Hungry Bengal: War, Famine, Riots, and the End of Empire By Janam Mukherjee

Table of Contents Dedication......................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements........................................................................................iii Introduction: In Search of Famine.................................................................1 In Search of Famine...........................................................................1 Framing Famine.................................................................................5 War and Famine................................................................................10 Background.......................................................................................16 Perspective.........................................................................................22 Chapter One: War..........................................................................................31 Food Security.....................................................................................33 Enforcing Morale...............................................................................39 Hearts and Minds...............................................................................46 The Countryside.................................................................................52 Establishing Priorities........................................................................57 Nobody's Home..................................................................................62 The Fortress Falls...............................................................................64 Burmese Days....................................................................................67 Provincial Politics and War...............................................................71 Chapter Two: Denial......................................................................................77 "Confusion" in the Countryside.........................................................77 Denial.................................................................................................82 Rice........................................................................................85 Boats......................................................................................90 Territory.................................................................................93 The "Denial Resolution"....................................................................97 Quit India..........................................................................................102 Economic Warfare............................................................................106 Storm.................................................................................................111 Christmas in Calcutta........................................................................116 Chapter Three: Priorities...............................................................................120 Requisitioning...................................................................................120 The "Steel Frame".............................................................................124 Durbhikkho.......................................................................................127 Imports..............................................................................................131 Starving Indians................................................................................134 The Executive Council.....................................................................140 Hunger Artist....................................................................................145 De-control.........................................................................................152 Section 93.........................................................................................155 The Scramble for Rice......................................................................157 Abandoning the Basic Plan...............................................................162 Chapter Four: Famine...................................................................................168 Defense.............................................................................................168 Food Drive........................................................................................171 Accounting........................................................................................176 Darkening Clouds.............................................................................180 Last Ditch Denial..............................................................................184 "Famine"...........................................................................................190 Starvation..........................................................................................195 "Sick Destitutes"...............................................................................199 Round-ups and Resistance................................................................203 Bengal in Ruins.................................................................................210 The Good Viceroy.............................................................................212 Chapter Five: Japan Attacks.........................................................................216 The Forgotten Chapter......................................................................216 The Port of Calcutta..........................................................................219 Labor.................................................................................................221 Neighborhoods..................................................................................226 Japan Attacks....................................................................................231 Damage Control................................................................................240 Bodies...............................................................................................243 Settling Accounts..............................................................................251 Air Raid Damage..............................................................................256 Chapter Six: "Second Famine".....................................................................259 Dark Night........................................................................................259 "Second Famine"..............................................................................260 Whose Famine?................................................................................266 Governing Bengal.............................................................................274 Imports..............................................................................................279 Famine Enquiry................................................................................289 Pakistan.............................................................................................294 The Lean Season...............................................................................298 Disturbances......................................................................................305 Second Famine..................................................................................309 Chapter Seven: Riots....................................................................................315 Direct Action....................................................................................315 The Calcutta Riots in History...........................................................318 Territory............................................................................................323 Loot...................................................................................................335 Labor.................................................................................................343 Anti-Colonialism and Administrative Collapse................................351 Bodies...............................................................................................357 Conclusion (Colonialism).................................................................366 Bibliography..................................................................................................370 Introduction: In Search of Famine .............................................continued..................................................