yet in existence. The bourgeois
political leadership which had come
up on the blessings of the colonial
rulers had no agenda of ending the
colonial rule in the Country. The
leadership, including Gandhi had
extended their support to the
colonial rulers in their War. It
enabled the British imperialists to
freely mobilize the human and
material resources of our Country
for their War.
The FWW remains a night-
marish memory for our people.
Best of our sons lost their lives in
an imperialist war. True, the Indian
soldiers had defied death and
exhibited a great valor in this war.
But their role in the war was nothing
but one of mercenaries. They died
in the service of their oppressors.
This was most saddening part, main
content and bitter truth of First
World War.
But, after 100 years, the British
imperialists now are busy in
carrying out a massive project to
commemorate the “India and the
Great War Centenary.”
They have planned various
programmes like,
——Collect the British India
Army’s uniforms, medals and
objects, etc. from India (they include
the Khanji (knife) of Tippu Sultan
of 1799 and 1840 paintings of
Skinner’s horse regiment) and
other countries from the earliest
beginnings in the 18 th century till
1947. These collections would be
exhibited over the couple of years.
——Organise a range of activities
across the four years of Centenary
period, primarily aimed at exploring
India’s engagement in War efforts;
to highlight the numerous fields of
battle Indian troupes served in
including Belgium, France, Gallipoli
Persia, Russia and China.
———publish material relating to
India during the FWW. This will
include booklets, coffee table
books, battle-field guides, etc.
November - 2018
———put up the collections, one
at the Indian Army Museum in
Sanhurts and other at the National
Army Museum gallery in London.
There are many other progra-
mmes spread over the period of
centenary commemoration.
The National Army Museum
Director Brig. Maciejewski said:
“The FWW was a moment of
shared history where the British
Army and the British Indian Army
fought together.” “Indian soldiers
under the British Indian Army
played a decisive role in several
battles in many theatres across the
globe.”
It is to be noted that a
Memorial dedicated to the fallen
Indian Soldiers of the FWW is
already in place at the India Gate
in New Delhi, inscribed with over
72,000 names.
The Indian Ministry of External
Affairs is in collaboration with the
Centre for Armed Forces Historical
Research – the organizer of the
Centenary
Commemoration
Project.
The centenary celebrations
would be concluded on November
11 th , 2018. An Armistice Day will be
observed as a Day of Remem-
brance to mark the ‘sacrifices’ of
the ‘Great War.’ At the global level,
candles will be lit at the military
cemeteries and Memorials across
Artois on the night of 10 November
2018 in a mass act of remem-
brance for all those who did not live
to see the Armistice ending the
FWW. More than 270 sites will be
illuminated fort the Great Vigil in a
region which suffered some
heaviest fighting in 1914-18.
Here, the imperialists are
seeking to glorify an out and out
imperialist war under the cover of
commemorating the centenary of
“India and the Great War”. Their
eulogizing the deaths of Indian
people in this war as “sacrifices” is
like the cries of worshippers who
decorate and parade the goat to
the place of “sacrifice.” This war
had nothing to do with the wishes
or interests of Indian people. As we
have already said, this war had set
the oppressed people of some
countries against the oppressed
people of other countries. Here,
two groups of biggest robbers,
oppressors and predators used the
oppressed people as cannon
fodder to settle the question among
the imperialist powers who should
rule or dominate the world. Most
shameless fact is the collaboration
of Indian rulers in this imperialist
project to commemorate the First
Imperialist War. This is nothing but
subservience- pure and simple. All
freedom loving people, one voice,
condemn this treacherous act.
We must have all the
sympathy for the Indian people who
joined the colonial armed forces
(British India Army) just to eke their
lives and unconsciously and
helplessly died in the FWW and in
the service of imperialist powers.
We must transform our sympathy
and pain for our dead sons and
their deceased families into a
staunchest and loudest declaration
of our resolve : We refuse to die
for the imperialists and the
exploiting ruling classes; The
oppressed Indian people must
never agree to serve as the tools
to subjugate and oppress other
people; Our people would take
inspiration from all those in India
and the world who died in the
struggle against feudalism,
colonialism, imperialism and to wipe
out the exploitation, oppression,
inequality and war once for ever
from the face of the earth and
march in their foot- steps to
advance the struggle to free our
country from the clutches of
feudalism, imperialism and set it on
the road of New Democracy and
Socialism.
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