New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- In a post-colonial world, BRICS emerges as a group of nations, most of which have been colonies of a European power or have faced imperialism. This grouping, which some say is accidental, has been the one providing an alternative to the Western poles of power.

India, which is hosting the 2026 BRICS Summit, was a British colony for over a century before gaining independence in 1947. Similarly, Brazil witnessed Portuguese rule, South Africa faced colonization and an apartheid regime, and China too has faced the wrath of imperial powers. Several of its newer members have also witnessed colonial rule. However, the question remains: Can countries that were once largely excluded from shaping the international order now r...