More Indians fought with the British from 1914 to 1918 than the combined total of Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and South African troops.
Some 34,000 Indian soldiers were killed on battlefields in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. But the part they played in the war has been largely whitewashed from history.
“The first world war has traditionally been presented in schools, history books and cinema as a white war. But many in the UK’s British Asian community are saying: we were there too,” said George Morton-Jack, a British historian author of The Indian Empire at War.
Sujan Singh, who was 80 when he was interviewed, said: “We were slaves.”
Nand Singh spoke of a “curtain of fear” separating the Indian and white soldiers.
They were subject to floggings and other inhumane physical punishment, paid less than their white counterparts, segregated in camps and on trains and ships, denied home leave, and barred from positions of command.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/27/armistice-centenary-indian-troops-testimony-sacrifice-british-library
Some 34,000 Indian soldiers were killed on battlefields in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. But the part they played in the war has been largely whitewashed from history.
“The first world war has traditionally been presented in schools, history books and cinema as a white war. But many in the UK’s British Asian community are saying: we were there too,” said George Morton-Jack, a British historian author of The Indian Empire at War.
Sujan Singh, who was 80 when he was interviewed, said: “We were slaves.”
Nand Singh spoke of a “curtain of fear” separating the Indian and white soldiers.
They were subject to floggings and other inhumane physical punishment, paid less than their white counterparts, segregated in camps and on trains and ships, denied home leave, and barred from positions of command.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/27/armistice-centenary-indian-troops-testimony-sacrifice-british-library
The numbers shown on several of today's posts never fail to amaze. Horrific then, horrific now, and still not enough lessons learned by the class which suffered most. Otherwise how can it still continue with wars waging still around the world?
ReplyDeleteToday's posts need to be shared widely - again and again - - -