Unspoken Story of Indian Holocaust: UK Remains Silent About Its Atrocities

[ayesha.a]

I have always held the opinion that the allies were just as bad as the Nazis.

Had the Nazis won, we will definitely have massive accounts of the Indian Halocaust, the French and Belgian death plantations in Africa and British betrayal of India.

USA, Britain, France, Japan and Germany were the true monsters of the 19th and 20th centuries.

China, Russia and India are somehow always taking the limelight for genocide despite having a much cleaner record.

History is written by the victors.

Churchill and his ilk had deep contempt for Indians and Chinese, whom he regarded as subhuman, just as the Nazis regarded Jews and other races.

Steps should have been taken after independence. Not 70 years later.

What's preventing the present govt from taking "steps"?

India in the 1940s/1950s had no power or clout or influence whatsoever. It should be much easier for India today to throw her weight around, than it was at that time.

It is ridiculous to blame any political party for our helplessness at that time - we really were helpless and desperate.

 

[The Great One]

What's preventing the present govt from taking "steps"?

Needlessly spoiling relations with the Brits. Think of the Cost/Benefits here. Is it worth it? OTOH after the Independence when we did have a fresh case to accuse and demand compensation from the Brits.

India in the 1940s/1950s had no power or clout or influence whatsoever. It should be much easier for India today to throw her weight around, than it was at that time.

Its not about political clout, but awareness and among the global circles and justice. What do you think we shall achieve by throwing our still rather minuscule 'weight around'?

It is ridiculous to blame any political party for our helplessness at that time - we really were helpless and desperate.

 

[ayesha.a]

Needlessly spoiling relations with the Brits. Think of the Cost/Benefits here. Is it worth it? OTOH after the Independence when we did have a fresh case to accuse and demand compensation from the Brits.

If you think it is not worth spoiling relations with Brits now, when we are a 2 trillion dollar economy and one of the most powerful militaries on the planet, you think it would have been worth it when we were a penniless, impoverished, powerless bunch dependent on Britain's goodwill?

You think independence was like a magic button, after which Britain couldn't fvck with us anymore? Although in history books a date and time is given for independence, in reality it is a fluid, continuous process. Even after 1947, we were dependent on Britain and other western powers for our survival. Heck, many Indian army officers were British. Transfer of power is a gradual process.

Tl/DR: We had no means of publicizing these issues back then. We have it now, but we are not doing it. So let's not blame any particular political party.

 

[The Great One]

If you think it is not worth spoiling relations with Brits now, when we are a 2 trillion dollar economy and one of the most powerful militaries on the planet, you think it would have been worth it when we were a penniless, impoverished, powerless bunch dependent on Britain's goodwill?

You think independence was like a magic button, after which Britain couldn't fvck with us anymore? Although in history books a date and time is given for independence, in reality it is a fluid, continuous process. Even after 1947, we were dependent on Britain and other western powers for our survival. Heck, many Indian army officers were British. Transfer of power is a gradual process.

Tl/DR: We had no means of publicizing these issues back then. We have it now, but we are not doing it. So let's not blame any particular political party.

This is getting hard to explain and I can't type long posts now, so see you tomorrow.

 

[scorpionx]

"Bengal had a bountiful harvest in 1942, but the British started diverting vast quantities of food grain from India to Britain, contributing to a massive food shortage in the areas comprising present-day West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Bangladesh,"

Not denying the fact that '43's Bengal famine was a purely man made one, the article's assertion that the said famine was caused due to diversion of food grains to Britain may not be entirely correct. A number of scholars like P C Moholanobish and Amartya Sen have in fact sited several other reasons that led Bengal to this disaster. Some of them are as follows,

1. Bengal contrary to the article's belief was traditionally dependent on the rice import from Burma then. The Japanese advance into Burmese territory cut off this supply chain. Influx of a large scale Burmese refugees during this period also brought food scarcity in the region.

2. The notorious 'denial policy' (widespread confiscation of bullock carts, boats) and scorch earth policy aimed to starve the invading Japanese army were two vital contributor in this famine. Pockets in rural area saw a massive surge in price of rice (Rs 3 in Feb 1942 to Rs 100 in Dec 1943) and countless people perished in these pockets.

3. Large scale procurement of food grains from market to feed the Allied army.

4. Restrictions on movement of goods including food grain by railways and roadways.

5.Black marketeering by corrupt businessmen predominantly Marwaris. Ration shop owners sold essential commodities to dishonest black marketeers in Calcutta at a higher price. This is why urban Bengali speaking elite class never felt the wrath of hunger because of better purchasing power and sufficient availability of food grains.

6. Farmers especially from Medinipur and 24 Parganas were forcefully removed from their land upon fear of Japanese invasion letting large tracts of land fallow. These farmers were already inflicted with a disastrous cyclone in 1942. But as these areas earned the reputation to be most hostile towards British during Quit India movement, no relief came from the government. As a result, those who were dying on streets of Kolkata in 1943, majority of them were from these two areas.

So, the article though correct in calling it a 'man made famine', is little inaccurate in diagnosing its actual origins.