In London

In London - a magical place! I'm certain it's the only place in the world where you can see a sphinx along with an oversize clock and an Abbey all together...relics of the Raj, you see! Harks back to the days when the sun never set on the Empire, and India was the Jewel in the Crown. There, it's done - I've managed to bring together at least three cliches on the colonization era in a couple of sentences. All inspired by the incredible concentration of history and heritage visible in almost every street and alley of London. It's a heady experience to be in London - the historical perspective is a constant backbeat, the effect of being the financial center of the world (becoming somewhat debatable, true!), the upsurge of probably the most trendy & hip crowd in any city, and the waves of immigration that have shaped the city's neighborhoods. A reverse colonization, if you pardon that little conceit! But so true, I reflected, as the suburban train pulled out of Southall, probably the only station in the world outside India where the name of the station is stated everywhere in two languages - English and Gurmukhi (Punjabi script).

That said, the impact of British colonization on India itself has been incredibly profound and is well documented too. But perhaps one does need a reminder periodically, that being a British colony is after all, only a generation away for the country. That's right, this year it'll be sixty years since India's independence! The previous generation paid the price, and this generation is beginning to reap the benefits - for, as I like to observe, India was colonized in parts by the British, the French, the Portuguese and even the Dutch. And the British managed to throw everyone else out, which how most Indians today are fluent in English. The colonization had a completely unforeseen fallout that has become a key competitive advantage in today's global economy. An object lesson perhaps, of the law of unintended consequences!

Footnote:
The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people—and especially of government—always have effects that are unanticipated or "unintended." Economists and other social scientists have heeded its power for centuries; for just as long, politicians and popular opinion have largely ignored it.

The concept of unintended consequences is one of the building blocks of economics. Adam Smith's "invisible hand," the most famous metaphor in social science, is an example of a positive unintended consequence. Smith maintained that each individual, seeking only his own gain, "is led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention," that end being the public interest. "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, or the baker, that we expect our dinner," Smith wrote, "but from regard to their own self interest."

(extract from Unintended Consequences by Rob Norton, Library of Economics & Liberty, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics)