She has a bachelors in electrical engineering from GCU, Lahore. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Artificial Intelligence from UET Lahore.
India and Pakistan came into being after more than 8 decades of British colonial rule. Even after years and decades of Pakistan’s inception, the colonial mindset still continues to affect the social, political, and economic landscapes of the country. The tilt towards the English language and Western attire, dependence on foreign aid on stringent conditions, prevalence of VIP culture and elitist power setups, and prioritization of the Western interest in foreign policy exhibit how the persisting colonial mindset is hindering the way of Pakistan’s success. This article explores in detail the arguments illustrating how the colonial mindset serves as a significant barrier to the country’s growth.
Before delving deeper into the underlying reasons for Pakistan’s hindered growth, rooted in the colonial mindset, let us first understand what a colonial mindset actually refers to. Colonialism refers to a phenomenon wherein a powerful country maintains its control over a weaker territory.
The colonizing power dominates the social, political, and economic spheres of the state and imposes its culture, values, and governance structures on the weaker state. A colonial mindset refers to an internalized belief system shaped by colonial rule where the colonized people view their own culture, identity, and capabilities as inferior to those of the colonizers. Even after gaining independence, a colonial mindset can persist, influencing social, cultural, political, and economic decisions, and often hindering a nation’s self-reliance, growth, and development.
The subcontinent was a colony of the British from 1858–1947. Even after decades of independence, one of the official languages of Pakistan continues to be English. Rooting from the colonial mindset, English is much more than just a language for Pakistani society. It is a symbol of superiority for the masses, with people prioritizing English-medium schools over Urdu-medium ones.
The elite class of society continues to train their children to speak English rather than the national language. Only 9% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language, whereas Pakistan is surprisingly one of the largest English-speaking populations in the world (58% of people in Pakistan can speak English as a second language).
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