands.

I was moved by the memory of Tipu Sultan at Edinburgh Castle and I am disheartened to see the things brought from my Multan and Bahawalpur here at the Nottingham Castle. Looking at the items in this showcase, my eyes fall on a notice board and the floor of the castle grips my feet. There is a question paper on this notice board with seven questions written on it and these questions are bothering me. Will settler remind me to ask these questions?

You should read those questions first, then I will present some other things and say some more.

• Who actually owns the things in this glass showcase?
• Why are these things kept here now?
• Where did the raw materials come from to make these things?
• How did the British Empire affect the British people?
• Did it benefit everyone?
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• What effects did British imperialism have on non-British people?
• Did it really benefit those people?
• What impact did the migration of refugees have on the UK?
• Where is the commonwealth? Where does the wealth actually reside and who is it benefiting?

As if imperialism will teach us to question. The simple answer to the first question is that all the things in this showcase belong to me and my people. But my imperial brother, these things did not walk by themselves and reached this showcase.

Some other incidents took place, while stealing, snatching and looting of these things. Along with the answers to the questions you mentioned, we also need answers to some of our own questions. We remember the signs of the hundreds of trees on which the British imperialists hanged hundreds of resistance fighters who defended their land.

We also have an account of every single drop of blood of our executed patriotic martyrs and this blood will remain a debt to the British occupying imperialist settlers for the centuries to come.

Sir! In answer to your second question, it is submitted that these items are kept in this fort-like palace to remind us and you that this is looted. You have inquired about the raw materials used in making these things. Obviously, all these things are our indigenous creation and all the raw materials were our own. And so we have never been a colonial settler in history. We did not steal or snatched the raw material from anyone.

The British Empire brought all the looted wealth, commodities, grain, antiquities, jewels, gold, diamonds and gems from across the world to Britain and they benefited the British people.

Sir! Britain did not only occupy the Subcontinent but its cities such as Delhi, Calcutta, Lahore, Multan, Thatta, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur or Khairpur, too. Not only did they create their Raj or princely states here, but they also occupied America, Canada and Australia.

In addition to New Zealand, countless other Asian, African and Latin American nations were added to their rule, the Arab world is still bleeding on the thorns sown by you.

You only see a few Arabs, Africans, Pakistanis, Indians or other Asians in your own country, then you remember the question of refugees. What do you have to say about the continents where your colonial system brutally massacred the natives.

The original inhabitants of Australia, America, Canada and New Zealand are ever given a thought of. Have you ever thought about the aboriginal inhabitants with signs of 50,000 years in Australia, where even today, after Queen Elizabeth, King Charles is considered as the head of state and the original owners of the land are imprisoned in colonial chains.

How delightfully you raise the questions asking where is the Commonwealth. I see the Commonwealth every time I travel to Europe. And Europe’s share of that wealth is only because it has stolen the wealth of all the continents for centuries. It has also created a system of global looting, which is the reason why looting continues even today, despite the apparent end of colonialism.

Your liberalism, neo-liberalism and Reagan-Thatcher Doctrine are also the traps that are lying around the necks of nations. Our government structures designed by you still give priority and importance to your interest, instead of thinking in the interest of our country and countrymen