1943 Famine in Bengal - 2

Author: 
Afzal Husain

Editor's Note: According to Richard Stevenson's book "Bengal Tiger And British Lion, An Account of the Bengal Famine of 1943," on November 9, 1943, the Mayor of Calcutta sent a telegram to the Emperor of India asking him to "appoint a Royal Commission to investigate the causes that led to the famine in Bengal causing death of thousands of men women and children in the Province." In June 1994, the Viceroy set up a Famine Inquiry Commission to "investigate and report to the Central Government upon the causes of the food shortage and subsequent epidemics in India, and in particular in Bengal, in the year 1943." This Commission was headed by a retired ICS officer, Sir John Ackroyd Woodhead, and  included Mr. Afzal Husain, who wrote a minute of dissent (reproduced below), and Sir Manilal Nanavati, who secretly saved the detailed papers of the Commission against the Chairman's orders.

Mr. Husain's dissent is reproduced below. The complete report is available in the attached pdf files.

Photos of the Bengal famine are available at http://www.oldindianphotos.in/2009/12/bengal-famine-of-1943-part-1.html

Husain page 1

Husain Page 2Husain Page 3
x_

______________________

Add new comment