The Empire is gone—The Colonial menu stays

(A political satire on constitutional oaths, colonial hangovers, and the eternal one-way traffic of "duty")

Every few weeks, our leaders remind us that we, the citizens, must do our duty. They speak of “duty” the way a headmaster speaks to schoolchildren—stern, disappointed, and mildly suspicious. The tone, perfected over decades, has been passed down like a family heirloom from one administration to the next.

The One-Way Broadcast of Duty

Citizens must pay taxes dutifully, stand in queues dutifully, speak softly, protest politely, and generally behave like they were raised by the Constitution itself. This sermon on duty, however, is always a one-way broadcast. Citizens must fulfil duties. Citizens must uphold democracy. Citizens must protect institutions. Meanwhile, the people running these institutions must uphold... silence.

Because in our political culture, “duty” is not an obligation—it’s a weapon, sharpened and pointed only at the governed, never the governors. The Constitution has been turned into a parental rulebook: the children must obey; the adults reserve the right to stay out late, overspend, and rewrite the rules when convenient.

The Great Post-Colonial Irony

And let’s talk about that favourite phrase of our times: the “colonial mindset.” Citizens who question, criticise, demand transparency, or show the faintest hint of self-respect are instantly diagnosed with Macaulay-itis. Apparently, holding leaders accountable is a Western, imported disease.

Meanwhile, leaders live in bungalows so large the British might have blushed, surrounded by security details that would make a Viceroy feel insecure. Bureaucrats stamp files like they are still administering a colony. Police bark orders with the same discipline once used to control “natives.” But none of this is colonial, we are told. Only asking questions is.

The Proof of Cultural Reclamation

In a dazzling effort to prove we have genuinely moved on from Macaulay's influence, observe the latest feat of cultural reclamation: the proof begins at our higher learning institutions, where Master’s degrees in English Literature will henceforth be conducted exclusively through the Hindi Medium. The language of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and the Aesthetic Appreciation of the Anglosphere will now be accessed via simultaneous translation. That, friends, is the sound of decolonisation! (Laughter, followed by the distant sound of a curriculum collapsing.)

The Prop and the Manual

Leaders take oath on the Constitution with great solemnity. They even read the first sentence. Then they close the book gently—like a prop from a school play—and proceed to govern by instinct, legacy, and occasionally divine inspiration. Citizens, meanwhile, are expected to treat the Constitution like a sacred manual for daily life: chant the Preamble, colour the tricolour within the lines, and never forget that their conduct alone holds the Republic together.

So here we are, seventy-plus years after independence, in a nation with freedom for everyone—except those who wield power, because they still behave like they inherited an empire.

And as long as duty flows downward and perks flow upward, we must confront an uncomfortable question:

If citizens act like citizens,

and leaders act like colonial masters,

then who exactly became independent in 1947?

(Disclamer: This document is a work of political satire and social commentary. It uses hyperbole, irony, and fictionalised scenarios to examine and critique the gap between constitutional ideals and political realities. All characters, situations, and arguments are products of the satirical imagination and do not represent factual allegations against any specific individual, political party, or government. The sole intent is to provoke thought and discussion on governance and civil responsibility.)

(The writer is a retired officer of the Indian Information Service and a former Editor-in-Charge of DD News and AIR News (Akashvani), India’s national broadcaster. Also served as an international media consultant with UNICEF Nigeria and contributes regularly to various publications.)