The Empire

Historians have told us how our empire was so great
And all the subject peoples who were happy with their fate
Were glad of our protection (from whom they didn’t state )
How they tolerated our occupation
Though objections were hard to voice
Especially in a matter that they simply had no choice
Delinquent sons of the idle rich were packed off to” make good”
In the colonial service the only one they could
They did’nt need a brain to wield a rawhide whip
Just an arrogant manner and the customary stiff upper lip
The form of address was”come here boy “regardless of their age
And in the event they didn’t respond incurred the sahib’s rage
Back in 47 when we had to abrogate colonial rule in India
And leave them to their fate
By foisting the partition of India and Pakistan
On the Indian continent the mass exodus began
Then thousands on the wrong side of the religious divide
Were uprooted amid riots in which many hundreds died
Though thousands fought for our freedom against hitler in the war
Not knowing that their own freedom would still have to be fought for
The same bone of contention is in evidence today
Except that they’ve both got nuclear weapons
While we looked the other way