Dadabhai Naoroji was the original Brexiteer. Except, the union he wanted out of was Britain’s. Speaking before the East India Association (a predecessor of the Indian National Congress) in 1870, he pointed out how India sends £30 million to the United Kingdom every year. Sounds familiar?
Dadabhai was affectionately known as the Grand Old Man of India. He is most famous for his drain of wealth theory, which amongst other points, showed how £30 million and 200 million rupees were siphoned out of India by the British state. As Dadabhai pointed out, even the Mughals had not looted on this scale.
Whether we live or die, £30 millions worth of produce must be annually carried away from this country with the regularity of seasons.
His speeches could be long and filled with numbers and statistics. But he also knew how to make his point concisely. He listed six factors as to why British rule harmed India:
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