"The deaths of hungry Bengalis are not as serious as the deaths of robust Greeks"

During the horrific famine in British colonial India, The Statesman newspaper published a heart-wrenching photograph on this day—a picture of a procession of deaths of hungry people. The famine of 1943 AD, corresponding to 1350 BS, known in history as the "Famine of 50" (Panchasher Mononthor), was a devastating man-made disaster that occurred in Bengal in British India (present-day Bangladesh and eastern India) during the Second World War. It was not caused solely by natural factors; it was primarily the result of British policy mismanagement and colonial cruelty.

In 1942, under the orders of the Governor of Bengal, a massive quantity of rice was confiscated or destroyed so that it would not fall into the hands of the Japanese. At the same time, about 46,000 boats were confiscated, causing the fishing industry to collapse. Later, food stocks were removed from rural areas for the "priority" classes—the rich, the educated, and those involved in war industries and administration. This plunged the common people of rural Bengal into an acute food crisis in a short time.

Although crop losses occurred due to severe floods, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's government took no action on the matter. Instead, the colony was forbidden to use its own economic reserves and ships to import food. At the same time, rice exports from India continued, and surplus food from other parts of the British Empire was stockpiled for Europeans. As a result, a great famine began. According to historians, this was an entirely man-made disaster. An estimated 2 to 4 million people lost their lives.

Notably, even though food crises occurred earlier in 1873-74, such mass deaths did not happen. Churchill's racist attitude became evident during this time. He remarked— "The deaths of hungry Bengalis are not as serious as the deaths of robust Greeks." Using even more hateful language, he said— "I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion."

Today reminds us that the Bengal famine was not merely a natural disaster, but the consequence of colonial repression and neglect.