India 1: May the Queen rest in peace (The British and India) (v1.0)

Last year the queen passed away. I am of Indian origin. India has a complicated history with the British. 

There is a lot of chatter in India of all the riches plundered from India by the British who colonized India. The most strident is for return of the Kohinoor diamond - the magnificent 105 caret diamond - that is the central diamond in the crown of the queen mother which was acquired by the East India company through deceit and force (at least to some. The British say it was a gift) and presented to the queen. It is a long list of grievances. India has grappled with a long history of Trauma and impoverishment due to British colonialism. They blame the queen for all that. 

Empires do what empires always do since age immortal - they exploit their colonies to fuel their own growth and riches and sometime violently subjugate the subjects.  Any student of history knows that. Don't expect any reparations from the British. America was also a past colony. For those seething about the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, I am in no way minimizing your anguish. I am just saying realistically what can be done about it now.

 But it is not all bad. I would rather instead look at the outstanding system of railways and roads and bridges and ports and waterways and dams left behind - an engineering marvel of that time. The outstanding professional Indian civil service that still exists today that keeps things running. The capitalistic ideas left behind that made Indian industry thrive and foster some of the most dynamic companies in tech today. And democratic ideas - the most precious of all. I would look at the Indian army put together by the British and the legal system that lets the rule of law prevail. I would look at cricket that is a national sport that millions of Indians enjoy and English that still linguistically binds many of the educated today and with the rest of the world.  

 Besides, in UK the queen has no role in politics or passing laws or administration of the state. She has a ceremonial and advisory role and is a global ambassador. Also, when Elizabeth took over, India was already independent. The Kohinoor was spirited off to the UK long before that. We have to separate the individual person that is Elizabeth - a wise and gracious and dignified person with a wicked sense of humor and a devotion to duty and a sterling character - from the actions of the institutions that passed laws in her name or took executive actions.

 India is a young country (got independence in 1947) with a young population (50% is under 28!!) which should look at the future instead of at the past and grimacing. Its young population is a great strength for the country and a budding work force. Also, as the west moves away from China, India is a natural home for investment, manufacturing, and outsourcing. Its economy is now bigger than that of the country that colonized it, making it the fifth largest in the world. Goldman Sachs projects India's GDP will overtake both Germany and Japan by 2028 and the Euro areas by 2051. It is expected to outrank China in population this year if it hasn’t already. The Ukraine crisis has shown how desperately great powers around the world want to count on it as an ally. There will be no successful solution to climate change without India. It holds the presidency of the Group of 20 now, and its summit in Delhi later this year promises to be a major moment on the global stage for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apple reportedly plans to make up to a quarter of its iPhones in India, a huge endorsement of the country’s growing technology manufacturing prowess. Micron plans a huge chip manufacturing hub in India. India was the toast of the Davos World Economic Forum this year; the writer Fareed Zakaria declared that it "might be the most optimistic country in the world right now". Let the past stay in the past. India has great potential going forward. 

 But India needs to fix its infrastructure (transportation infrastructure though has improved dramatically under Mr. Modi and his recent predecessors) and significantly reduce political corruption level and cronyism and protectionism to better realize its full potential. Also, bureaucratic red tape and uneven playing field is a disincentive for foreign investments as well as local businesses although this has eased gradually since 1991. The ability to enforce contracts in a timely way is critical for a functioning democracy and avoiding long Court case resolution delays is critical. Lastly, it’s restive young need adequate prospects in India to avoid them becoming a powder keg instead of a big asset. India needs people who have the skills to fill some of the high-value jobs and an economy that produces those high-value jobs. 

 All my sincere respects to the queen. May she rest in peace. Hers was a life well led and a job well done.