There seem to be a few problems in the Delhi area right now thanks to a dispute between castes in the province to the North. It may seem odd but one - privileged - caste has demanded its status be lowered so its kids get the same breaks as lower castes. Riots have ensued.
This is being discussed by John Humphries on Radio 4 just now - his guests two Indians. You will remember that the parents of my wife arrived here from India in the 1950s and that I can claim an Indian passport if I wish as my Grandmother was born there. We both like India in this household.
But I have just screamed at the radio. The woman guest says this is all down to tamperings with the caste system introduced by the British. Yes, 69 years or more ago the wicked Britishers having finished wiping out practices such as Thugee or Suttee, tinkered with the caste system. Nothing happened for decades but when it did it was a delayed reaction to the actions of the wicked Britishers. The inaction of the Indians during 69 years of self rule in not sorting out whatever we wicked Britishers did is deemed irrelevant.
Presumably this same woman would say that the amazing achievements of Modern India have all come about despite all the evil acts of the wicked Britishers?
John Humphries, to give him credit, made a half hearted attempt to point out what crap this woman was talking but as this was a BBC show, he was not allowed to put her to the sword completely - though she was talking obvious rot - as that would be akin to defending the evil of imperialism.
Of course the truth is that the wicked Britishers did tamper with the caste system, aka apartheid among brown people. And we were damn right to do so. That Modern India has made less progress in tackling its own apartheid than the wicked Britishers did is to its shame. As ever the British Empire was - on balance - a force for good. What has followed has often been a hell of a lot less progressive in its approach.