I cannot say that I’m overjoyed to be writing this article for a Cambridge audience in 2014, but it seems that even this prestigious environment is not immune from ‘Empire amnesia’ – ignorance to the atrocities of the British Empire. But why write now? As a third year undergraduate, I’ve seen numerous examples of this ignorance, where offensive and insensitive behaviour is justified on the grounds of ‘fun’. The theme of the 2009 Emmanuel May Ball was initially ‘British Empire’, and the Pitt Club themed their annual Christmas party in a similar style last year. While both of these caused some controversy, many are still in the dark about why this might be problematic.

It seems that many of us have a distorted impression of colonialism, to the extent that we see nothing wrong with celebrating it without due criticism. Britain still retains the fetid fantasy of its benign Empire, a justification for celebrating history that seems totally perverse. While the general sentiment surrounding historical episodes such as slavery, the Holocaust and Apartheid is one of acknowledged sensitivity, it seems as though the brutality of colonialism has been forgotten and is repeatedly ignored. 

Many of us will flock to cinemas to see 12 Years a Slave this week, despite harbouring a reluctance to engage with visual depictions of horrific history. The director Steve McQueen has expressed his concerns over a “kind of amnesia or not wanting to focus” on slavery, “maybe because it was so hideous, people do not want to see. People do not want to engage”.

This possibly explains our reluctance to face the truths of the British Empire - it is strange that the Empire still has positive connotations for many people in a way that slavery does not. We are taught that the British Empire might have been harsh at times, but on the whole that it made Britain great and its legacy is largely positive.

In history teaching, it’s more common for the stories of white officials to be recounted; the walls of classrooms are decorated with colonial maps depicting the scale of the Empire, and the message is reinforced that Britain should celebrate its history. The myth of the ‘civilising mission’ lives on. We are not pointed to, and perhaps do not want to face, the ugly truths: that Britain detained millions in camps and fortified villages, caused a famine in India that is thought to have killed 30 million people, and routinely used brutal displays of violence and torture to secure their minority rule.

According to the research of Caroline Elkins, a professor at Harvard who spent 10 years in Kenya recording a history that had been suppressed by the colonial authorities and the British Foreign Office, the list of atrocities is horrific. As my country of birth, even I was shocked to find just how barbaric the response to the Mau Mau revolt in the 1950s was. Mauling by dogs and electrocution were not uncommon methods of torture. Men were anally raped, often using knives, broken bottles, rifle barrels, snakes and scorpions. Women were gang-raped by guards. Land Rovers were used to drag people until their bodies disintegrated. Men were rolled up in barbed wire and British soldiers kicked them around.

This is just one appalling episode in the history of a largely brutal regime. These graphic details are of course in addition to systematic political and economic disenfranchisement, and the stripping and belittling of countless vibrant cultures. Only last year did Britain pay compensation to over 5,000 victims. Even then, Foreign Secretary William Hague stopped short of issuing an official apology. The University of Cambridge is meant to be a place of learning and reflection. It is shocking that so many of the brightest undergraduates in the country are still in the dark when it comes to the reality of this history. I am appalled that it’s still common for parties in this city to be British Empire themed.

I am aware that most of these people don’t set out to offend, but their ignorance and insensitivity to this history is especially offensive to those who originate from former colonies. It is indicative of a much deeper issue regarding the treatment of Britain’s history in its overseas colonies, and one that is perhaps equally true for other European nations. However, I feel strongly that Cambridge should take a lead in acknowledging the true history of the Empire.

Cambridge students are not responsible for past atrocities, but as intellectuals, and potentially future political leaders, they have a responsibility to engage with the stark facts and think about the impact they still have today. Objecting to British Empire themed parties would be a good place to start.