Abstract
Topic- Discrimination and Brutality in Latin America, Africa and India: A Historical Study of Emotions in North and South
Dr. Surendra Kumar, Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi
Dr. Lata, Department of Hindi, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi
This paper aims to study issues of discrimination, brutality and emotional trauma w.r.t Latin America, Africa and India. The primary sources will include the diaries of travellers, priests, conquistador, newspaper reporting, UN reports, Government reports etc. The study of discrimination and atrocities across world civilizations reveals complexity about evolution of human civilization. Infact, this complexity offers alternative perspective not only about history, but also, questions monolithic perspective of domination. Obviously, the theme of modernization and forward vs barbarian, unleashed by North on south, led to unprecedented acts of brutality on people of south. The annihilation of 90% ( 80 million approx) people of Latin America or forcing 21 million people of Africa into Atlantic Slave trade or forcing people of India into indentured labour or caste based atrocities etc., testify the issues of discrimination and brutalities.
Though, Chinua Achebe has questioned the so called process of civilization, but it can also be argued that brutality in any part of world have complicated the process of human development in other parts and its relation with environment. Obviously, the winners take all perspective has not only ensured that democracies in south remain reflect continuity of hierarchies than change. The classic case of Berlin Conference (1884- 1885) and Maxim gun has complicated evolution of democracy in various parts of Africa. It may be argued, historically, that actualization of human potential has been facilitated as well as complicated due to increasing points of contact between North and South. At the same time, it may be argued that the study of discrimination and atrocity paves the way for deconstructing the idea of other and facilitating actualization of human potential.