Imphal, November 03: Rethinking Colonialism, a book written by Thingnam Kishan was released today at the Recreation Hall of Manipur University with Dean, School of Humanities, MU Prof Devraj, Head of English Department MU Dr Th Ratankumar and Prof N Khagendra Department of English MU as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.

Thingnam Kishan, currently a lecturer in the Department of English, DM College of Arts, also taught English at Shyam Lal College, Delhi earlier.

The release function was organised by the Manipur University Research Club (MURC) in a gesture of promoting serious research works on a variety of issues and topics.

The book was published by World View Publications, New Delhi.

Presenting a brief introduction of the book Rethinking Colonialism, vice-president of MURC Konthoujam Indrakumar noted that the book was a result of extensive research work on the topic for several years.

He said that MURC was willing to encourage any research activity that may help shape a vision for the future of the State.

Contending that colonialism still persists albeit in subtler forms and varied ways, he rejected the perception that colonialism was a thing of the past.

Oppression, subjugation and exploitations of all kinds that is prevalent in the contemporary world are all manifestations of the post modern colonialism, observed Indrakumar.

Attacking the concept of globalisation as a means to bring together the entire globe to a level of uniformity, he contended that the argument was a well cloaked rhetoric to impose hegemony and subtle diktats by the developed countries against the developing and underdeveloped countries with their huge capital as the main weapon instead of military might as was resorted to in the last century.

Indrakumar stressed on the necessity of serious introspection with regard to post modern colonialism, its orientation, dynamics and operational modes.

Senate Khuraijam rejected the concept of New World and Old World.

He remarked that the concept was imposed upon the world by the Euro-centric Westerners.

According to the author of the book Thingam Kishan, colonialism is one of the most blatant form of exploitation.

Injustices perpetrated in every nook and cranny of the world are all manifestations of colonialism.

Stating that there were more than 400 million people below poverty line at present in India, he questioned the achievement of the post colonial period in the country.

Even as colonialism in its classical sense was over, capital manipulation and economic subjugation has replaced military occupation as the new incarnation of colonialism in the 'New World Order'.

As far as the natives or indigenous peoples in different parts of the world who have been subdued, marginalised and exploited, whose history, culture and society have been obliterated are concerned, the question of post-modern colonialism still persists.

As long as exploitation and domination exist under asymmetrical and unequal equations between cultures, nations, races and linguistic groups, decolonisation will remain an overriding agenda in the world notwithstanding multinationalism or globalisation as propounded by Western capitalist countries.

The decline of anti-colonial nationalism, the crumbling of revolutionary movements that sought to replace colonial societies with socialist societies and the assimilation of the nationalism of the national bourgeoisies into the machinery of global imperialist capital necessitates serious introspection and reconsideration of the nature of colonialism prevalent in the contemporary world in its varied and subtle forms.

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