Global South Independence

Every time I read this book I extract something new from it. I was not aware that India was the first colony to gain its independence from the british, setting an example to others. South Africa on the other hand was one of the last to get rid of white domination. The Indian National Congress (INC) did not seek out to  overthrow British rule, but they wanted to be more included in political,military, and business life. To many people, Gandhi was a great help during the British oppression. He gained high leadership in the INC and was the "Mahatma" or the Great Soul. He helped raise the status of the "untouchables" (lowest, poorest groups within the caste hierarchy). I am not sure if there is a great separation today between Muslims and Hindus, but back in the day, "they neither intermarry or interdine together and, indeed, they belong to two different civilizations, (699). AFter a long battle, after WWII, the British left India in 1947. South Africa had any struggles too when it came to dealing with the blacks and whites. Many black africans were forced to live in bantustans under apartheid. White south africa was taking over and the only reason there were blacks in this area, was because they were working for the whites. Eventually, Bantustans were abolished and the country was divided into nine provinces. Nelson Mandela was the "Gandhi" of South Africa, fighting for equal rights and justice. Events like these remind me that there has not been world peace in a long time, and even today, there are tensions building up different countries and the U.S.