Often referred to as the greatest Englishman, Winston Silencer Churchill, the war time prime minister of Great Britain is as much part of the English lore as a cricket test match in Lords, Wimbledon tennis tournament and fish and chips. Small wonder, his belligerent visage often stare at users from currency notes; it will soon be a thing of the past as pound notes will replace his pugnacious visage with that of a badger.
This will. be in keeping with Bank of England’s proposed shift to replace historical figures with wild life in its next series of bank notes. It is part of a design refresh.
Considered to be a nod to bio-diversity, the modernisation exercise is stated to be a step against threat of counterfeiting. But there won’t be a howl of protest if it is looked upon as cultural recalibration .
Bank notes have elevated a series of historical figures to a gallery of saints. This has been an accepted practice for decades.
Of course, the selection has had its share of criticism. After all, Churchill is referred to as “The Last Lion”.
The choice of a badger to replace the king of beasts is considered to be the height of the ridiculous. But change seemed to be in the offing.
The colonial.mindset is taking leave of modern Great Britain. Historical figures are coming under a more exacting gaze these days.
Their certainties are eroded by scrutiny. The singular narrative gesture is beating a retreat.
Racial attitudes and ramification of Empire are not what they used to be. And Churchill is no exception.
The role of his government in 1943, Great Bengal Famine in which 3 million people perished is under sharper criticism than what was directed at it after World War II. What had been pot shots have magnified into straight hits.
Elsewhere, the afterlife of the Empire has become harder to ignore. A movement in South Africa led to the removal of a statue of British mining .agent and politician, Cecil Rhodes from Cape Town University campus.
All these are pointers to the fact that history is dynamic. Against this backdrop, wildlife allows the imagination to rest on a past which is less contested.
The study of history required the continuous study of new evidence. Long marginalized voiced need to be heard.
A more capacious present is necessary. After all, benefits of a little more space to breathe cannot be ignored.
