Azadi: Unlearning the Colonialism We Carry Within

The British left India in 1947. But did colonialism leave with them?As India approaches another Independence Day, perhaps it is time to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: are our minds still colonised?

Our thoughts, ideas and opinions are still influenced, if not dictated, by the global West. Western media still sometimes refers to India through outdated stereotypes like “the land of snake charmers” or primarily as “a former colony.” Global narratives can downplay India’s achievements, while India is not always treated as a thought leader on the global stage. At times, global media also seems to speak to India from a position of authority—lecturing or “schooling” its governments rather than simply scrutinising them.

The imbalance is also visible in how geopolitical events are framed: Terrorism can be reduced to militant attacks, with disproportionate focus on counter-terror operations rather than the circumstances resulting in them. And somehow in the midst of all this, the US finds a way to portray itself as the hero that prevented a war, while the rest of the world assumes the position of a teacher questioning India’s sovereign decisions.

When a student protest happens in Delhi, global media portrays it as national unrest or even a national emergency. Yet cross-border terrorism can be described as a “regional dispute.”

The issue is not that India should be beyond criticism. It should not be. Scrutiny is essential in any democracy. The problem begins when complexity is replaced by stereotype, context is selectively presented, or India is consistently viewed through a framework created elsewhere.

A telling example came in 2014, when India entered the orbit of Mars. The International New York Times published an editorial cartoon by Heng Kim Song depicting a turban-clad Indian farmer and a cow knocking on the door of the “Elite Space Club.” It sparked widespread criticism and eventually led to an apology from the newspaper’s editorial board.

In essence it was only a cartoon but it reflected a larger problem: the tendency to view India’s achievements through a lens of surprise and stereotype.

And the irony is striking and almost comical when we look at Indians occupying some of the most influential positions in the world: Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google and Alphabet. Satya Nadella is Chairman and CEO of Microsoft. Ajay Banga is President of the World Bank Group. Leena Nair is the Global CEO of Chanel. These are positions at the centre of technology, finance, development, business and global culture.

We celebrate these individuals as proof of Indian talent. India’s influence is no longer confined to geography. Indians are already in the rooms where global culture, business and technology are shaped. Yet India still often looks to the West not only for inspiration, but also for validation.

And this conditioning can be so subtle that we barely notice it.

We have been taught that fair skin is better, while dusky skin needs “improvement.” That Ayurveda is a scam, until ancient wellness practices become global trends. That yoga becomes fashionable only after the world embraces it. That English sounds more intelligent, while Indian languages are less “professional.” That Western clothes are modern, while Indian clothes are orthodox. We have been taught to look West for validation of things we had been doing all along.

This is not an argument against the West. It is an argument against placing the West at the centre of our worldview. India should be able to admire the West without feeling inferior to it. We should appreciate other cultures without dismissing our own.

We must also recognise that India cannot be defined solely by its colonial past or by the centuries it spent under different empires. Our history stretches far beyond these chapters—to the Vedas and the civilisations that shaped one of the world’s oldest continuous cultural traditions. And true independence also means acknowledging and reclaiming that history. Even the government must reconsider systems and institutions shaped by external influences and ask whether they still serve the needs of an independent India.

The Indians leading global boardrooms prove that India does not lack talent or creativity. What it lacks is enough home-grown opportunity at the scale required to retain and multiply that talent. Until we create institutions capable of competing with global giants, without our brightest people having to leave India to access them, we will continue to carry some of the psychological baggage of colonialism simply trading physical bondage for psychological conditioning.

The problem is not Indians working for global companies. The problem arises when we begin to believe that our highest potential can only be realised by working for someone else’s institution.

This is not a pessimistic rant. It is a call to take pride in our history, our culture and our future—without asking the West for permission to do so.

This Independence Day, before we mindlessly wish each other and celebrate the day the British physically left Bharat, perhaps we can take a moment to breathe them and the remains of their conditioning out of our systems. And finally see what it actually feels like to be truly independent.

This is not to reject the West, not to romanticise everything Indian, not to pretend India has no problems. But to stop asking the world for permission to be proud of who we are. Because independence is not only about who governs us. It is also about how we see ourselves.

It is the freedom to believe that we do not need anyone else to tell us that we belong in the room.

Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!