Reparation for the Colonial Lock Down Strategy in Gilgit-Baltistan
By Shah Zaman
The roll call was sounded in Samoa and the heads of former colonies, majority of whom representing the upper class the British created said “Ayi” to mark their presence. They demanded reparations for the transatlantic slavery which the masters vetoed. The government of United Kingdom (UK) although graciously accepted that slavery was in fact painful while also restraining the victims from demanding any reparations. Colonization and transatlantic trade go hand in hand, and I think the people in the former colonized countries must demand for reparation. Gilgit Baltistan was a unique colony of the British in a way that they did not exploit it economically while using its geography to rule the Indian subcontinent.
King Charles, the master of this commonwealth head of governments meeting (CHOGM) revived many colonial era traditions which reminded me of the scenes from the British Political agent Durrand’s Darbar in Gilgit where appointed rulers (Rajas and Mirs) used to assemble to honor her majesty. The event was more than a ceremonial exchange of gifts and aimed more at strengthening their hegemony, maintaining themselves as the sympathizers of the local people and positioning the Dogras as tax hungry cruel rulers.
The truth however was more insidious. This was an appeasing strategy in the mountains to focus on the resources in the plains of Indian Subcontinent by turning the region into a buffer state and prevent the direct confrontation with Russia and China. The kind heatedness soon turned ruthless for example, British waged war with the Burushos in 1892 and changed the regime in the states of Hunza and Nagar after negotiations failed to convince the rulers end economic and political alliances with China and Russia and grant unrestricted access all the way to Kashghar.
The British departed in 1947 dividing the subcontinent into India and Pakistan leaving Gilgit-Baltistan floating in a liminal space. Unlike other colonial regions that have since begun to recover economically, the 2.5 million current decedents of the lock down generation still endure the reverberations of that economic and political isolation. The British colonization continues to affect the region, keeping it on the peripheries of global progress. Hence, it is justified to claim that the past, present and future signs of this geographic isolation go back to the colonial wounds the British Raj inflicted in the body and soul of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Some might argue that the reparation of colonization is colonization, but a counter argument could be found in Mandela’s wisdom that we should not suffer deeply by denying billions their right to stay human likewise the colonizers. Today’s generation of formerly colonized stand on a firm moral ground than those of colonizers. The legacy of those involved in slavery and genocide are disowned around the world, their statues are either smashed down to the ground or removed from public spaces and their decedents seem ashamed. In contrast, we take pride in our ancestors, the sheens in Chilas, the Burushos in Muduri Yasin, Nagar, and Hunza who fought to protect their liberty.
However, I also believe that moral superiority is not just enough, the colonizers and their elites who built fortunes by colonizing Asia and Africa must now share that wealth. The colonized countries may develop their specific reparation plans. In the case of Gilgit Baltistan, the British government now headed by King Charles should be held responsible not only for their own transgressions but also for the acts of Dogra rulers whom the British empowered and imposed on our lands. While the reparations cannot fully heal the wounds of our colonial trauma, they could help us uplift our socio-economic status, cultural revival and integration into global economy.
Below, I have outlined an initial, conservative estimate of the financial cost of damages suffered, based on the premise of what Gilgit-Baltistan might have achieved without British colonization, the century of exploitation it endured, and the cost of rebuilding today. These calculations consider direct damages of the colonization and the resources Gilgit-Baltistan need for recovery, such as building a robust educational system and infra structure for cutting edge research.
| S/No | Violations over 105 years | Estimated Monetary Value (USD Billions) |
| 1 | Human Rights Violations | 10 |
| 2 | Geographic Isolation | 50 |
| 3 | Creation of Buffer State | 20 |
| 4 | Environmental Degradation | 35 |
| 5 | Illegal Taxation by Dogras | 25 |
| 6 | Burusho Genocide in Yasin | 10 |
| 7 | Cultural Hegemony | 5 |
| 8 | British Wars | 15 |
| 9 | Loss of Wildlife | 25 |
| 10 | Labor Exploitation | 15 |
| 11 | Psychological Torture | 10 |
| 12 | Erasing History | 25 |
| 13 | Economic Reformation | 15 |
| 14 | Cultural Revival | 5 |
| 15 | Education and Research | 15 |
| 16 | Environmental Conservation | 25 |
| 17 | Land restoration | 10 |
| Total | 315 billion |
Concluding, the impacts of colonial buffer state strategy by locking Gilgit-Baltistan from its neighborhood cannot be erased and any monetary compensation cannot justify the dehumanization of our forefathers. The call for reparation is our right to rebuild the social and economic foundations and to reclaim our rightful place in the world. It is time for the British government to make peace with their past colonial misadventures, seek apology and take full responsibility for their criminal actions against the former colony of Gilgit-Baltistan.
