Can The British Apologize?

If someone robs your house and kills a dear one, is an apology enough? I am sure that most people (especially the ones who believe in the Old Testament like the British) will say no. An eye has to be the proper response for an eye (with no apologies to The Mahatma). But crimes were committed by the Brits against us and that too a long time ago. The Brits are now somewhat of an ally and a lot of people of Indian origin live and prosper in England. We have reasonably good trade relations with them. All this makes a “proper revenge” or “justice” impossible. But the knowledge that these criminals systematically robbed us for almost 200 years and that we are not going to see any of that wealth or have even a symbol of that coming back has to make us seethe in anger. Every time you see their porcine queen wearing the Koh-e-noor, your BP has to go up.

But knowing all this, what will assuage some of our pain? I would say that return of some of our treasures and a proper apology may work. By proper apology I mean either the British PM or their porcine queen come over to India only to apologize and actually apologize instead of indulging in linguistic gymnastics.

The Brit PM recently offered some thing of an apology. The reason that apology was an empty one is because this representative of the nation of shopkeepers was here to sell British wares and thought that an apology will work better than bribes. In fact such an apology makes it even worse because you know that this insincere apology is just another British way of robbing us. Infuriating stuff this.

Now it is not that the Brits don’t know what they did wrong. Andrew North who is a BBC reporter writes the following in a very honest report: By making a statement of regret over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, David Cameron has opened up a can of other questions and grievances over Britain's colonial past . North accepts that India suffered two famines, which were essentially man made. Millions died while Churchill mocked at us.

No. No apology can be enough. The Brits should not even try because a non-apology of this kind hurts a lot worse than no apology at all. We should continue to do business with the British but should never ever trust them or forgive or forget.

A couple of very good articles on the topic can be read at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/a-sorry-apology-david-cameron-at-jallianwala-bagh-632541.html

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/a-reality-check-for-david-camerons-india-quest/20130221.htm