The Divine Right of kings, or divine-right theory of kingship, is a political and religious doctrine, which asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly by the will of God. The Christian kings of Europe were obsessed with this belief, and held the view that they enjoyed absolute power to do as they pleased. The theory of Divine Right was rejected in England during the Glorious Revolution of 1688–89. The American and French revolutions of the late eighteenth century further weakened the theory’s appeal, and by the early twentieth century, it lost its appeal and legitimacy. However, this divine right to rule was exercised brutally on the Colonies by the Britishers and other Western colonial powers. They were never held accountable for the innumerable atrocities inflicted on Asians and Africans, ranging from human trafficking, slavery, loot, plunder, and compelling Opium addiction. When colonies became liberated, the brazen unaccountable behaviour, false pride and superiority started expressing itself in different ways, in order to indirectly exercise control over the erstwhile colonies.
Western intervention in India was subtly manipulated through multi-pronged social, economic and political agendas, through their agents. Nascent India had to depend on Britain and other Western countries for economic aid, loans, investments, export markets and industrialization. In order to effectively divide Indians, multi-party democracy was put in place, loyal families were identified and the reins of leadership handed over to a bunch of novices, and maharajas relegated. The new crop of rulers who assumed powers had to depend on their former colonial rulers for economic, political, governance and security issues. The Western powers utilised this as a golden opportunity to keep India subservient, as a vassal State. This dependence was cemented through collaborations, partnerships, scholarships, exchange programs, study programs, cultural exchanges, invitations to trade delegations, and formation of friendship organizations. Senior bureaucrats, and politicians, encashed this arrangement to wrangle admissions, scholarships, jobs and citizenships for their wards. In exchange, through the guise of developmental aids and support, technological and scientific assistance, the ex-colonial masters continued their hegemonic political, and educational control.
Mushrooming of hundreds of organizations known as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) made their advent, fully funded by the West, for indirectly coercing government policies. Activities of many NGOs, appear to be coordinated from across borders, hence many countries in Asia and Africa have imposed restrictions on their activities, like India. Leaders of many political parties become minions to the whims and caprices of ex-colonial masters, their multinational corporations, universities, and expatriate organizations. Invitations to deliver lectures, and attend public receptions, become platforms to air vituperative anti- India rhetoric.
The West maintained an economic stranglehold by facilitating loans from the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for which, severe financial conditionalities were imposed. This made India, totally subservient to the economic and political machinations of the West.
Post 2014, the rise of Narendra Modi and the BJP ruined all the plans of the West, to continue their hegemony over India. Emergence of India as a global power, has provoked the West to slander, tarnish, disrupt and derail the economic growth in a variety of ways. The deep and growing frustration is being vented by flagrantly interfering in Indian politics.
The United States has commented on Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as MP after he was convicted by a Surat Court in a criminal defamation case, that it is watching the case! Days after the US comment, the German foreign ministry released a statement saying ‘fundamental democratic principles’ should apply in the case of the Congress leader’s disqualification!
Whether it is USA, Germany, or countries like Canada, Australia, UK, that permit anti-India protests, and meddle in the internal affairs of India for every petty reason, there is a critical message for India. The West which is facing severe economic recession, inflation, unemployment and fall in living standards, after centuries of freely pillaging the colonies, is watching with disdain and anathema, the emergence of India as a global power. Hence, they are meddling, on behalf of one Prime Ministerial aspirant, one political party, all for the single point agenda of displacing the present ruling party. Such unabashed meddling is not only in the form of verbal support and veiled threats but also by way of clandestine support to engineered riots, pre-planned agitations and seditious activities, just to ensure that the West determines our economic policies, and who should be our political leaders. Now that 2024 elections are a few months away, heightened interference can be expected. The West will leave no stone unturned to ensure that India cannot be the master of its own destiny.
Discussion about this post