Why third world leaders supported the monarchy that killed millions of their people?

May 12, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor

Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali (and his entourage) along with other third world leaders who attended the coronation of Charles III should be ashamed of giving credence to the Monarchy responsible for causing the loss of tens of millions of lives in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Apart from the slave trade, millions more were killed through massacres and famine during the expansion of the British Empire. Concentration camps were established by the British in Africa during the Anglo-Boer wars between 1880-1902. It was two white powers fighting for black owned, diamond laden, land-resulting in thousands of African and Boer deaths. The Boers are descendants of the early Dutch settlers. After the defeat of the Dutch the British instituted a travel policy whereby a pass was needed for blacks to travel within South Africa,thus setting the stage for Apartheid and the rise to fame of one man-Mahatma Gandhi- who foughtagainst white domination over blacks.

During this period, millions of deaths in Africa had resulted from the harsh stipulations imposed by the British whereby a certain amount of food produced had to be exported and a meager amount was left for local consumption. This precipitated massive famine while medical experimentation on the tribes, like injecting them with smallpox to observe how the human body will react had claimed the lives of hundred of thousands.

India stands out as the most horrifying casualty of the British Monarchy. Famines were widespread and deaths were excessively high because of British mandated policies of quotas of food had to be exported to Britain at the expense of local necessity. The Great Bengal famine 1769-1770 stands as one of the single most horrific atrocities to have occurred under British colonial rule. Over 10 million Indians died of starvation, malnutrition, childbirth related complications and diseases. Worse yet the Chalisa famine 1782–1784 in North India took more than 11 million lives and the Doji bara famine of 1791–1792, claimed another 11 million lives. The Great Famine of 1876–1878, also known as the Southern India famine of 1876–1878 7claimed 5.5 million souls. Upper Doab famine of 1860–1861 took 2 million lives while from 1943 to 1944, more than 3 million Indians died of starvation and malnutrition in Bengal.

Now for Anglo-Saxon thievery: The Star of Africa, the 530 carat Cullinan diamond found in 1905 and delivered in1907 to the monarchy, was carved into several pieces, one of which is in the Royal Scepter that King Charles displayed at the coronation. The largest portion is mounted on the sovereign scepter and was first used at the coronation of Charles’s great grandfather King George V in 1911. Its 317 carats are mounted on the front of the Imperial State Crown while several pieces of the stones from the diamond were worn by Camilla while other gems were mounted on the sovereign’s scepter.

The diamond which came from India had changed hands several times and was finally passed to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh emperor of Punjab around 1810. After his death in 1839 it was passed on to his 5-year-old son who in 1846 gave it to Queen Victoria. The diamond was worn by Queens Alexandra, Mary, and Elizabeth (the Queen Mother).It was last seen in public at her funeral in 2002.The Royal carriage/gold stagecoach is made up of gold mainly from South Africa and Indian gemstones.

Sincerely,
Leyland Roopnarine

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Why third world leaders supported the monarchy that killed millions of their people?

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