the diabolical aspect of decolonisation

The novel seems to hint at the presence of universal values such as love. This is represented by the birth of a child at the beginning of Part 3. This birth is interesting because it not only has very strong Hindu and Christian resonances, but also conflates both religions. "Infinite Love took upon itself the form of Shri Krishna, and saved the world" (257). Here, Jesus Christ who is born into the world to save the it, takes the form of Lord Krishna- who is often worshiped in several forms, one of them being as the Child God. Just as Krishna is the Child God is Jesus also the Child God, both of whom represent the infinite love that can save the world. Through this, I think Forster is trying to highlight the transcendental quality of virtues and values (that both the British and the Indians believe in) such as that of Love and Moral Courage (as exemplified earlier on by Fielding). Yet, this is sadly not recognized by the characters at all. Fielding does not recognize the 'christian slant' to it. "Do you know anything about this Krishna business?" (285) he asks Aziz. While Aziz is simultanously unable to explain it to Fielding, finally brushing it off. "Don't spoil our last hour with foolish questions. Leave Krishna alone, and talk about something sensible" (286).

Through this, I think Forster suggests the impossibility of an equal friendship between the British and the Indians. The reason for this can perhaps be explained by Fanon's article. He suggests that "decolonization unifies this world by a radical decision to remove its heterogeneity, by unifying it on the grounds of nation and sometimes race" (10) Perhaps Passage to India is similarly trying to reveal this same diabolical aspect to decolonization, that it "unifies" the world by (ironically) classifying people into 'types' and categories, therefore disallowing friendships across classifications, when instead a 'true-blue' decolonization should be one that unifies the world based on universal values such as Love and Sacrifice.

Even towards the end of the novel, Forster hints that there are complications to nation-building or decolonization. When Fielding asks Aziz whom he would rather have instead of the English as governors of his country, Aziz surprisingly replies "the Afghans. My own ancestors." (287) This contradicts the idea of India as a nation, "rid of foreigners", where "Hindu and Moslem and Sikh and all shall be one" (287). It is violence according to Fanon, that cleanses the world of these categories, yet when this violence has achieved "national liberation, the masses allow nobody to come forward as the 'liberator'" (51). Similarly, perhaps the novel is suggesting that when the Indians have worked as one to get rid of the foreigners, there will then be another problem hindering nation-building- that of civil strife, as the Indians begin to choose race over the nation.