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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 20 to 24: The passage below is accompanied by a set of five questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
The Indian government has announced an international competition to design a National War Memorial in New Delhi, to honour all of the Indian soldiers who served in the various wars and counter-insurgency campaigns from 1947 onwards. The terms of the competition also specified that the new structure would be built adjacent to the India Gate – a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. Between the old imperialist memorial and the proposed nationalist one, India’s contribution to the Second World War is airbrushed out of existence.
The Indian government’s conception of the war memorial was not merely absent-minded. Rather, it accurately reflected the fact that both academic history and popular memory have yet to come to terms with India’s Second World War, which continues to be seen as little more than mood music in the drama of India’s advance towards independence and partition in 1947. Further, the political trajectory of the postwar subcontinent has militated against popular remembrance of the war. With partition and the onset of the India-Pakistan rivalry, both of the new nations needed fresh stories for self-legitimisation rather than focusing on shared wartime experiences.
However, the Second World War played a crucial role in both the independence and partition of India. The Indian army recruited, trained and deployed some 2.5 million men, almost 90,000 of which were killed and many more injured. Even at the time, it was recognised as the largest volunteer force in the war.
India’s material and financial contribution to the war was equally significant. India emerged as a major military-industrial and logistical base for Allied operations in south-east Asia and the Middle East. This led the United States to take considerable interest in the country’s future, and ensured that this was no longer the preserve of the British government.
Other wartime developments pointed in the direction of India’s independence. In a stunning reversal of its long-standing financial relationship with Britain, India finished the war as one of the largest creditors to the imperial power.
Such extraordinary mobilization for war was achieved at great human cost, with the Bengal famine the most extreme manifestation of widespread wartime deprivation. The costs on India’s home front must be counted in millions of lives.
Indians signed up to serve on the war and home fronts for a variety of reasons. Many were convinced that their contribution would open the doors to India’s freedom. The political and social churn triggered by the war was evident in the massive waves of popular protest and unrest that washed over rural and urban India in the aftermath of the conflict. This turmoil was crucial in persuading the Attlee government to rid itself of the incubus of ruling India.
Seventy years on, it is time that India engaged with the complex legacies of the Second World War. Bringing the war into the ambit of the new national memorial would be a fitting – if not overdue – recognition that this was India’s War.
Full RC Video Analysis
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
"The Indian government has announced an international competition to design a National War Memorial in New Delhi, to honour all of the Indian soldiers who served in the various wars and counter-insurgency campaigns from 1947 onwards."
Explanation: The Indian government has launched a competition to design a memorial in New Delhi to honor Indian soldiers who have served in wars and counter-insurgency operations since 1947.
"The terms of the competition also specified that the new structure would be built adjacent to the India Gate – a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War."
Explanation: The competition's terms state that the new memorial will be placed next to India Gate, which honors Indian soldiers who died in World War I.
"Between the old imperialist memorial and the proposed nationalist one, India’s contribution to the Second World War is airbrushed out of existence."
Explanation: The memorials, one imperial (India Gate) and one nationalist (the new memorial), ignore or overlook India's role in the Second World War.
Paragraph 2
"The Indian government’s conception of the war memorial was not merely absent-minded."
Explanation: The Indian government's approach to the war memorial was not careless or accidental.
"Rather, it accurately reflected the fact that both academic history and popular memory have yet to come to terms with India’s Second World War, which continues to be seen as little more than mood music in the drama of India’s advance towards independence and partition in 1947."
Explanation: The government’s view on the memorial reflects the broader issue that India’s contribution to World War II has not been fully recognized or acknowledged, with the war often seen as just a backdrop to India's struggle for independence and partition.
"Further, the political trajectory of the postwar subcontinent has militated against popular remembrance of the war."
Explanation: The political developments in India after the war, including partition and the India-Pakistan rivalry, have hindered the public’s remembrance of World War II.
"With partition and the onset of the India-Pakistan rivalry, both of the new nations needed fresh stories for self-legitimisation rather than focusing on shared wartime experiences."
Explanation: After partition, India and Pakistan needed new narratives for national identity, which led them to avoid focusing on shared wartime experiences.
Paragraph 3
"However, the Second World War played a crucial role in both the independence and partition of India."
Explanation: Despite being overlooked, World War II played a key role in India’s independence and partition.
"The Indian army recruited, trained and deployed some 2.5 million men, almost 90,000 of which were killed and many more injured."
Explanation: The Indian army mobilized about 2.5 million soldiers, with nearly 90,000 killed and many more wounded during the war.
"Even at the time, it was recognised as the largest volunteer force in the war."
Explanation: At the time, the Indian army was recognized as the largest volunteer force in World War II.
Paragraph 4
"India’s material and financial contribution to the war was equally significant."
Explanation: India made substantial material and financial contributions to the war effort.
