Shashi Tharoor Asks Britain Why They Don't Teach Schoolchildren Colonial History

[The_Showstopper]

Shashi Tharoor Asks Britain Why They Don't Teach Schoolchildren Colonial History
"Historical amnesia."
06/03/2017 11:25 AM IST | Updated 11 hours ago

• 
  Anwesha MadhukalyaTrends Editor, Huffington Post, India

THE INDIA TODAY GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES


India can hardly forget its colonial past and the havoc colonialism wreaked upon the inhabitants of the subcontinent for two long centuries. Britain on the other hand seems eager to airbrush from its history books, the effects its colonial adventures on the imperial colonies. It turns out that schools in Britain do not teach students about colonialism and its impact.


Speaking to Channel 4 News host Jon Snow, Indian politician, author and former senior UN bureaucrat, Shashi Tharoor wondered just why British school-goers were not being taught about colonial history.

Tharoor, who is in the Congress party and is a member of the Lok Sabha, was speaking about his new book, 'Inglorious Empire'. He called the selective portrayal of Britain's colonial past, "historical amnesia".

THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION / REUTERS


"There's no real awareness of the atrocities," he said on the show. "The fact that Britain financed its Industrial Revolution and its prosperity from the depredations of empire. Britain came to one of the richest countries in the world (India) in the early 18th century and reduced it, after 200 years of plunder, to one of the poorest."


When Snow asked Tharoor that if he is going to hold on to the past, he replied, "I don't think this is about today's relations, which are between two sovereign, equal countries, Jon."

You can watch Channel 4 News' viral video here:






This is not the first time that Tharoor has spoken critically about Britain's role as a coloniser. In a video that went viral in 2015, he can be seen debating and asking Britain to make amends for all the wrongs it had done in the past.

The Channel 4 News video concludes with Tharoor saying, "But I think we need to be aware of history because, as I often say to young people, 'If you don't know where you've come from, how will you appreciate where you're going?'"


http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/0...h-school-children/?ncid=fcbklnkinhpmg00000001

 

[Path-Finder]

No chance they are going to teach colonial history in British Schools! If anything the colonial history is skipped in schools on purpose it goes from Roman Britain to saxons briefly. Skips WW1 and the 20th Century so Colonial History has been swept under the carpet.

 

[ValerioAurelius]

Why should they? Would you want your children to become cucks?

Seriously i cant stand this self pity. I´m proud for our italian colonies. It was a great time of our history and brought civilisation to those places. I guess same counts for the UK.

 

[Clutch]

Why should they? Would you want your children to become cucks?

Seriously i cant stand this self pity. I´m proud for our italian colonies. It was a great time of our history and brought civilisation to those places. I guess same counts for the UK.

Now the colonized come to "colonize" Italy back... bringing their "civilization-izing"

 

[ValerioAurelius]

Now the colonized come to "colonize" Italy back... bringing their "civilization-izing"

No they dont. They have no civilisation my friend. And they are currently locked up in camps. I dont want call it concentration camps but its not far from that.

The problem i see is, that i deeply believe we must recolonize Africa. India managed to develop into a country one can respect. Africa did not achieve that level. In the end you and we sit in the same boat. My guess is, that India as well will have colonies in Africa in the near future.

Africa cant exist without outside guidance. Massive forced birth control, nation building and destruction of primitive customs.

 

[The_Showstopper]

No they dont. They have no civilisation my friend.

Such ignorance..

And they are currently locked up in camps. I dont want call it concentration camps but its not far from that.

The problem i see is, that i deeply believe we must recolonize Africa. India managed to develop into a country one can respect. Africa did not achieve that level. In the end you and we sit in the same boat. My guess is, that India as well will have colonies in Africa in the near future.

Africa cant exist without outside guidance. Massive forced birth control, nation building and destruction of primitive customs.

Looking at your views I can safely state that Mr Tharoor is quite right in asking Britain to teach school children their colonial history.

 

[ValerioAurelius]

Such ignorance..


Looking at your views I can safely state that Mr Tharoor is quite right in asking Britain to teach school children their colonial history.

We get teached our colonial history in italian schools and it was cool. Stop playing the victim card. Move on and acknowledge your future.

 

[UKBengali]

We get teached our colonial history in italian schools and it was cool. Stop playing the victim card. Move on and acknowledge your future.

Careful, otherwise Asians will come and colonise Italy in a few decades from now.

 

[Sky lord]

What Italian colony? I think they were in Abisynnia for a couple of years till they got their asses kicked out by King Menelik.

Maybe they don't teach that in Italian schools

 

[UKBengali]

What Italian colony? I think they were in Abisynnia for a couple of years till they got their asses kicked out by King Menelik.

Maybe they don't teach that in Italian schools

"With the victory at the Battle of Adwa in hand and the Italian colonial army destroyed"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II#Battle_of_Adwa

They lost against Ethiopia!

 

[The_Showstopper]

We get teached our colonial history in italian schools and it was cool. Stop playing the victim card. Move on and acknowledge your future.

I am not sure what history is taught to you in school but your country has some of the worst human right violations and they aren't cool. The source below might enlighten you

Italian concentration camps in Libya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_concentration_camps_in_Libya

Do they teach 900 years of muslim history of Hindustan to kids?

There is nothing called muslim history of Hindustan, its called Indian history. If your intention is troll over here, then please find some thread which is more of your liking.

 

[Sheikh Rauf]

I am not sure what history is taught to you in school but your country has some of the worst human right violations and they aren't cool. The source below might enlighten you

Italian concentration camps in Libya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_concentration_camps_in_Libya


There is nothing called muslim history of Hindustan, its called Indian history. If your intention is troll over here, then please find some thread which is more of your liking.

Well it's seems like a simple question makes u jump muslim ruled hindustan almost 900 years as muslim we look at a muslim rule u can view it differently we don't care but try not to change my views.
Question remain do u guys teach ur kids muslim history or 900 years of muslim ruled without any contervercies?

 

[The_Showstopper]

Well it's seems like a simple question makes u jump muslim ruled hindustan almost 900 years as muslim we look at a muslim rule u can view it differently we don't care but try not to change my views.
Question remain do u guys teach ur kids muslim history or 900 years of muslim ruled without any contervercies?

Then you must have mentioned it as rule of muslim kings in India, there is nothing as such muslim history, muslims and muslim kings were very much part of Indian history and yes it is part of school curriculum in India. There is indeed a constant tussle between right wing and left wing on various issues.

 

[Saho]

"With the victory at the Battle of Adwa in hand and the Italian colonial army destroyed"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II#Battle_of_Adwa

They lost against Ethiopia!

Also, the Italians failed to impose their cultural influence and language on the locals. All of their former "colonies" still speak in their native language today and there are no Italian influence at all.

 

[Adonis]

Well it's seems like a simple question makes u jump muslim ruled hindustan almost 900 years as muslim we look at a muslim rule u can view it differently we don't care but try not to change my views.
Question remain do u guys teach ur kids muslim history or 900 years of muslim ruled without any contervercies?

You know why world is wary of this 'Muslim' thinking today, and what this thinking of Muslim first, Nation second and Human third have brought to Muslims across the world today.

History is history. Why Indians should call it Muslim history? With that logic, they should call British empire era as Christian History, Alexander rule as Greek (Olympian) history etc.