India, that is Bharat, a phrase carefully selected from the constitution of India is a book on Decoloniality - a topic at the heart of the author – J Sai Deepak, already a popular orator and debater on matters of law that pertain to India, nay Bharat and its cultures and traditions.
Split into three sections Coloniality, Civilization and Constitution, the author delves deep into the idea of each as they evolved in the minds of Colonizers – European in general and British in particular. It takes some time to get into the mind of the author as he uses impeccable research around the world to drive the concept and tongue twisters – Colonialization and Decoloniality vs the common colonization and decolonization. As the author introduces us to the concept, he also tells that hardly any work has happened on this in the context of India and its subcontinent. A quick google search for the books on this subject, gave a list of books on Decolonization when it comes to India. All other results are from Africa or Americas. In that sense, it is a path breaking book.
Written in a lawyer like fashion, this book uses monumental research to gather evidence and presents them one after the another, lest any doubt remain in the mind of the reader. When one would think one line quote is sufficient to make the point, the author uses one page. When you would think, a paragraph extract from the original quote is sufficient, he provides three pages. Sai Deepak does this chapter by chapter to the extent that the reader may give up sooner agreeing to assertions. But the author, a practicing professional advocate, prosecutes his case carefully leaving little to chance, his own commentary is small as he notes key takeaways and builds the case. If you buy this book to get more of his oratory and fluency in one place, you would be disappointed like me.
This is not about what the author believes, but rather the books already written, words already spoken that shaped the European project of coloniality and civilization and finally the constitution of India, that is Bharat. Ultimately, the object is to understand how we got here and why we should believe the author’s word. He is no historian or a well-known academic! Indeed, he is at the risk of being called a right winger spreading his sensational ideas. Sai Deepak, fully aware of this, stays away from sensationalism and instead employs dispassionate tone even as infamous quotes from Macaulay of producing “a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect” are noted.
The author contends that that coloniality was not a random occurrence, but a diligent project rooted in Christianity, specifically Protestantism and so the European world view. “Coloniality reshaped the very concept of history and time through the creation of constructs as ‘modernity’ and ‘rationality’, terms which are loosely used…without the knowledge of their colonial origins.”, asserts the author. He tells us the word “Modern” was first used in northern Italy in 6th century CE and it simply meant ‘different’ without a positive or negative value attached to it and as late as 14th century in Dante’s The Divine Comedy, it was a synonym for contemporary but used as a veiled criticism of the present. It was not until 15th century that the word was used to show the past in poor light. This probably refers to Europe coming out of their Dark ages where they disowned its past and Modern suddenly became symbol of reformation.
Similarly, the idea of ‘civilizing’ comes from Christianity, as evangelization and taking good news to others are central to the Bible and Gospel. Even as the author takes us through fascinating narrations, he makes no attempt to call the European project a mala fide one or one displaying ill will, full marks to author for not getting carried away. In contrast, the point that India is one civilization is made by quoting Sir Herbert Risley - “ Beneath the manifold diversity of physical and social type, language, custom and religion, which strikes the observer in India, there can still be discerned a certain “underlying uniformity of life from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin”. There is in fact an Indian character, a general Indian personality, which we cannot resolve into its component elements.”
Finally, before closing the first book of three part gigantic project, Lala Lajpat Rai is quoted extensively showing the birth of democracy and the idea of nation all rooted in India much earlier than the Europe. Indeed, Sir Henry Maine said that “the idea of Nationality was first derived from India, and it travelled westwards”. Lalaji said eloquently in his 1917 letter demanding the right of India’s freedom - “There is less antagonism between the creeds of India than there is between the various sects of Christianity in England. There are hundreds of such sects in England, but there are five religions in the whole of India…Politically, the whole of India is now practically united and had been so also in the past, notably in the days of Asoka. But the ancient Emperors of India, more liberal than the modern Tzars and Kaisers, never used force to standardize language, culture, creed or caste, but left each group to self-development suitable to its environments….To require races of India to coalesce into a nation with one religion and one tongue, is midsummer madness. It would revive the idea of medieval idea of one Empire, one people and one church…A century ago, the percentage of literates in India was about the same as in England. Today 95 percent can read and write in England, while in India scarcely 6 percent can do so….But this is no fault of theirs. It is a grievance against the Bureaucracy. It was their duty to teach them to read and write and write during the past 150 years of their rule”
While the author quotes extensively from writings around the world, several discussions are from British Parliament demonstrating the Christian foundation of the English idea of civilization that they propagated. While this was a consistent refrain, going by these debates, a large part comes from the members of parliament who were Bishops and Archbishops. Naturally, it is difficult to fault churchmen for their passion towards evangelization or bringing more to the fold of Christianity and its civilization. As much as this book is a recommended read, there is opportunity to make it more readable. Initial 20-30 pages may look like meandering and in some part repetitive compared to the Introduction, but they are not, just stay with the author and you would soon be enjoying the ride. This book must reach the nooks and corners of India, and this may require simplification.
Read this book for the foundation of Spanish and Portuguese expedition, read it for the remarkable work happening in Africa and Americas on Decoloniality – mostly baptized, read it to find about the scholars that inform this debate and to do your own study. Read this book to start recognizing the idea of Coloniality that is likely sitting in your mind and realize that you are not alone. As the author succinctly puts it, it is like the movie Matrix. Once you see the Matrix, it is difficult to unsee it.
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