RIHA Journal 0170 | 27 June 2017 Representing and Reconstructing Memories of the World Wars in India Neelima Jeychandran Abstract This paper examines the material memorialization of the World Wars in India b loo!in" at the India Gate$ the ar%h&a lo%ated at the %enter of the Indian national %apital$ 'e& (elhi) Althou"h dedi%ated to soldiers who lost their lives in World War I$ the India #ate has be%ome a symboli% %ommemorative monument that represents the sa%ri+%es of all the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the battles fou"ht b the modern Indian state) ,o%usin" on the multi-textured renderin"s of histor $ this paper illustrates ho& old memories and histories are repurposed and refashioned at the India Gate) Contents Introdu%tion A Memorial for Indian Soldiers Rememberin" the Wars 0on%lusion Introdu%tion 112 After World War I$ the %olonial 3ritish "overnment in India %onstru%ted various memorials in order to pa tribute to fallen Indian soldiers) /e*eral modest monuments and memorial pla4ues still stand in Indian %ities li!e .umbai$ 3an"alore$ and 'e& (elhi to %ommemorate the sa%ri+%es of Indian soldiers in the World Wars) While most of these memorials are small and austere$ the India Gate$ formerly !nown as the All-India War Memorial$ in the national %apital of 'e& Delhi is an imposin" stru%ture and a symboli% monument of publi% importan%e (Fi". 1). RIHA Journal 0170 | 27 June 2017 1 The *ie& of the India #ate as seen from the Ra7path (photo b author$ 20186 12] 9ther than the World War memorials, there are also %emeteries maintained b the 0ommonwealth War #raves 0ommission that preserve the memor of the dead) These in%lude the %emeter in the %antonment area of (elhi and the war %emeter in the %it of :ohima in the northeastern state of 'a"aland$ the latter spe%i+%all desi"nated for soldiers &ho fou"ht for the 3ritish ;mpire a"ainst the invadin" Japanese for%es in World War II) The histories of the World Wars are also featured in the .ahara7a Ran7it /in"h War .useum at <udhiana in the northern Indian state of =un7ab$ sin%e a sizeable number of %ombat and non%ombat re%ruits of the 3ritish Indian Arm were from the state of =un7ab) 3esides the o%%asional %ommemoration %eremon performed durin" national festivals at some of these sites$ memories of the World Wars are often disre"arded in %ontemporar India and most of these memorials are ne"le%ted and overloo!ed) Althou"h militar and politi%al historians have analyzed the parti%ipation of Indians in the two World Wars$ there is ver little stud on the experien%es and memories of Indian soldiers and the pro%ess of memorialization in India. 1>2 The India #ate is one notable ex%eption$ a World War I memorial that is also 'e& (elhi?s most prominent landmar! and a symbol of modern India) While built to %ommemorate the lives of soldiers !illed in various theaters of war durin" World War I$ toda it exists as a palimpsest memorial &here memories of past wars are %on@ated with more re%ent wars fou"ht b the Indian state) The monument and its surroundin"s have be%ome a si"ni+%ant site for the Indian state to perform national rituals and spe%ta%les of the state) .oreover$ the pre%in%ts of the India #ate are also an important spa%e for disenfran%hised publi%s to sta"e resistan%e a"ainst the "overnment and for %itizens? movements to sho&%ase %on%erns about various issues) 3 mobilizin" ar"uments put forth b .emor /tudies s%holars$ I dis%uss ho& an ar%h&a that was %onstru%ted to monumentalize the lives of Indian soldiers who died in World War I has over the years been transformed into a site of remembran%e for various so%ial and politi%al RIHA Journal 0170 | 27 June 2017 battles fou"ht &ithin India as well as on international soil$ and ho& it survives as a pla%e of superimposed and multi-textured memories) 1A2 To be"in$ I brie@ examine Indians? roles in the World Wars and outline ho& the 3ritish "o*ernment monumentalized India?s %ontributions b %onstru%tin" a memorial ar%h in their ne&l planned imperial %apital of 'e& (elhi) I then dis%uss ho& memories about India?s %omplex parti%ipation in World War I have be%ome enmeshed &ith the memories of the wars that the Indian state has fou"ht over subse4uent years &ith its nei"hbors) In the se%ond half of the %hapter$ I dra& on ar"uments of memor theorists to frame the India #ate as a site of memor and dis%uss the poten% and emblemati% valen%e of the India #ate and its surroundin" lands%ape) ,inall $ I demonstrate the ways in whi%h histories of war(s6 are often resus%itated and remembered throu"h %horeo"raphed state performan%es and counter movements by populations) A Memorial for Indian /oldiers 182 Althou"h