Politics in the Post Colonialism Era - Article Example

Politics in the Post Colonialism era Introduction Post colonialism had an effect on the society and the economy of the modern world. The practice of colonialism has been visible from the medieval period. According to the historian Philip Curtain, Colonialism can be defined as “domination of people of another culture.” The underlying factor of the colonialism for the countries was to develop the society and economy in the colonial countries with the help of the resources from the colonized countries. (Osterhammel, 2005; Pp 15-18). Post colonialism does not imply the period after the colonists left the country. It refers to the happenings after the colonists set foot on the countries. Therefore, the happenings in the political and the social spheres of the countries after the colonists conquered the countries. Therefore, it can be said that the colonialism was only an agent while the post colonialism was the effect. (Madsen,1999; P 19). In this context, the post colonialism had a huge effect on the politics of these countries. The post colonialism gave rise to different forms of the economic and the social changes in the once colonized countries. There were huge changes in the political sphere as well. In different countries like China, Kenya, Vietnam etc. there was a rise in the Marxist movement. There was a distinctive movement for the anti-colonialism in Egypt under the leadership of Nasser. The countries under the colonial rule came together in the African-Asian summit held in Singapore. The post colonialism changes took place mostly in the countries of Africa and Asia. The movements in these countries gave rise to changes in the social and the political front. The political world in these countries changed drastically with the emphasis on the democracy. Nationalism in these countries played a big part and there were many movements against the racial discrimination. (McEwan, 2009; P 35). The paper deals in the affect of the politics in these countries after the colonials left them. A detailed analysis has been made of the changes in the country in general and a conclusion has been drawn out of it. Post Colonialism era in the southern states The practice of colonialism began with the voyage of Christopher Columbus of the America. It started the colonialism of the Southern states in the years to come. Therefore, colonialism started in the 15th century and the post colonialism era can be defined after the countries took over the reins of the southern countries and there was a certain influence after they left the countries. The African and the Asian countries were taken over by the northern countries for the availability of resources. The Europeans were responsible for the change in the social and the political structures in these countries as soon as they set foot there. (Madison,2005;Pp 47-48). The European people were curious looking to find newer countries of the world, which resulted in the discovery of Africa and America. They were in awe of the people living in these places and they considered it their duty to make tem part of the civilized world. The people of the African origin were taken to these countries to work and they were taken in the society. It is to be noted here that though they were allowed in their country they were not integrated in the social system and the blacks formed a secluded part of the society. However, with the dawn of the 20th century the colonialism in most of the countries were thrown over by the natives in these countries. The Negritude movement is one of the prime reasons in this context. The main motive of the movement was to allow the black people equal share of respect in the society. This was instrumental for the African countries to revolt in unity and that took a toll on the colonial countries, which ruled much of Africa. The countries became independent and there was an instant change in the society. The political sphere of the country, which was controlled by the colonials fell into the hands of the natives. (Ahluwalia, 2001; Pp 1-25; Mbembe,2001;Pp 1-7). The conditions in the countries after the colonials left were different from that of the pre colonial era. The society and the geography in the pre-colonial era were different from that of the postcolonial phase. In many cases the countries changed, the boundaries transformed, the society changed with the advent of new religions, languages changed and many more. This proved to be one of the major problems for the people in these countries. The countries situated close to the Sahara were poorer in terms of the economy and these countries faced a severe problem than that of the countries in the Mediterranean region. Kings and indigenous tribes ruled some of the countries in the region and there was no form of Government. Therefore, the question arises how they managed to survive the complexities of the modern world? (Clapham, 2002; Pp 3-15; Achebe, 2000; Pp xix-xxv) The continent is filled with large areas of forests and deserts, which were not taken into account by the colonists during their rule. They were more interested in the development of the trade and economy. As a result, cities and centers of trade developed in the countries. However, areas outside the cities were mainly neglected and the inhabitants in the region remained poor. The colonial Governments in the continent developed the cities, which were the focal points in the cradle for development. Thus, after the independence of the countries, the Governments faced a huge problem tackling the economic problems for the state. In addition to this, there were other problems like the revolts and the immigration of the black people to the other countries for better chances of living. (Clapham, 2002; Pp 15-25) In the Western Africa, which was more developed due to the presence of the natural resources, the condition was a lot better. The boundaries of the countries were no way similar to the pre colonization era. In addition to this, there was the rise of the insurgent groups looking to dismantle the operations of the new Government. However, it cannot be denied that the European colonials took an active role in the development of the continent and they were