75,000 Indian Soldiers Died.

Indian Soldiers at France (Wikimedia Commons)

Myth

World War I and II, considered as the turning point for world, which claimed millions of lives are somewhat the foundation of modern politics. Dominated by the history of Europe, partially Russia and America. The farther East, India is often perceived as an untouched part of land by the ripples of the notorious wars. It is followed as a blind-faith that India under the colonial shackles played merely as a spectator during the course of conflict. Notably, textbooks and standard curriculum in India expounds the Gandhian phase of struggle, starting from the year 1915 to 1942. Students are secured with a feeling of detachment from the conflicts, disregarding them as a foreign affair, and a mess to deal with.

Fact

To the surprise of unaware readers, British couldn’t have won the wars without the Indian soldiers. The Indians fought both against Germany and the Ottoman Empire in the early 20^th century. Large number of divisions and independent brigades to the European, Mediterranean and Middle East were contributed by Indian Army. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom at least 74,000 died during the war. Indians had to pay a heavy price for the war.

Indian Soldiers in Burma, 1944 (Wikimedia commons)

Indian Soldiers on Italy Campaign (Wikimedia Commons)

Was British Only Responsible for the Loss to Indian Soldiers?

Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former minister and former UN diplomat has been extensively active in covering upon the participation and sacrifices of Indian soldiers in World War I. Widely, gaining a heed over the claims that the British Government owe reparations to India and stands responsible for the death of 74000 Indian soldiers, who fought by the British and Allied Forces in the World War I. Nearly, 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in the World War I and still blatantly go neglected in commemoration of the seminal event.

Tharoor, in his condemning of the British skips the scrupulous efforts made by some of the Indian leaders, popularly Mahatma Gandhi to support the Indians to fight for the British against his non-violence principles.  

Gandhi’s Role in Supporting and Recruiting the Soldiers for British

Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi when landed on the British soil in 1914, he felt poorly for the Britain embattled in the war. Disregarding the national mood of India, he disfavored the move to put British at ransom. He praised the British system highly on improving the status of Indians and instead pressed Indians to reciprocate by unconditionally supporting the war and participate for British cause, as a duty.

The other moderate leaders of Congress were in a disagreement of the unconditional support. Consequently, Gandhi's action on the hand promoted acceptance to the British offerings, whether fruitful or bitter.

He abstained from the political agitation between the years 1916-18. Remotely, focusing on some of the social movements hardly enticing British for a serious action, creating a national crisis.

When Germany in the early 1918 wrecked a hell on the Allies, British were taken aback and the Viceroy called upon the prominent leaders including Gandhi in a conference for gathering opinions over the war support. Mahatma Gandhi, apart from the strong opinions of moderates and other leaders in the Congress party acted otherwise. Consequently, he landed a full-hearted support for the Indian forces to fight for British cause.

Afterwards, Gandhi ran a campaign in the various parts of Gujarat districts to recruit from the villages to fight in the battle fronts of Europe. This was the gross violation of his principle of non-violence and Satyagraha. These odd-one-out acts of Gandhi became responsible for the lives of the Indians sent in the war, recklessly.