Scourge of Colonial Legacy: Colonization to Liberalization

The present book titled Scourge of Colonial Legacy : Colonisation to Liberalisation is a well researched masterpiece work exposing certain forces who were responsible for colonization and impoverishment of the country. The book unfolds that Bharat (called India by the colonizers) had a very rich economy in the world which attracted European multinational companies as traders who, in due course of time, taking advantage of unstable political scenario and fragility of Indian rulers, succeeded in subjugating the country and establishing colonial empire. The quarrelling kings were incorporated into the ‘Company’ as ‘Treaty Kings’ with ‘Hollow Crown’. These trusted collaborators acted as ‘Break waters to Storm’ in sustaining the colonial rule. Thus, while the British killed the divine ‘fiction of king’, they recreated the ‘fiction of caste’ by launching caste based census. They reconstructed caste hierarchy which placed people against people and impeded growth of nationalism. The book brings out main factors which forced the mighty British to concede freedom to India, despite their victory in World War II. A free nation was born with colonial cross. Despite freedom, India inherited certain colonial legacies which had definite bearing in shaping its polity. However, despite poverty and illiteracy, India’s ‘tryst with democracy’ has been unique experiment so far. The book spells out circumstances which compelled India in 1991, to suddenly change its socialist strategy of development in favour of liberalization, globalization and market economy. The book presents very interesting reading on the subject in the current scenario.