Past imperfect

The various detractors of colonialism, in their pious penmanship, have failed to grasp the essence of the viewpoints put forth by the "opposition".

Colonialism today would be anachronistic, but the events referred to happened a long time ago when the more developed nations were setting forth on their quest for knowledge of the rest of the planet.

A by-product of these ventures was the annexing of faraway lands and the control of the native populace, largely for economic reasons.

Times were different. We as a human race should learn from history, not try to bury it, and we should retain and develop the benefits acquired in days of yore and learn from our mistakes.

Mr. Abdu and company in their somewhat lopsided assertions plead only the negative aspects of this period, and conveniently ignore improvements within the colonies which indicate the colonial powers had interest in the welfare of the indigenous peoples.

In India, the "jewel of the crown" of the British Empire, the internecine war of partition was a far sadder chapter in that country's history than the days of the raj, with Sikh, Moslem and Hindu waging war on each other in the name of God.

There is a caste system within that country which is alive and well without any help from Western powers.

If colonization was, and is, wrong, most of these wrongs have been rectified. Let us not forget the lessons that can be learned from colonization, but let us also remember the romance of the era, and the bonhomie that often existed between different races and the coalescence of the European, Asian and African cultures.

KEITH MARSHALL

Jakarta