Does kiplings gunga din exhibit any positive notion about colonial rule?
Answers
Gunga Din is basically a poem which talks about multiple aspects such as racism, class ism, stereotypes and feelings like redemption and regret.
In the poem there are a group of men gathered in a bar where one army fellow is telling his story to the others. Letting him 'in' on a secret of the value of carrying water in those times.
In the entire poem he described how the British treated him badly, humiliated him, class system of superiority of whites is described.
The distaff would provide these high class people with services.
Gunga Din is an ardent camp follower and admirer of the British Army who is brought along as a "bhisti" or water bearer. He is black, and the British are white, and they treat him terribly, humiliate him, beat him, insult him.
But Gunga Din never rebels against them, or disobeys them. The colonial rule is depicted as a system of power and class, and even though its shown that how the narrator of the story feels sorry for the death of Gunga Din and how he has to pay for his sins in the afterlife, all because Gunga Din was the one to save him from a fire. In that fire Gunga Din died.
That's the only regret shown in the poem. With respect to colonial rule no such actions were depicted which would in any way state any positive characteristics of the colonists.
Gunga Din is a typical Indian manservant, who should be content to serve those "better" than him, and receive beatings and tongue-lashings without any complains.
Although Din is treated terribly, he still stays loyal and even risks his own life to save his 'superior'.
The poem compares different cultures and classes negatively.
The only time this division disappears is when the author compares the two cultures in a positive light, when a person from one culture saves someone from the other culture.