soldiers from undivided India %onstituted one of the lar"est volunteer for%es in the World Wars$ the parti%ipation of Indians does not feature in mainstream histori%al dis%ourses$ either in India or elsewhere)1 /antanu (as ar"ues that the voi%es of the Indian soldiers have been muBed) (as notes that C1%]omin" lar"el from the semiliterate$ peasant-warrior %lasses of northern India$ these men and their stories ha*e been doubl mar"inalizedD the have mostl been i"nored in Indian nationalist-elitist historio"raph as &ell as in the modern ;uropean memor of the ,irst World War)C2 Indian soldiers fou"ht in an alien land in adverse weather and hostile %onditions$ yet despite their exploits in ;urope and their %oura"e and determination$ their %ontributions have been prominentl represented in neither memorials and museums nor mainstream institutional dis%ourses and literar wor!s) 1E2 In World War I$ a total of 800,000 Indian soldiers fou"ht in all theaters of the war in%ludin" #allipoli and 'orth and ;ast Afri%a)> After the outbrea! of war in ;urope$ the %olonial 3ritish ;mpire ur"ed assistan%e and support from Indian politi%al parties and rulers of prin%el states) /upport in the form of +nan%e and manpower %ame from diGerent fronts in the hope that the 3ritish would %onsider and "rant self-"overnment in India) Amon"st the %ountries under the 3ritish ;mpire$ India made the lar"est %ontribution in terms of manpower &ith a total number of 877,068 %ombatants and 8E>$>EH non%ombatants$ in addition to 239,561 men who served in various capa%ities in the British Indian Arm in 1914. A 3esides$ in 1917 about 48,000 laborers &ere also dispat%hed formin" an Indian 1 :aushi! Ro $ "IntroductionD Warfare$ /ociet $ and the Indian Arm durin" the T&o World &ars", inD The Indian Arm in the T&o World Wars, ed) :aushi! Ro $ <eidenI3oston 2012$ 1->0$ here 1-2) 2 /antanu Das, Race$ ;mpire and ,irst World War Writin"$ 0ambrid"e 2011$ 70) > The exact number of Indian soldiers &ho fou"ht for the 3ritish Arm in World War I is a contested topi% &ith se*eral historians "i*in" a diGerent number) A Das, Race$ ;mpire and ,irst World War Writin"$ 70) RIHA Journal 0170 | 27 June 2017 <abor 0orps with re%ruits lar"el from the northeastern part of India)8 The total %ausalities of war were 121,598, &ith about 8>$AFE dead$ 64,350 in7ured$ and 3,762 de%lared either missin" or imprisoned)E 172 In World War II a"ain$ India supported the 3ritish with about 2.5 million soldiers who fou"ht in diGerent fronts of war and the prin%el states funded a "reat deal of war expenses)7 :aushi! Ro states that Cthe Indian units fou"ht in ;"ypt and /outh-;ast Asia a"ainst Axis powers) ,rom 1943 onwards$ the war in 3urma was mostl %ondu%ted b the Indian Arm )CF Jnli!e World War I$ Indian soldiers? parti%ipation in the World War II was %ompli%ated as the Indian 'ational Arm (I'A6 revived b /ubhas 0handra 3ose %ollaborated &ith the Axis powers and fou"ht mostl in the eastern theaters of war) 3ose$ a popular$ yet %ontroversial leader of the Indian nationalist movement$ felt that militaristi% stren"th and strate"i% external allian%es were the path to oust the 3ritish from India and establish self-"overnan%e) /oldiers of the I'A fou"ht alon"side the oGensive Japanese for%es at the Ara!an .ountains alon" the India-3urma border and also in Imphal and :ohima in northeastern states of India$ where the suGered hea* losses and were for%ed to retreat)H The frau"ht situation of Indian soldiers ali"nin" with the Japanese to +"ht a"ainst the 3ritish Indian Arm "enerated contestin" memories of World War II in the sub%ontinent. After the war$ while ;uropean writers of popular literature i"nored the Indian soldiers? ta%ti%al approa%h and adeptness on forei"n soil in favor of ra%ial appearan%e and ethni% "etups$ on the home front$ the braver and fortitude of Indian soldiers were soon for"otten as the nationalist movement "ained impetus with the stru""le for an independent India) Althou"h memories of Indian parti%ipation in the World Wars soon lapsed as @uid %ultural memories$ the be%ame nonetheless %rystallized throu"h commemorative monuments) 1F2 It was a pra%ti%e of the %olonial 3ritish "overnment to build monuments to honor the role of native soldiers who fou"ht under their banner durin" World Wars I and II) The All-India War .emorial was planned for the ne& imperial %apital of (elhi and was an initiative of the Imperial War #raves 0ommission) The monumental "atewa was intended to publi%all a%!nowled"e the %ontributions and valor of Indian soldiers$ as well as to assua"e the worsenin" relationship between the leaders of the Indian freedom movement and the imperial re"ime.