Did you know about Madras’ participation in the World War? No? Then Venkatesh Ramakrishnan will enlighten you. In a talk on Saturday, he will discuss how food was rationed, films became scarce and economy dwindled during the war.
CHENNAI: Madras is 378 years old. The city has witnessed everything from invasions, bombings, food scarcity, blackouts to evacuations but, time and again, its participation in the World War has been overlooked. Historian Venkatesh Ramakrishnan who will be giving a talk on ‘World War and Madras’ takes us through how the city faced the world war.
“Madras has not been a city which has technically had a war. In 1914, there was the infamous SMS Emden bombing and in 1943 a Japanese Bombing. Before that there were a few invasions that took place. So, people were not really prepared for a full fledged war,” he says. The Emden Bombing in Madras was huge back then because it shook the Indian confidence on the British. “People thought that the British were going to rule them forever. In 1912 during the coronation in Delhi, when the statues were being kept, people went out of their way to be loyal. So, when the German cruiser bombed the city when it was least expected, it shook them,” he shares.
When the war began in 1939, it didn’t affect the city until the Japanese entered. “When the war began there was scarcity and everything was rationed,” he says. In 1942 the talkie industry faced a blow and producers like AVM moved their base to Devakottai. “Films became scarce and films which were predominantly musicals with several songs back then, were cut in half,” he explains. Films with the length of 20,000 feet were cut to 11,000, and this dwindled the film production in the city.
Propaganda films like Burma rani (1945) were made to help in war effort and the villains in the movies began looking like Hitler with the classic moustache. Food was also becoming scarce and the government even contemplated banning idlies and dosas! “Idlies and dosas were nearly banned and wheat was introduced in roadside cooking demonstrations,” he says. Metal scarcity hit hard. “The copper within the coin was more valuable than the coin itself. So, people started hoarding and the police started raiding shops,” says the historian.
“While everyone was seemingly prepared for the Japanese Bombing, it didn’t happen when everyone expected,” he explains. Air raid volunteers were ready to help and the government had erected air raid shelters and long safety trenches on roadsides. “In 1943 there was a cyclone and the city was flooding. The Japanese dropped the bomb and no one knew that the city was bombed for about a week! Newspapers couldn’t report it because of the inflicted power cut,” he elucidates.
Two-thirds of the city was empty as people fled. “The real estate prices crashed and a lot of people were making money by buying these houses,” says Venkatesh. While the humans in the city could flee and escape, animals in the Madras zoo were shot dead, fearing bombings and what would happen with wild animals on the run. Buildings were to be painted grey and newspapers were pasted on glass windows. “People including fishermen, who hid under their boats, in Marina after 6pm were caught and fined/arrested.”
The collector and the Thasildar moved from the beach, in the pretext of other places being ‘safe’. “Technically no place was safe. A part of the reserve Bank moved to Kamadhenu theatre in Luz, the collector moved to Nungambakkam and the Thasildar to Stella Maris.”
Though the war happened miles away, it touched several lives. “The awareness about Madras’ participation in the war is zero. People only remember the evacuation. But, the participation reshaped the city, politics, movies, medical facilities and what not,” he adds.
‘Madrasis’ fought on either side of the battle
Paramasiva Prabakara Kumaramangalam who fought in Libya for the allied powers, was imprisoned as POW in Italy and Germany. He later became chief of army staff of India. Lakshmi Swaminathann on the other hand moved in with Japanese troops and was arrested before entering Imphal and was a prisoner of war in Burma.
Royal Air Force
It operated in airfields around Madras. They had taken over Meenambakkam flying club, and also had Avadi, Sholavaram and Tambaram. “When Singapore fell, the importance of Madras grew many folds.”
The talk will be held at CP Ramaswamy Iyer Foundation, on November 25 at 10 30 am
The Madras Presidency Squadron
The planes were bought out of donations by individuals, zamindaras and institutions in Madras.