Britons suffer from historical amnesia: Shashi Tharoor

Britain has constantly suffered from "deliberate historical amnesia" about their wrong doings during their colonial rule in India, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said here on Friday.

Speaking at the release of his book "An Era of Darkness- The British Empire in India", he said the British have only "portrayed one sided vision of the colonial rule" so far.

The Congress MP said Britain needs to tender an apology to India for their brutality and misgovernance and they should also teach British children the true history of "horrendous" colonial rule in India.

"After all, the beauties of the city like London were built by the resources taken away from India," Tharoor said, adding "the loot in fact was extensive."

He also criticised Winston Churchill for his indifference to the sufferings of Indians during the infamous Bengal famine.

Tharoor, however, said he is not expecting the apology from British Prime Minister Theresa May, who is arriving in India on November 7.

"It is a co-incidence that the book is being released today, just two days before the arrival of the British Prime Minister," he said.

The book was released by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who said "famine, force migration and brutality" were principal characteristics of the colonial rule in India.

Interacting with noted TV anchor Karan Thapar, Tharoor said the British destroyed the textile industry is Dhaka and also carried out the same formula with the steel and shipping industry - which was far superior than Britain.

--IANS

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