Decolonization Reflection: Comparing India's Independence and Ghana

This essay examines the decolonization process in India following World War II, comparing it to the approach taken by Ghana. The student analyzes the key factors that led to India's independence from British colonial rule, emphasizing the role of non-violent methods like Satyagraha and civil disobedience, as championed by Mahatma Gandhi. The essay contrasts India's approach with the ideas of Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister of Ghana, and explores the similarities in their strategies for achieving independence, both of whom advocated for non-violent resistance. The essay also briefly touches upon the challenges faced after independence, such as the violence between communities. The assignment references the ideas of Franz Fanon and Nkrumah to explain the process of achieving independence. The essay uses provided resources to discuss the decolonization process and the response of colonized people to the colonizing powers, and includes relevant citations.

Sociology 0
Title: Contemporary World History
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Sociology 1
Decolonization Reflection in India
Decolonization was a process by which the colonialism was undone or the colonies
became independent. This process was different in different countries. Some had peaceful and
gradual colonization while some others had to do it through violence or rebellion. The main
reason for the need to gain independence was due to three main causes- the desire of colonies to
be independent, the realization of the vulnerability of colonial powers after the second world
war, and went for anti-colonialism. Most of the developing countries today were colonized at
some point in time. It is the struggle both inside and outside the country. The journey of
independence has been different for every country depending on the colonial power and the
struggle to decolonize.
The Europeans took control of Africa and Asia, but after World War II, the European
power somewhat weakened and thus people got the courage to fight. Some countries had to
choose the road of violence to achieve their freedom while others took the way of protests, civil
disobedience, and non-violent methods like in India. However, in the case of Algeria, violence
was the only way that leads to death and destruction.
Kwame Nkrumah was the first African born prime minister of Ghana. He had a vital role
in the Gold Coast’s independence in 1957. For years, Africa was exploited and humiliated in
various ways. Similar to India’s freedom movement for non-violence, Ghana under the
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Sociology 2
leadership of Nkrumah followed ‘Positive action’ against the colonial rule (Ahlman, 2017). He
organized campaigns that led protests, boycotts, strikes, non-violent protests, and non-
cooperation as followed by Mahatma Gandhi in India. In fact, both countries were colonized by
Britain.
India was a country that had a large population. After the Second World War, British
power declined significantly and it could not afford a colonial war with India. Therefore, India
got independence in 1947 from British colonial rule. However, the Violence between Hindu and
Muslim communities began soon after independence. The decolonization in India was followed
by a series of non-violent methods (Elliott, 2016). Gandhi went for means like ‘Satyagraha’ i.e.
should force. India was plagued by a caste system and British rule made the situation worse. The
role played by Gandhi in removing untouchability is quite profound. He led several non-
cooperation movements like the salt march, civil disobedience movements. The British goods
were boycotted and people were motivated to use the good manufactured in India itself.
Moreover, a movement called ‘ahimsa’ was also a strong strategy for independence. This
campaign favored the non-violence in the struggle to achieve freedom (O'Boyle, 2018).
The ideas of Gandhi and Nkrumah seem quite similar when it comes to decolonizing the
countries. Both favored non-violent ways of freedom (Getachew, 2018). The countries were
oppressed by the British but were successful in decolonizing. The story of the Gold Coast aka
Ghana and India are similar in many aspects. The process of decolonization has also so much in
common.
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Sociology 3
References
Ahlman, J. (2017). Living with Nkrumahism. Ohio: Ohio University Press.
Elliott, M. (2016). Participatory Parity and Indigenous Decolonization
Struggles. Constellations, 23(3)
Getachew, A. (2018). Securing Postcolonial Independence: Kwame Nkrumah and the Federal
Idea in the Age of Decolonization. Ab Imperio, 2018(3)
O'Boyle, J. (2018). The New York Times and the Times of London on India Independence
Leaders Gandhi and Ambedkar, 1920–1948. American Journalism, 35(2), 214-235.
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