Why Macaulay must be mighty pleased with Sunak and Yousaf

Kolkata: Just recently, Hamza Yousaf was elected as the First Minister of Scotland, thus ensuring that an Indo-Pak duo is now running the past masters. Apart from every living endorser, Thomas Babington Macaulay must be buying drinks for every Raj alumnus in heaven.

To briefly recap, Lord Macaulay, Law Member of the Viceroy's Supreme Council, passed some significant verdicts in his 'Minute of Indian Education', published in 1835. English was made an official language of secondary education, superseding Sanskrit and Arabic, and he incubated the culture of training Indians to both learn and teach in English. The rationale behind such thinking may well have been colonial chutzpah but the outcome surely has been largely beneficial.

So, when less than 200 years after his thinking got published ( not a long time in History), both England and Scotland have ex-vassals as leaders, so his vision must be deemed successful. Over the years, he drafted the Indian Penal Code as well, cementing his legacy on even present-day conduct. Most interestingly, his erstwhile residence is now home to Bengal Club in Calcutta, an institution undoubtedly bred by such imperial values since 1827.

But back to Hamza Yousaf and Rishi Sunak in the context of their achievements and a few other major socio-cultural factors governing modern-day Great Britain. The 2021 census clearly establishes that 18% of the citizenry is not White British, on a base of almost sixty million. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis contribute to around 4 million of this kitty, which is a considerable sum. When you add their academic and ambition acumen to the equation, it becomes even more awesome, in matters of education and model citizenry. South Asians have sincerely done their due diligence and managed to craft a mainstream identity, way beyond even recent imagination.

In this context though, it may be useful to ponder briefly on certain British truths, pertaining to the overwhelming white majority. The approach to imperialism was always designed to 'include' the subjects and integrate them into a larger whole and while the white man's burden was a condescending term, this too was performed successfully by the conquerors. Thus creating a base of education and eventually knowledge that integrated wonderfully with the intellectual genes of our ancient civilizations. What we see today, the success of Indians at large is driven largely by such continuing mindsets.

Interestingly, there is little resistance amongst the white majority to minority leadership and this must be viewed as a strength of character and not callous indifference. Unified by the figure of speech and symbols of unity, modern-day Great Britain is a multicultural melting pot with a curious strain of transitional loyalties. Wherein the immigrants of yore and the citizens of the day align gorgeously with UK agendas and often must demonstrate disdain towards the origin, as proof of allegiance. Which is not necessarily malevolent by intent but actually a statement of wholesome integration.

Quite ironically, the India-Pakistan divide resonates in this new equation of Scotland and England, as unionist Indians do not approve of Yousaf's affection for independence. Interestingly further, the incumbent is seemingly against free speech, as indicated by his championing of a particularly draconian bill, by British standards surely. Whether such manoeuvres by Yousaf are genuine or political are matters of conjecture as most naturally, the ambitions must reign supreme.

In a strangely defiant way, the leaderships in England and Scotland are wonderful poster boys of successful imperialism, the lootings notwithstanding. As opposed to pure-play domination, like in Belgian Congo or Soviet Eastern Europe, the vision for the colonists was to expand the sphere of influence. Driven by arrogance definitely and not charity or munificence, but definitely, a sustainable win-win for every party over the annals of time. The professional value additions to first-grade genetic construction are irrefutable for sure and enjoyed by millions of next gens, revelling in a compelling dual identity.

There was a time when anglophile Indians were disparagingly banished as Macaulay's Children as if slaves of a foreign tongue and being. It must be said that both Sunak and Yousaf are new-age candidates for this badge, albeit in a bullish avatar. Wherein the offspring is now the master and that must deserve a clap or two, in heaven as well as the earth.