COOLiES & BATTLe of aLGieRs

The bbc documentary, Coolies: how BRitain re-invented slavery, was very disturbing. It is beyond explanation of how people were treated during imperialism and colonialism. One of the men who was looking through archives to find his grandfather's information was disappointed to realize how poorly kept the records were and confessed: "i don't think people want to remember the past." Unlike the beautifully preserved castles and ancients of Britain, there was no sign of importance or sense of value for the records of the Indians and it reflects the government effort to forget and literally erase the past. I didn't even know who or what Coolies were before this film and I am embarrassed. But then again I don't recall them in any of my textbooks or classrooms, I am not saying its my teacher's fault but there is a reason I don't know about them similar to why the only image of Orientals i have are of Mulan and Aladdin. All history is biased and there are some "shameful" chapters in nation's history and the state has that authority to decide what will be taught and what will forgotten. Throughout the entire video, it was hard to see how dependent white plantations had become of cheap, expendable labor that they could not even imagine not having it. It difficult to see the replacement of African slaves to indentured Indians, to literally see documentation of how humans were commodified into white men's property. 

I don't know anything about Ghandi so it was interesting learning a little bit of what he did for the Indentured indians and his ideology was extremely unique at the time. I was surprised at how his ideology was reachable to everyone and how he inspired others to believe that JAil was honorable.. when all the laws were against you. It resembles similar ideology to Ayat's suicide bombing, of course Ghandi's technique was referred to as passive, but they are both forms of resistance. Also similar is the resistance shown in the Battle of Algiers movie between ALgerians and the French Occupation. After the FRench terrorized the Algerian opposition, I thought the movie was going to end on that note, but the Algerian solidarity in the end was inspiring. When people, as an entirety, refuse to continue that way of life, take to the streets and outright challenge the Govt is revolutionary..and the result was freedom.

Unlike, the Algerians the bbc video ended with the ethnic conflict in Fiji and it shows the unfair aftermath of what happens when Britain decides to dump Indians throughout various parts of the world and takes no accountability. The video says that the laws in Fiji are reverting back to colonial times when Indians were not allowed to own land. The reason why people repeat history is because they choose to ignore the past and learn from it. Now in the 21st century, of course ethnic, cultural conflict is going to arise because no one is taking responsibility and Indians scattered throughout the world are left to remember and recover from their past.