In this the Queen’s Platinum year you will hear much singing of Rule Britannia – and why not? A country with much to be proud of. This is the opening stanza to Rule Britannia:
When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Now that’s confidence. Gets better in stanza two:
The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
You will also hear very often the phrase ‘Slava Ukraini’ – meaning glory to Ukraine. It’s like Jai Hind.
People are so often proud of their nations. (Even misguided Russians – though most presently rightly see their country as an embarrassment to humanity, but they too like the Germans, Japanese and Italians after World War Two will be re-admitted sometime in the future into the human race again when their equivalent of Hitler/Mussolini/Hirohito is hung from some lamppost).
Where does that leave the children of immigrants. Do we have a two for one bonus? Proud of the UK and of India?
I am currently reading ‘The Anarchy’ by William Dalrymple. The book is about the relentless rise of the East India Company and the industrial scale looting (loot being an Indian word – as theft would not do).
I am also reading Sathnam Sangera’s Empireland – another well researched book. As he writes, the reason we are here is because they were there.
The second generation of immigrants from India had a difficult time finding work in Britain with many being under-employed. The difficulties faced were two-fold: firstly, they struggled to find jobs; secondly, even if they did get work it would often not be using their qualifications. Many Indian graduates ended up driving taxis and working in corner shops while those who had gone into medicine or law now found themselves delivering milk or working as cleaners. It was the experience of the second generation that led to the creation of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
In 2006, Indians were more likely to be entrepreneurs than people from any other ethnic group, with 9.5% of all business owners belonging to this group.
Whilst Britain is richer for it, and better off, it is our heritage and struggles which have enriched Britain and we are mutually grateful to each other.
So feel free to proclaim Jai Hind and Rule Britannia in the same sentence. You are a child not only of the Universe but of both nations.
