170. The Bengal Famine: A Disaster on the Horizon

The podcast examines the Bengal Famine of 1943, an event often overshadowed in both Indian and British historical narratives. Kavita Puri, a guest expert, highlights the famine's complexities, including its contested historiography and the lack of memorialization in India. The discussion explores the socio-political context of 1940s India, marked by war inflation, the Quit India movement, and the denial policies that exacerbated the crisis. Calcutta's booming war economy is contrasted with the widespread rural suffering caused by rising rice prices and a devastating cyclone. Personal stories, like that of Amartya Sen and Pamela, illustrate the famine's impact, revealing both the indifference of some elites and the immense suffering of the rural population. The initial slow official response, particularly Churchill's, is scrutinized, setting the stage for further exploration of the unfolding disaster.