Propaganda and Information in Eastern India 1939-45: A Necessary Weapon of War (Centre of South Asian Studies, School of Oriental and Africa)

This is a study of the social, political, economic and public health aspects of the Second World War in South Asia, with particular attention being accorded to colonial Eastern India, which was treated as a single administrative unit during the course of the conflict for strategic purposes. The conclusion deals with the long term effects of the war: its effects on political formations, bureaucratic re-negotiation and the de-colonisation of the British Indian empire. Cover 1 Propaganda and Information in Eastern India 1939-45 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 9 Glossary 12 List of tables 15 Introduction 16 Chapter One The Second World War, Indian Nationalism and the Challenges of State Mobilisation in Eastern India: A Survey 32 Chapter Two State Propaganda and Civilian Audiences in Eastern India 1939-45: Forms, Applications and Scope 80 Chapter Three An Ancillary to Propaganda: State Censorship and the Civilian Population in Eastern India 1939-45 137 Chapter Four The Colonial State, 'Neutrals' and the Propaganda Campaign against the Indian National Congress 1939-1944 165 Chapter Five Propaganda, Censorship and the British Indian Army: Eastern India 1942-45 188 Conclusion 217 Bibliography 240 Index 253 ,A Necessary Weapon of War "This is an examination of the operation of the British colonial state in Eastern India during the Second World War. It studies the changes in wartime administration through an examination of the state policies of propaganda and information control: the distribution of print, film, wireless and oral publicity; the dissemination of material and medical aid; and the management of censorship and surveillance schemes. Based on a variety of archival sources, this study offers a new perspective on the impact of the conflict on the organisation and the dissolution of British administration in South Asia during the 1940s."--BOOK JACKET Sanjoy Bhattacharya. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.