The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-08
British Imperialism and India

The following article by Comrade SakIatvala
member of the Communist Party of Great
Britain and member of the British parliament
was written by him for the Communist press
after his return from visit TO his native land
Saklatvala is the only Communist in the British
parliament and his constituency is the working
class district of Battersea, where he is extremely
popular among the workers despite the opposi-
ton of the reactiOnary labor eaders.-Editor.
I HAVE been to India and have come back Whilst
was there events daily happening which
would make me pity Great Britain more than India,
and after returned l see events happening here
which, without the imperialist hold India would
not have been possible and which dragging the
British working class on their downward path.
The British race has a reputation for being con-
sentative on the whole and Though several of it's
members wear different political labels and trade
marks), has betrayed its conservatism at every
turn of events. At the same time the history of
the world and the modern geography of the world,
give you instances that the British race is enter
prising, is daring, and possesses many and wo-
men of revolutionary spirit. often ask myself, are
the British and in their nnermost nature really
conservative temperamentally do they appear
conservative as an economic effect of tremendous
advantage gained by them through their spirit of
enterprise and revolutionary temperament? l feel
more inclined towards this latter belief.
Somehow or other, large numbers and members
of the working class have been permitted to believe
able and gradual progress coming whilst you wait.
With the qualities of daring and enterprise and
scrupulousness of method of of her sons, the
economic resources of this island country became so
vast in comparatively poor world that men and
women began to feel that their share in the dis
tribution of it, however unjust unfair it is would
be ample enough for all purposes of life, and this
spirit of complascency sustained the whole of the
nation for century, till it has created state
of mind much akin to the fatalism of their Oriental
brethren
The worlds conditions have changed. Capitalism
has grown, capitalisc competition has become keen
err class interest has become sharper, imperialism
has stepped in powerful instrument with which
to undermine the standard of life in Britain and
yet through all these changes, in spite of the thun-
der and ouaking shocks of the revolution of Russia
and mighty changes in Europe the habit of the mind
of the Briton still drags in the same groove. He
does not realize that what appeared to him to be
stationary condition was nothing but continuous
replenishment from inexhaustible sources of loot
from abroad. There is neither assured continuity
of economic political rights much less newt
able and gradual progress
The neglect of the British working class to study
British imperialism in it's proper light is leading to
the accomplishment of two processes namely, a
rapid Brtainizing of capitalist master-class in
India and rapid Indianzing of the large working
class in Britain In Britain within the class struggle
gigantic efforts the part of the workers