India in the Second World War: An Emotional History

In 1940s India, a surge of revolutionary and nationalistic feelings emerged against colonial subjecthood and imperial war. Diya Gupta's new history explores emotions as a way to uncover these troubled and contested experiences, using photographs, letters, memoirs, novels, poetry, and philosophical essays to showcase the personal as political. The book highlights the experiences of Indians in service and at home during the war, including an unknown sepoy in the Middle East, anti-fascist activist Tara Ali Baig, a disillusioned doctor on the Burma frontline, Sukanta Bhattacharya's modernist poetry of hunger, Mulk Raj Anand's revolutionary home front, and Rabindranath Tagore's critique of civilisation. It challenges a traditional focus on the wartime experiences of European populations by revealing the crucial importance of personal documentation in understanding this global history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2023
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

In the 1940s, a revolutionary and nationalistic spirit swept across India, opposing colonial subjugation and the imperial war. During the Second World War, approximately two and a half million men from the undivided India served the British, while the Bengal Famine, caused by the war, resulted in the tragic loss of three million civilians. Simultaneously, Indian National Army soldiers bravely fought against the British for Indian independence. This captivating new history delves into the realm of emotions as a means of uncovering these complex and contentious experiences, revealing the intimate connection between the personal and the political. Diya Gupta skillfully weaves together a rich tapestry of emotions experienced by Indians during the war, utilizing a diverse range of sources such as photographs, letters, memoirs, novels, poetry, and philosophical essays, written in both English and Bengali. Through her meticulous research, she brings to life the stories of individuals like the unknown sepoy longing for home in the Middle East, the anti-fascist activist Tara Ali Baig, the disillusioned doctor serving on the Burma frontline, the modernist poet Sukanta Bhattacharya grappling with hunger, the revolutionary Mulk Raj Anand on the home front, and the critical thinker Rabindranath Tagore critiquing civilisation.

This vivid book offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War, challenging the conventional narrative that primarily focuses on the experiences of European populations. By centering on the experiences of ordinary Indians, this work reveals a different side of the war, one that is marked by suffering, sacrifice, and resistance. It underscores the crucial role of personal documentation in challenging the dominant narrative and providing a more inclusive understanding of this global historical event. Through the eyes of these individuals, we witness the human cost of war, the resilience of the human spirit, and the unwavering pursuit of freedom and independence.

Weight: 628g
Dimension: 167 x 242 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787389458