The Colonial Wounds

As I write this blog,there is a lot happening around the world-Australia struggling with high intensity inundation(also with the debacle in Cricket,but that's an another interesting story!!!),Iran lingering over the nuke issue,the two Koreas raising eyebrows at each other now and then and yes India looking forward to start an inning at the UNSC (though as a non permanent member,but not for long!).Nothing great about the "Barry Boy"Obama,who is busy cleaning up the mess created by Mr. Assange.Amongst the plethora of these and other international events,an important event missed the limelight-Elections in Sudan,which may well lead to formation of a new nation-South Sudan.The event has wide repercussions for ailing states of the Third World,specially in Africa.


Owing it to my ignorance,I did not know in which part of Africa was Sudan located.I at once decide to download a political map of Africa and atleast to have a rough idea about where those "not so good image type" nations like Uganda,Ethiopia,Congo etc are actually located on the map.Upon having a closer look at the map,an interesting thing that struck me was the manner in which the continent is divided into so many countries.Looking at the international boundary between Egypt-Sudan-Libya, Botswana-Namibia,or Algeria-Niger-Mali and many others alike,one finds it absolutely ridiculous that those colonial cartographers chose nothing but Dead Straight Lines to divide the continent,truly to Cartographer's Delight!.These boundaries defied all cultural,ethnic and political aspirations of the people of Africa.The colonial powers for their vested interests sowed the seeds of these perpetuating problems of ethnic clashes,civil war and political instability in Africa(off course in India too),which pushed it to its current state of widespread poverty,disease,famine and what not.The only good these absurd boundaries served was to make it easier for the African kids to draw maps in their geography classes,unlike their Asian or European counterparts!!

Even after independence from the colonial powers ,the African Union decided to adhere to the existing boundaries as it feared of Africa turning into "a smashed window pane of warring states".But now when it is free from shackles of colonialism,I feel its important for nations there to look beyond settling fences with neighbors,to formulation of platforms for regional cooperation for addressing problems which are common to most of them i.e. under development.Formation of South Sudan,if and when it happens,may open the Pandora's Box and other countries may follow the suit,not all of them resorting peaceful plebiscite as in Sudan.This domino effect shall worsen the already deplorable conditions in Africa.The ball is now in the courts of the political masters of these states who through their prudence may heal those " colonial wounds", of which we too are a victim.