responsible for the international relations of many countries even after they left the continent. The European colonists during their rule were responsible for setting up of the Government in the states in a defined structure, which was new to the people of Africa. The structures were set up by the African people in the lower level headed by a European at the top. This needed the development of the education of the Africans and the colonials arranged for it. The people in the African countries already gained a firsthand experience on the management of the countries and this helped them in the government after the independence. (Clapham, 2002; Pp 25-37; Kapoor, 2008; Pp 19-28; Werbner, 2002; Pp 25-27; Stella, 2007; Pp 89-91) Another factor, which led to the successful development of the Government in the African countries, was the attitude of the persons leading the freedom movement. The leaders were committed to the idea of establishing the Government in these countries. This helped in the rise of “nationalism” in these states. It has to be noted here the leaders of the freedom movement were essential part in the development of the Government in the independent countries of Africa. The main reason for this was that the leaders were popular with the masses, which was essential in gaining the votes in the formation of the Government. (Kellas, 1998; Pp 27-29). At the fall of the 20th century, the colonial powers realized that ruling the countries in Africa would be problematic. They generally reserved a small portion of the treasury for the development of these countries and therefore it was evident that they could not fight the revolts. The transition from the colonial phase to independence was smooth and the colonial countries departed from the continent maintaining good relations with the once colonized countries. However, in some countries like Guinea the transition was far from smooth. The local revolt of the country confronted the French rulers, which resulted in their departure. The transition of the African countries from the colonization to independence was completed in the latter part of the 20th century. However, the independent countries faced a problem in maintaining law and order and international relations. (Cooper & Packard,1997; Pp 7-10).The condition in the global politics at the time of gaining independence in these countries was difficult. However, the international countries in the other parts of the world were supportive of Africa’s transition in the global state. The countries were instrumental in setting up the United Nations, which stated that every country had the right to independence. This gave the African states the security to dedicate their energy into the nation building measures rather than be engulfed in the global politics. Another factor, which helped the cause of the African states, was that none of the states in Africa was engaged in the battle for supremacy with the other countries in the region. The other parts of the world like the Middle East have been engaged in the battle for supremacy for many years. This helped in the development of a unified culture in the whole continent. (Fanon & Philcox,1967; Pp 145-149). The colonial countries helped in the transition phase of the countries of Africa by moving out peacefully. The trend was similar in the other parts of the world where the colonists moved out from the countries like India and Singapore. The countries in Asia were on stronger grounds economically and they had no problem in the transition from the colonial era to independence. The countries in Asia gave support to the countries in Africa and that helped in the transition phase. The Asian and the African summit held in Indonesia further strengthened the bond between the countries from the two continents. (Clapham, 2002; Pp 37-45) Though the global countries supported the African countries, one of the basic difficulties in the transition to the independence phase was the weakness of the economic structure in the countries. The leaders of the country were unable to extract the full benefit of the resources present in the economy, which in turn led to the revolt against the Government. The Government grew weaker by the turn of the events and these led to widespread chaos in the social conditions in the country. The Somalian revolt was one of the focal points in this context. Somalia tried to take all the territories resided by the Somalians in the other countries like Kenya. Some of the countries like Liberia were dissatisfied with the decrease in the territories. The political conditions of the countries were in turmoil and this led to revolts in the countries. The nationalist principles of the state began to emerge and most of the countries opposed anything international. Even the Government of Zimbabwe, which was ruled by the white minority, was a matter of concern for the people of the black origin. The conditions in the continent were so bad that it did not gain acceptance from the other countries of the world. The leaders of some countries in the continent who favored relations with the former colonials drew opposition from a radical group of supporters. This strained the international relationships with the modern world. (Clapham, 2002; Pp 45-54) A major problem for the countries in the continent was the dearth of education. Many natives of the continent went to continents like Europe to pursue higher education. Their plight was further aggravated by the practice followed by the colonials to impart education in their mother language which ranged from English to French. After the colonials left the countries faced the problems of imparting education in their mother tongue as materials were not available and most of the works were to be translated from the foreign languages. (Gilbert & Tompkins, 1996; Pp 15-23). The condition of the women in the continent and the areas under the rule of the colonial countries were pathetic. They were subject to male domination and they suffered in the field of education and social status. (Mohanty, 1991; Pp 22-25). The countries of Africa were ravaged by the above problems in establishing the Government after the colonial era. The condition began to improve in the latter part of the 20th