Brown Sahibs in Charge: Congress and the Repackaged Colonial State

Independence in 1947 transferred sovereignty but retained the colonial state, with Congress repackaging the Raj under Indian leadership.

Nehru’s Anglicized worldview, governance style, and embrace of imperial symbols reflected continuity, not decolonization.

Colonial structures—laws, centralized bureaucracy, and English dominance—remained intact, keeping power elitist and inaccessible.

Congress replicated authoritarian reflexes of the Raj, from suppressing dissent to tolerating collective punishment and delaying democratic reforms.

Dynastic succession entrenched a political aristocracy, ensuring that India gained political independence without genuine civilizational renewal.