The historic world war-I would remain incomplete without mentioning the heroic efforts of Indian soldiers.Nearly 1.5 million Indian soldiers took part in the war and represented the British empire.Recently,Markandey Katju,the chairman of the Press Council of India and a former Supreme Court judge described them as mercenaries who fought for the British empire.Dismissing them as mere mercenaries,in my view,would be an injustice to their valiant efforts in serving the cause of British India.
Indian soldiers participated in the war with the hope that the British would grant India dominion status in due time.Even prominent leaders like Gandhi and Tilak exhorted the Indians to contribute their share thus helping the British in their war efforts.Indians took part in the war not only as soldiers,but also as labourers and workers.India sent raw materials to Britain so that their economy flourished even during the crisis.
The initial political payback came with the Montagu declaration which clearly stated"self-rule was not to be the constitutional right of British alone."That said,Indians were optimistic to get paid in the form of greater self-rule and the right to self-determination.With the passage of time,the British,however reneged on their promises and instead imposed the Rowlatt act.This was a gross insult to Indian's faith on British rule,which,in turn,aroused the nationalistic sentiments against the colonial rule.The hatred against colonial rule,among all the sections,would later ensure mass participation in Non-cooperation and civil-disobedience movements.
Moreover,during the war,the Indian soldiers got exposure to the democratic culture of the west.They realised that the Europeans were better off than the Indians in all aspects of life.In Europe,the girls were well educated and contributed to their workforce,thus making them self-dependent and empowered.On their return,many soldiers pledged to educate their girl children.They too realised as to how the British rule resulted in the economic drain of their homeland.
Thus,we cannot write the Indian soldiers out of history by describing them as mere mercenaries.They were an integral part of India's struggle against the British for independence.The centenary year of the first world war,2014,is thereby an occasion to remember the Indian soldiers who fought for the betterment of India.
Indian soldiers participated in the war with the hope that the British would grant India dominion status in due time.Even prominent leaders like Gandhi and Tilak exhorted the Indians to contribute their share thus helping the British in their war efforts.Indians took part in the war not only as soldiers,but also as labourers and workers.India sent raw materials to Britain so that their economy flourished even during the crisis.The initial political payback came with the Montagu declaration which clearly stated"self-rule was not to be the constitutional right of British alone."That said,Indians were optimistic to get paid in the form of greater self-rule and the right to self-determination.With the passage of time,the British,however reneged on their promises and instead imposed the Rowlatt act.This was a gross insult to Indian's faith on British rule,which,in turn,aroused the nationalistic sentiments against the colonial rule.The hatred against colonial rule,among all the sections,would later ensure mass participation in Non-cooperation and civil-disobedience movements.
Moreover,during the war,the Indian soldiers got exposure to the democratic culture of the west.They realised that the Europeans were better off than the Indians in all aspects of life.In Europe,the girls were well educated and contributed to their workforce,thus making them self-dependent and empowered.On their return,many soldiers pledged to educate their girl children.They too realised as to how the British rule resulted in the economic drain of their homeland.
Thus,we cannot write the Indian soldiers out of history by describing them as mere mercenaries.They were an integral part of India's struggle against the British for independence.The centenary year of the first world war,2014,is thereby an occasion to remember the Indian soldiers who fought for the betterment of India.
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