Int’l Confab On ‘India and Great War’ Starts In New Delhi

New Delhi, March 6, IRNA – International Conference on ‘India and the Great War’ kicked off Wednesday in New Delhi. The three-day conference, inaugurated by Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari, was jointly organized by the United Service Institution of India (USI) and Ministry of External Affairs here today. Ansari inaugurating the conference said the damage caused by the Great War had no parallel in history. In earlier wars, the civilian populations were generally spared. In World War I, the casualties suffered by the civilian population from bombing and the famines and epidemics caused by the war far exceeded those suffered by the armed forces. The War was also unprecedented in terms of resource mobilization. According to some estimates, the conflict mobilized 65 million troops, claimed around 20 million military and civilian deaths and 21 million wounded. It imposed a heavy cost on the global economy and led to many serious social problems. In Asia, Europe and Africa, new states were created out of the former imperial territories of the defeated powers. Their geographical boundaries were at times arbitrary, drawn to serve the interests of dominant European powers. Colonies exchanged hands and areas of influence were mandated amongst the victors. The unethical and arbitrary sharing of the spoils of war between the victorious powers prepared the ground for some of the most intractable international territorial disputes. These continue to haunt international peace and security to this day, particularly in West Asia and Africa. The Conference is important and relevant in this context. This impressive and knowledgeable gathering of scholars and soldiers will serve as a good starting point for redressing this glaring gap in our understanding of that period of our history. The discussions would contribute to a better comprehension of the events which influenced India’s past and affect its present. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, around 1.1 million Indian personnel were sent overseas on war duties, including to France, Belgium, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia and Palestine. Smaller contingents were deployed in Aden, East Africa, Gallipoli and Salonika. Around 60,000 troops from undivided India sacrificed their lives in the War. Over 9,200 decorations were earned, including 11 Victoria Cross./end