By Any Other Name, By Santha Rama Rau

In drill team, there are positions of power, such as sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. In the drill teams across Texas, there is a problem. With such high positions, it is easy to let the power of position go to the head. Often, it is the case that girls will be bossed around by the sergeants and lieutenants to stay in line and not mess up or they face the consequences. Similarly, abuse of power is also seen in conflicts across the world. Abuse of power is the most important issue in today’s world as it leads to loss of identity and dissolving of cultures.

Abuse of power leads to loss of identity because of changes made on basic traditions. In the beginning of the short story “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau, two Indian girls, Santha

and Premila, are being introduced to the new headmistress of their British school. As the exchange
is taking place, she learns their names and exclaims, “‘Oh, my dears, those are much too hard for me.

Suppose we give you pretty English names’” (1). The headmistress feels she needs to change the students to fit her British standards, not taking into account their Indian culture and heritage. The British were the foreigners, and yet were still trying to conform the country they have invaded. The abusive power is immensely strong so that even the children can feel it as they receive new names. Using her power not only as a headmistress but as a white individual, she changes Santha’s identity making her feel as if she has a “dual personality” (2). Similarly, further in the story, a new character is introduced as an Indian girl in Santha’s class. She is described to be wearing Indian jewelry and makeup but also wears “a cotton dress” (2). Rather than wearing traditional Indian clothes, the children are forced to conform to British standards, wearing the same clothes as British children. The Indian students lose the native part of their identity to a larger force of power. Furthermore, a ruling force should not just changes someone’s identity. They should take into consideration the facts of specific cultures and

traditions.
Likewise, abuse of power also leads to dissolving of cultures through oppression.

In Gandhi's speech “On Civil Disobedience”, he is protesting about new British laws in India. “[The British are making] laws to keep [them] suppressed” so the Indians can not live their normal lives (2). The laws the British impose are taking away the Indian’s basic freedoms and are dissolving their culture by replacing it with British ways of life. As the British apply their mandates, India loses its culture, one changed name at a time. In Chief Joseph’s speech “On Surrender at Bear Paw Mountain” he addresses how the Native Americans fought till the end and many were left dead and hungry from fighting the Americans. Tired of fighting and losing his people by the hundreds, Chief Joseph states that “From where the sun now stands [they] will fight no more”. Being beaten down by America has caused the Native Americans many casualties and loss of hope for a chance to rebuild. Many of their people died and are now lost, without food and blankets, and wandering aimlessly through the mountains. America crushed the Native’s culture so that they could not be built up again and would not be able to rally against the new American government. Their culture was dissolved by Americans as they fought and killed not only people, but a culture leaving them “sick and sad” (Joseph). While some may say that it was in the best interest to conform Native Americans to create order within a newly founded country,

the natives lost many key aspects and traditions of their culture through forced assimilation. Overall, the forced conforming of Native Americans changed the course of history, as they were eliminated through immigration and genocide.
Given these points it can be concluded that abuse of power is seen through loss of identity and dissolving of cultures as seen through history. Loss of identity occurs when a higher position exercises power in order to suppress basic traditions and values. As the culture in a higher position in authority abuses a culture in a lower position of authority, the result is dissolution of cultural cohesion. Cultures must be preserved and not uprooted by higher powers. Inhabitants should not be subjected to foreigners who abuse their power and make them second class citizens of their own country. It’s life’s great paradox that when one tries to elevate themselves by standing on top of another, they are only cutting themselves shorter than ever.