Representative imageWealth extraction from IndiaImpact on India's economy and societyMultinational and colonial exploitationContinuing InequitiesColonialism's lasting impactGlobal South strugglesA new report by Oxfam International , titled 'Takers, Not Makers,' reveals staggering figures on wealth extracted from India by Britain during the colonial era, claiming that $64.82 trillion was taken between 1765 and 1900.
"Legacies of inequality and pathologies of plunder, pioneered during the time of historical colonialism , continue to shape modern lives," Oxfam said.The report also specified that colonial practices perpetuated systemic wealth extraction from the Global South to the Global North, benefiting a select elite.
It also mentioned the exploitation of natural resources and poor working conditions in supply chains dominated by multinational corporations.Oxfam also targeted global institutions like the WTO and World Bank for perpetuating inequities.
“The inequality that these countries experience today is significantly of colonial making,” the report said.Oxfam also addressed the societal divisions entrenched during colonial rule, such as caste, religion, and language.
“Grain import restrictions during World War Two, underpinned by racist thinking, appear to have significantly contributed to or caused the Bengal famine,” Oxfam stated.Oxfam detailed how colonialism’s legacy continues to affect public services, education, and health in the Global South.