The Wretched of the Earth

In the beginning, there was a world starkly divided, a world split in two by invisible yet unyielding lines. On one side, the colonists, shielded by walls of stone, paved streets, and overflowing wealth. On the other, the colonized, cramped into squalid quarters, their lives marked by deprivation and exclusion. This division was not merely physical but a profound social and psychological chasm, a Manichaean universe inhabited by two opposing 'species'. The colonized, forced to live in the shadows of the colonists' prosperity, dreamt daily not of assimilation but of replacement, of reclaiming what was stolen from them.

Yet, this dream could not be realized through gentle means. History teaches us that decolonization is never a peaceful transition; it is an upheaval, a violent event where one order is forcibly overturned by another. The colonized, long subjected to brutal repression, found in violence a language of survival and liberation. It was through this fierce struggle that they began to reclaim their humanity, their dignity, and their right to exist as equals.

Imagine the tension in those divided cities, where the colonist’s sector gleamed with lights and order, while the native quarters crouched in darkness and neglect. The colonists, aware of their fragile grip, patrolled with guns and suspicion, while the colonized, muscles taut with anger and hope, waited for the moment to strike back. The clenched fist breaking chains is not just a symbol; it is the embodiment of this struggle.

It is here we begin our journey into the heart of liberation, understanding that the path to freedom is paved with the complexities of violence and the profound divisions of colonial society. As we move forward, we will explore how this violent birth shapes national consciousness and the arduous task of building new nations from the ashes of colonialism.