The growing moral argument for reparations for slavery and colonialism faces a critical practical obstacle: determining who should pay and how. While the ethical case strengthens, the movement must move beyond theory to tackle the complex realities of financing and historical scope to gain public support.
The Funding Dilemma: Targeting the True Beneficiaries
In a recent debate, Graham Hadibi-Williams highlighted a central flaw in the reparations discussion. He argues that while the refrain that "no one alive today owned slaves" is tired, the question of who finances reparations remains massively under-analysed. He points out that the primary beneficiaries of colonial wealth were the landowning classes and those with inherited fortunes, now often held offshore.
He illustrates the complexity with his own family: his husband is of north African colonial descent, while his own ancestors were impoverished Lancashire miners and cotton mill workers. As a nurse and social worker in London today, they struggle with the cost of living. Asking the modern working class to fund reparations through taxed income, when they are themselves financially squeezed, presents a significant barrier to wider public backing.
India's Overlooked Legacy in the Reparations Conversation
The debate's focus often centres on the Caribbean and Africa, but this overlooks a major chapter of colonial history. Indian expat Abhishek Kalyankar expressed dismay at the omission of the Indian subcontinent, once called the "jewel in the crown" of the empire.
He states that any call for restorative justice is incomplete without acknowledging the systematic extraction of wealth from India, the millions of lives lost in manmade famines like the Bengal famine, and the displacement of cultural heritage. This legacy is powerfully symbolised by artefacts like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the Queen Mother’s coronation crown and countless temple statues held in British institutions.
Kalyankar also notes that while visa hurdles for other former colonies are discussed, the significant bureaucracy and costs faced by Indian professionals are frequently ignored. To address the unresolved shadow of empire, he argues, the 1.4 billion people of India, whose history was fundamentally reshaped by British rule, must be included.
A Path Forward: From Theory to Targeted Justice
For the reparations movement to succeed, commentators insist it must evolve. It needs to shift from broad generalities to a precise focus on the specific institutions and the squirrelled-away wealth that directly profited from colonial exploitation. Until the conversation concretely addresses how to identify and access these historical assets, and expands to fully encompass all affected nations like India, the debate risks remaining one of moral theory rather than achievable economic justice.
