8/10/2019 AWTWns - 2011-Apr-11 - Book Review - Churchill_s Secret War in India

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From A World to Win News Service

Book Review: Churchills Secret War in Indiaby Susannah York

April 11, 2011. A World to Win News Service.Madhusree Mukerjees book,ChurchillsSecret War: The British !pire and the "ava#in# o$ %ndia &urin# World War %%(Basic

Books, New York, 2010), is a deeply o!in" read# $er subjec% is %he 1&' aine %ha%ra!a"ed *ndia or o!er a year, snu+n" ou% %he li!es o illion people# Mukerjee ar"ues%ha% %he "ure should be adjus%ed upwards %o o!er - illion# .hen %hinkin" abou% %heillions o dead resul%in" ro .orld .ar **, any a%roci%ies coe %o ind/ %he illion

ews killed in %he concen%ra%ion caps, hal a illion oa, 20 illion So!ie% ci%i3ens, 4illion 5hinese, %o nae only soe e6aples# No% so well7known, especially %o peoplero %he iperialis% ci%adels, are %hose who su8ered and died ro wha% Mukerjee calls%he 9an7ade: aine in *ndia, a huan ca%as%rophe %ha% could ha!e been easilypre!en%ed i 5hurchill had no% reused %o assi"n a!ailable ships ro ;us%ralia %o carry%heir surplus "rain %o %he Ben"al re"ion# ues%ion o hun"er and aine led her %o del!e deeplyand %horou"hly in%o %he archi!es o %he Bri%ish .ar 5abine% and %he Minis%ries o .ar and

8/10/2019 AWTWns - 2011-Apr-11 - Book Review - Churchill_s Secret War in India

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relie workers, 9?lease, %ake us rs%: or her babys sake, bu% by %he %ie she nally adei% %o %he ron% o %he >ueue %ha% was ull o o%hers e>ually despera%e, her baby had died#

uida%ion o %he Bri%ish Apire,: 5hurchill aouslydeclared#

*n 1&'0, %he Bri%ish .ar 5abine% had s%a%ed %ha% 9i conic% wi%h 5on"ress shouldarise, i% should appear as an ou%coe o war necessi%y ra%her %han as a poli%ical >uarrelunrela%ed %o %he war#: Mukerjee says %ha% %he rise o %he independence s%ru""le led5hurchill %o ha%e *ndians ore %han e!er# Bu% ac%ually, 5hurchill unders%ood wha% wasobjec%i!ely a% s%ake# ; s%ron" independence o!een% was a %hrea% %o %he Bri%ish epire

and *ndia was one o any rebellin" colonies wres%lin" or independence ro %hecoloni3ers#

uerapproach o %he Bri%ish and 5hurchill, %he police encoura"ed Muslis ro di8eren%!illa"es %o join %he in loo%in" be%%er7o8 $indu hoes#

8/10/2019 AWTWns - 2011-Apr-11 - Book Review - Churchill_s Secret War in India

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8/10/2019 AWTWns - 2011-Apr-11 - Book Review - Churchill_s Secret War in India

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*n%erna%ionalis% Mo!een%, %he ebryonic cen%er o %he worlds Mar6is%7@eninis%7Maois%par%ies and or"ani3a%ions#

e!olu%ion Q20, ;pril 2', 2011