On the 15th of August every year, India celebrates its independence from British colonial rule. Flags are hoisted, sweets are distributed, and a proud national moment settles over people as they commemorate a victory against the dominating forces of the colonial administration. However, on a closer inspection of the celebrations and the reason behind the holiday, one can see past the layer of happiness and pride to reveal a continuity in the historical impacts of colonialism that were supposed to have ended the moment India gained its independence. At the time of independence on 15th August 1947, India did not merely gain the right to govern or define its own sovereign identity in the global order. In reality, it had inherited the problems and identity differences created by the British colonial administration across the country.
When the partition lines were drawn by Cyril Radcliffe, they did not take into account what had already been set in motion historically. For instance, the movement of labourers from what was then East Pakistan into Assam, or the fact that colonial rule had established indirect rule in India and reshaped identities to create divisions among people. These divisions included categories such as tribal and non-tribal, or native and settler, the latter referring to the average East Pakistani labourer who had migrated due to the British government luring them into Assam with promises of better prospects. In reality, the British administration intended to increase land revenue for Assam, cultivate uncultivated lands, and expand tea plantations.
What was once a normal movement of people from one region to another became illegal or undocumented. What had seemed natural, the act of moving from one place to another, became a matter of legal consequence. All of this was done to give India a sense of freedom from colonial rule and a neatly defined identity. Yet drawing hard borders was never going to solve issues that were themselves the result of colonial rule. India had historically porous borders, unlike Europe, which had fragmented into various sovereign states due to religious differences. For India, drawing a hard line was never going to resolve issues that had been set in motion by British settler colonial agendas, which had brought labourers from one part of the country into another that was still considered part of the same primary territory.
When we talk about the undocumented migration of people from Bangladesh today into Assam, we might want to consider from a more humanitarian perspective that it is not the fault of people moving into Assam, but an irreversible set of actions set in motion by colonial administration. India was confined to what was considered normal in Europe, but was never meant to be normal in India through the imposition of hard borders. Hard borders were never going to solve migration issues. Similarly, when one looks at the ongoing differences between Pakistan and India, one might, on the surface, feel obliged to support their own country in an ongoing conflict and feel pride if one side appears to do better. Yet the question remains the same. Borders drawn in the past are still haunting us, shaping our relationships with our neighbours in the least humanitarian way possible. It is important to look at present issues through a historical and colonial-induced lens rather than assuming they have appeared out of nowhere. India did not choose its struggles. They were passed down through the culmination of decisions made by both the newly formed Indian government and the British administration. One cannot simply forget or escape the ripples of colonialism.
This similar colonialism can also be observed in everyday life, which might make one wonder whether we are truly free or independent yet. Take the example of how one might feel proud to speak English as a universal language, perhaps even more so than speaking their own mother tongue. There is often a sense of the educated person, measured at least in India through their knowledge of English. The intention here is not to say that there should be no universal language. It is useful for easier communication. One might think me presumptuous, but I feel English is one of the easiest languages to learn compared to something like Sanskrit. However, the point is not to assume that speaking English makes one the most educated person in existence.
Here I introduce the idea of the colonialism of the mind, which subtly becomes ingrained in our thinking. Colonialism of the mind is where one might consider Western values, cultures, or languages better than their own, feeling they must learn them to be considered educated. It is not that other cultures are inherently bad. Learning a new culture, language, or fashion style is never wrong. The problem arises when these are considered better than one’s own culture by the follower. In some cases, they may be better, but that does not mean one must discard their own culture to fit in.
Let us talk about fashion to illustrate this. Many people can easily recall buying a fast fashion garment recently, yet struggle to remember the last time they chose something handmade from a place like Jodhpur, Rajasthan. I still have a skirt from Jodhpur that I bought in 2025, and I genuinely enjoy wearing it wherever I go. Yet I also wear a nice summery floral dress in the same way. I do not believe the dress is better than the skirt. Both are distinct and express different fashion statements. I feel proud to credit the craftsmen of India who produce incredible handmade items, yet we often prefer Western trends more than their creations. It should be about recognising both without feeling a sense of belonging only to Western trends.
Here, the colonialism of the mind keeps one trapped in a never-ending hierarchy of colonial continuity, making one wonder whether they are truly free from its influence. One might want to deliberately cut oneself off from this conundrum.
In conclusion, it becomes crucial to see past the celebrations and recognise the colonial legacies that still have an impact on our boundaries, politics, and even daily fashion trends. We must also resist their relentless influence. Independence Day celebrates the complexity of freedom in this way. It can mean questioning the current systems and denying the idea that inherited problems cannot be prevented. It may also mean understanding historical context, treating sensitive topics like migration with compassion rather than mistrust, and valuing local workmanship without disregarding other cultural trends. After that, independence becomes a work in progress as well as something we celebrate when the time comes. Being self-sufficient was only the start of the process, which still tends to continue.
