Raj remark rocks Coldplay fans

Chris Martin's apology for British colonialism divides fans

Chris Martin of beloved British band Coldplay attracted mixed remarks after bringing up the British Raj in a Mumbai concert. In a video circulating online, Martin was recorded saying, "It's amazing to us that you welcome us even though we are from Great Britain. Thank you for forgiving us for all of the bad things Great Britain has done and welcoming us into your home."

What first began as a speech of wholehearted gratitude towards the audience quickly transformed into a contentious choice of words that divided fans online. While many users on Instagram reacted with jokes of their own, others were not pleased to hear Martin's words.

The bright side

Those on the humorous side of the discussion responded pleasantly to the frontman's self-awareness on the matter. "Haha he's so real for that," one user noted. "Please free concert next time as reparations," wrote another. "CEO of fixing what he didn't break," added yet another fan.

Another user observed that a vast majority of the public must have found out through this speech that Coldplay is a British band, a fact which most people might not be aware of. "The Beatles, Coldplay, and One Direction. Britain has had so many bands that are very famous around the world," added a different user.

'A totally unnecessary stunt'

However, not everyone was happy about the casual mention of the sensitive topic. "What in the white guilt did I just watch?" a baffled user questioned. "Chris healing intergenerational trauma with a mic, stage, and some tunes," another sarcastically noted.

Many were quick to point out that it was presumptuous of the vocalist to believe that the British were forgiven for the colonial period. "Oh. A random guy from Britain apologised. That solves everything!" one user sneered.

In response to those pleasantly reacting to Martin's words, a different user posed, "Why do South Asians glorify the bare minimum?" Others were even more direct in calling it out. "That was a totally unnecessary stunt... You're a singer. Just entertain them, that's it," critiqued one user.

A reflective critique

"Thanks for the kind words, Chris, and while we do not hold any enmity towards you or Coldplay or any British citizen, doesn't mean that we have forgiven. India has always been a land of welcoming people, and our population has always been diverse. And while neither Chris nor Coldplay is the face of England, mere words cannot do much.

"Sure, thanks for the justice system and railways and all, but repercussions of Britain's imperialistic pillaging haunt us still to this day. All this may have just been a gimmick from the PR team, but still, I think this needed to be said," a user thoroughly expressed.

Winning hearts previously

Controversy aside, the rock band did give fans something to cheer for after performing in front of Indian celebrities like famed cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and renowned playback singer Shreya Ghoshal, also frequently dropping mentions of cricketer Jasprit Bumrah.

Earlier, during their stop at UAE, Martin drew cheers by inviting a fan from Pakistan onstage during a concert. He also won hearts for acknowledging tragedies around the world and dedicating the next song to all those affected by them.

"You travelled 10,000 kilometres," he said, addressing the fan. "I travelled yesterday from Los Angeles and as I left, everything was on fire and it was a very strange thing. So maybe we could sing this song for your brothers and sisters in Pakistan and our brothers and sisters in Iran, the West Bank, and Gaza."

He further shared that he would also be dedicating the song to his friend Zeppelin, adding that the track is about missing someone you hold dear. "This is Everglow. This is for you, Kinza. Thank you for coming," he expressed, receiving a final bout of applause for the speech before he began his performance.