What did the British colonial period do to us?

East vs West, Eastern Culture vs Western Culture - discussions around these are a favourite for most of us. Like all of you I have indulged in these as well - rather overindulged. However, such open-ended discussions are difficult to handle. They can generate hundreds of PhDs and thousands of books. It helps to pick questions that are very pointed whose exploration can make a difference to our lives. 

One such favourite question of mine - What are the most disastrous changes effected by the British colonial rule in India? 

The physical loot of wealth is something that all of us are aware. Yet, my answer to this question is different. Through modern education it created a class of progressively powerful Indians who were made to believe that

1. 'Dharma' is nothing but 'Religion'. Hence it is to be limited to personal spiritual, family and commmunity. That it has no role in the social, public and material life. 

2. 'Moksha' is an ideal, imagination, un-achievable fantasy and not real.

It is important to elaborate why is this so important and much more than the physical loot during the colonial period. 

For 100s of years philosophies of India have differed in many finer aspects but have always agreed on one thing. What should be the purpose of life? - It should be to achieve the puruShArthAs ie., dharma, artha, kAma, moKsha. To achieve the artha (security) required for your life, to satisfy your kAma (fascinations and passions) as only possible through dharma but always aspiring to attain mOkSha (to be free from all fascinations and insecurities of the worldly life). 

In Sanskrit, Dharma means 'The Beholder', 'That which holds this life and universe together', 'Whatever holds everything together that is Dharma. This meant that Dharma is supposed to act as a guide to our seeking of kAma and artha. Dharma here refers to our actions being most positive and least negative, most creative and least destructive, most protective of live. This means the communities of India

1. Always held material life (artha, kAma) as important

2. Considered it necessary that they be bound by dharma and mOkSha in order for that to be most sustainable and least destructive.

Such was the central role of dharma. Apart from the names of devatAs, if there was one word that most Indians knew - that word was dharma.

This is the discontinuity that the colonial rule effected in India. In all the modern educated Indians there is an element of suspicion about mOksha and contempt towards dharma. So, what are we left with. Just Kama - our aspirations, fascinations and artha - our seeking of security. Hence we are constantly in two states all the time 1) Seeking our aspirations and fascinations without a compass and bind 2) Seeking security for our endless insecurities. There is no Dharma to guide us here to sustainably, creatively conduct these two with least destruction. 

This has had a disastrous consequence on our lives. This blog is all about what these distrous consequences are and how dharma being understood in its correct definition makes a difference to our lives. 

The unlimited aspiration and never ending insecurity of modern life (under the guise of progress and development) is actually a consequence of this. The tragedy is most people feel this but do not dare to bare themselves for the fear of being left out - another insecurity. The path of Artha and Kama can be destructive for a society without the envelope of Dharma. Dharma itself will not be sustainable without the compass of mOkSha.

It is necessary to restore Dharma to its rightful pedestal. This is just the beginning.