The story of "Lord" Macaulay in general, and his introduction of the Indian Penal Code in particular, is one which fills me with remorse, shame and horror. As a British Citizen myself, it makes my flesh creep. And what continues to astonish me is the Question: Why oh why didn't India throw out such nonsense when it gained Independence? What insanity meant that there are Indians in power who believed —and who continue to believe— such rot, such cruel, mind-set which goes right against the grain of human rights?
The question is: where does that leave us now? In the UK the Sexual Offences Act removed the clause about sex between males (although there were conditions, one of them being that the sex act was to be performed privately, in a room which was fitted with the correct type of lock). Mrs Thatcher tried to tighten up the anti-gay feeling by her introduction of the wicked Clause 8. This soon crumbled, and within the past few years legally binding Civil Partnerships have been introduced (effectively it's marriage, but some straights claim it is better than marriage, and they want the right to have it too). So back to the question: when will India buck its ideas up and throw away all the Macauley trash?
5 comments:
Well, I'm very sorry about that, but - they didn't manage to 'break' India after all, though they certainly did a lot of damage.
The story of "Lord" Macaulay in general, and his introduction of the Indian Penal Code in particular, is one which fills me with remorse, shame and horror. As a British Citizen myself, it makes my flesh creep.
And what continues to astonish me is the Question: Why oh why didn't India throw out such nonsense when it gained Independence? What insanity meant that there are Indians in power who believed —and who continue to believe— such rot, such cruel, mind-set which goes right against the grain of human rights?
These are questions which puzzle me no end.
Thank you very much andavane for your perusal. India has been suffering that way.
The question is: where does that leave us now? In the UK the Sexual Offences Act removed the clause about sex between males (although there were conditions, one of them being that the sex act was to be performed privately, in a room which was fitted with the correct type of lock). Mrs Thatcher tried to tighten up the anti-gay feeling by her introduction of the wicked Clause 8. This soon crumbled, and within the past few years legally binding Civil Partnerships have been introduced (effectively it's marriage, but some straights claim it is better than marriage, and they want the right to have it too).
So back to the question: when will India buck its ideas up and throw away all the Macauley trash?
anbey...
I am thrown into the same thinking...
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