Lord Macaulay : Apana Bharat Or British India

Who is Lord  Macualay?

Lord Macualay, Thomas Babington Macualay (25.10.1800-28.12.1859) was appointed the first law member to the Governor General’s council. A post added to the Governor General of India’s council by the The Government of India Act 1833, also known as Charter Act of 1833. Macualay came to India for five years in 1834 and served up to 1838 as Law member. Macualay did not know any of the Indian languages and was equally ignorant of the Indian people’s history, Indian way of life and their customary codes of moral, society and religious conduct. In addition, Macualay disliked India and its religious and social institutions.

Thoughts of Macualay

Macualay was instrumental in deciding the “Education” policy of British India. His thoughts about India, Indians, Indian literature and society are reflected in his many minutes, speeches and writings. The various Minutes from the official records, depicting Macualay’s thoughts and work, are worth quoting.....

1.      Lord Macaulay’s remarks in his address to the British Parliament on 2^nd February 1835: “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think that we would be ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her cultural and spiritual heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them – a truly dominated nation.”

2.      In his Minute on Indian Education of February 1835, Macaualy asserted, "It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanskrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the paltriest abridgement used at preparatory schools in England".

3.      Macaulay considered the Indians as nothing but “dumb-driven cattle” owned by the English.

4.      “We must do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons Indian in Blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinion, words and intellect.”

5.      “..... all the funds appropriated for the purpose of education would be best employed on English education alone.”

6.      “.....We created a separate caste of English scholars, who has no longer any sympathy, or very little sympathy with their countrymen.”

7.      Within two years of his arrival in India, Macaualy written to his father “I am  convinced that if my  education policy and plans were duly carried out, after 30 years not a single idol-worshiper would be left amongst the respectable Hindus of Bengal.”

What Lord Macualay did?

Macualay replaced Indian system of education with the English System of education. Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and other Indian languages were replaced with English.  Thus 12 years of controversy over the Oriental and Occidental system of education was decided in favour of Occidental by Macaulay. 

What to do?

Lord Macaulay has vey aptly put it : “Of all forms of tyranny ........ the worst is that of a nation.” And according to Abraham Lincoln, the American President: “There is no nation good enough to govern another nation.”

As the ruler of dominated India English have done everything to extend their rule in India to the maximum.  But, even after departure of Lord Macaualy in 1837 and the English in 1947 why are we faithfully following up Macaualay’s  policy and constantly producing “Macaualy’s children”?  It’s high time to feel that we are now INDEPENDENT for 70 years and to replace the English policy with Indian policy. We have to replace British India with Apana Bharat. We have to encourage and re-establish the Indian language, literature, society and spirituality. The government cannot do this. This is to be done by, as mentioned in the constitution of India, “We, the people of India”.

Reference

1.        British Rule in India by Pandit Sunderlal

2.        Macaulay’s “Minute upon Indian Education”