Decolonization and Colonial Legacies (Chapter 14)

Abstract

This chapter describes a modest effort at understanding and interpreting that era in India's history where the identity of the modern nation was created out of a series of contestations, conflicts and compromises which, even though reflecting the triumph of the spirit of freedom, remained mired in the great human tragedy that accompanied the winds of unprecedented change. India automatically became party to Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 3rd September 1939 when the Viceroy unilaterally associated India with the war effort without consulting any provincial ministry or leadership. The trial of the three officers of the Indian National Army (INA) without calculating the political fallout of the same was to prove to be one of the immediate sparks which worked towards creating a unified spirit of freedom at a time perhaps when it was needed the most.