Lucknow :
Even before completing 21 years of age Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar had become a part of the British Army, and the first major action, which the young lad from Allahabad saw was the first World War (WW1), which broke out on July 28, 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian thrown in Sarajevo by a Yugoslav nationalist. Almost 100 years after the WW1, daughter of Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar recall some of the moments, which her parents narrated to her during young days.
Speaking to TOI, octogenarian Probhati Bose, said, “My father (Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar) was born in the summer of 1893, and in January 1914 he joined the British Army’s Royal Indian Army Supply Corps. After few months of joining, he got to see first major action in World War I, and he along with his regiment went to Mesopotamia to extend support to the infantry soldiers, who were facing the enemy bullets.” She further stated that her father often used to talk about the actions he had seen in the World War-1, when she along with her siblings tried their level best to seek a favour from their father.
Recalling some of the stories narrated by her father (which she could recall), Bose said, “As per my father, mostly Punjabi Muslims and Sikhs fought for the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, US and others) against Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman empire. The Lahore and Meerut infantry divisions had to stop the Germans on the western front (in Europe). The soldiers also saw significant action in Mesopotamia, East Africa and South-East Asia.”
According to the New Delhi-based Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Her soldiers served in numerous battlefields around the globe – France and Belgium, Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia, Russia, and even in China. By the end of the war 1,100,000 Indians had served overseas at the cost of 75,000 dead. They earned more than 9,200 decorations for gallantry including 11 Victoria Cross (VCs).
However, the daughter of the World War veteran lamented that military history, which is taught in most of the schools or colleges, is devoid of India’s contribution to World War-1 and World War-2. She said, “Most of the news channel or newspaper reporters are obsessed about the Indo-Pak wars. It is indeed very sad that most of our news channels and newspapers give comparatively less coverage to the illustrious history of India’s contribution in the world wars. And it is only on certain specific occasions, when the clan of the World War veterans is remembered.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / July 28th, 2014