century when the Government became stable and stronger to face the retaliation. The Africans became more involved in the politics of the state and buoyed by their nationalism, the state was on a development path. The history of South Africa is unique as the colonial powers handed over the powers to govern the country to the white settlers. The rural parts like the Lesotho were ruled over by tribes and they were drafted under the Government in the latter part of the 20th century. However, the Government set up by the white minority had no long-term future in controlling the affairs of the state, which was resided by the black majority. There were widespread revolts among the black majority, which ultimately gave way to the fall of the Government set up by the whites. In 1994, the new Government was formed under the leadership of Nelson Mandela and the political balance of the country shifted to the blacks. (Glaser, 2001; Pp 1-31; Lawson,1994;Pp 64-66; Ferguson,1990; Pp 103-107). The countries looked into the sphere of development intentionally and tried to maximize the utilization of the resources. In the 19th century, the development process was considered a natural process in the evolution. But, today countries are intentionally looking for development and the trend was visible in all parts of Africa. (McEwan, 2009; Pp 78-79; Biccum, 2002; Pp 33-50). The situation all over the continent was the same. There was a certain amount of expulsion of the whites from the political affairs of the state. The countries now came to be governed by the Africans and the development process started slowly but steadily. The international relations was facilitated by the colonial states which ruled the country once. With the globalization in the economy, the resources of Africa came into good use. Trade between the countries extended and the economy of the country began to develop. The development was recognized as one of the most important agendas for the government. The most of the continent is still engulfed in the web of poverty and there are reports of revolts in some countries. However, the continent is on the path of development as seen from the growth of trade in these countries. (Thomas, 1999; Pp 15-16; Kothari, 2005; Pp 424-425; Crush, 1995; Pp 8-12; Cowen & Shenton, 1996; Pp 95-97). In the other continents like Asia, the countries once colonized were in a much solid platform and they transformed smoothly into the democratic fold. The situation in India was much better with the development in the education and economy. One of the most important factors in the development of India was that a majority of the Indians lived in the foreign countries who invested in the economic development of India. The culture of India was developed with the birth of eminent writers. The political scene of the country was secure with the rise of leaders like Gandhi. (Spivak, 1990; Pp 67-74). However, the general condition in the Indian subcontinent was far from good with the birth of nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh. There were traits of regionalism and communalism, which has engulfed the countries in the southeastern Asia. However, in the political front, India performed better than her neighboring countries. The country was more stable politically. (Bose & Jalal,1997; Pp 167-170). The other parts of the continent like the Arabian countries and that of Japan were long been subjects of curiosity for the northern states. Some of the states were under the colonial rules but after the colonials left, they did not suffer much in setting up the Government. (Said, 1979; Pp 31-35). The Middle Eastern countries were more susceptible to the colonial rule because of the proximity with Europe. However, after the colonials left, the government of the countries took upon them to develop the economic conditions of the state. The industries were nationalized and there was the availability of mass education. The development of the states was further quickened by the discovery of oil. The present conditions of the countries in the region state that it is one of the most richest regions in the world. However, most of the countries were secular and was dominated by the Islamic principles like veil in women. (Shafik,1995;Pp 33-34) The modern days see a different problem altogether with the rise of the US as the super power in the global context. The US is looking to dominate in the field of economy and that reminds us of the European colonialism. The US policies can be termed as imperialist and they are not actually colonizing the countries of the world. They are dominating the economy of the world and are directing the other countries to follow them. This is a form of colonialism, which raises the debate that the colonialism has not vanished completely from the world. (Slater, 2004; Pp 31-34). Conclusions After the colonists left the countries where they once ruled there were difficulties in setting up of the Government. The natives of the countries were the blacks and they drove out the whites from the countries and did not have any relations with the colonial countries. Some countries like the Ivory Coast were an exception to this phenomenon. Rulers who were more interested in the protection of their own positions ruled the countries. There was soon revolt against the activities of the rulers which further weakened the position of the Government. Another factor, which was instrumental in the growth of the revolts, was the underdevelopment in the economy. Most of the people in the country were deprived of the financial well-being. The social and the geographical conditions also changed after the departure of the colonists. This led to the social uprising and conflicts among the countries. However, the native Government, which drew support from the foreign countries and the international bodies like the WTO, was successful in eventually handling the insurgents. A settled form of Government descended in the whole continent in the 1990s. Given the amount of resources Africa and Asia possessed it was soon on a growing spree with the development of trade and commerce. Though the problems have not vanished, the states are getting developed. 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