"India emerged as a major military-industrial and logistical base for Allied operations in south-east Asia and the Middle East."
Explanation: India became an important military-industrial and logistical hub for the Allies in Southeast Asia and the Middle East during the war.
"This led the United States to take considerable interest in the country’s future, and ensured that this was no longer the preserve of the British government."
Explanation: The U.S. took a greater interest in India’s future after the war, signaling that British control was no longer the sole influence on India’s future.
Paragraph 5
"Other wartime developments pointed in the direction of India’s independence."
Explanation: Other events during the war suggested that India’s independence was becoming more likely.
"In a stunning reversal of its long-standing financial relationship with Britain, India finished the war as one of the largest creditors to the imperial power."
Explanation: At the end of the war, India became one of the largest creditors to Britain, marking a dramatic shift from the previous financial dependency.
Paragraph 6
"Such extraordinary mobilization for war was achieved at great human cost, with the Bengal famine the most extreme manifestation of widespread wartime deprivation."
Explanation: The massive wartime mobilization came at a tremendous human cost, with the Bengal famine being the most extreme example of the widespread suffering during the war.
"The costs on India’s home front must be counted in millions of lives."
Explanation: The impact of the war on India’s civilian population was devastating, with millions of lives lost due to deprivation and hardship.
Paragraph 7
"Indians signed up to serve on the war and home fronts for a variety of reasons."
Explanation: Indians enlisted to serve in both the military and on the home front for many different reasons.
"Many were convinced that their contribution would open the doors to India’s freedom."
Explanation: Many Indians believed that their efforts in the war would help bring about India’s independence.
"The political and social churn triggered by the war was evident in the massive waves of popular protest and unrest that washed over rural and urban India in the aftermath of the conflict."
Explanation: The war triggered political and social unrest in India, as seen in widespread protests and turmoil across both rural and urban areas after the conflict.
"This turmoil was crucial in persuading the Attlee government to rid itself of the incubus of ruling India."
Explanation: The unrest in India played a significant role in convincing the British government under Clement Attlee to relinquish control over India.
Paragraph 8
"Seventy years on, it is time that India engaged with the complex legacies of the Second World War."
Explanation: Seventy years after the war, it is time for India to confront and understand the complex legacies of World War II.
"Bringing the war into the ambit of the new national memorial would be a fitting – if not overdue – recognition that this was India’s War."
Explanation: Including World War II in the new national memorial would be a fitting, though overdue, recognition of India’s significant role in the war.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
The Indian government is holding a competition to design a new war memorial in New Delhi, but the memorial’s focus overlooks India’s significant contribution to the Second World War, which is ignored between the imperial and nationalist memorials.
Paragraph 2 Summary
The lack of recognition of India’s role in World War II is not accidental, but reflects a broader failure in both academic and popular memory, with post-partition political needs overshadowing shared wartime experiences.
Paragraph 3 Summary
World War II played a pivotal role in India’s independence and partition, with India contributing a large volunteer army and suffering significant losses, making it the largest volunteer force in the war.
Paragraph 4 Summary
India’s material and financial contributions to the war were crucial, and India became an important military-industrial base for the Allies, which increased U.S. interest in India’s future beyond British control.
Paragraph 5 Summary
The war also pointed to India’s eventual independence, as India became one of the largest creditors to Britain, reversing the long-standing financial relationship.
Paragraph 6 Summary
The war's human cost in India was enormous, with the Bengal famine serving as the most extreme example of the devastation experienced by the civilian population during the war.
Paragraph 7 Summary
Indians enlisted for various reasons, believing their service would bring India closer to freedom. The war’s political and social consequences led to widespread protests, contributing to the British decision to end its rule in India.
Paragraph 8 Summary
It is time for India to confront the complex legacies of the Second World War, and incorporating it into the new national memorial would be an appropriate acknowledgment of India’s role in the conflict.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | The new war memorial competition overlooks India’s role in the Second World War. |
| Paragraph 2 | The lack of recognition of India’s wartime contribution is a result of post-partition political needs. |
| Paragraph 3 | India’s involvement in World War II was crucial to both its independence and partition, with a large volunteer army and significant casualties. |
| Paragraph 4 | India contributed materially and financially to the war effort, becoming an important base for Allied operations and increasing U.S. interest in its future. |
| Paragraph 5 | India’s wartime contributions led it to become a major creditor to Britain, signaling the shift towards independence. |
| Paragraph 6 | The human cost of India’s wartime mobilization was immense, with millions of lives lost, exemplified by the Bengal famine. |
| Paragraph 7 | Indians enlisted in the war believing it would lead to independence, and the resulting unrest contributed to the British decision to leave. |
| Paragraph 8 | Seventy years later, India must engage with the legacies of World War II, and including it in the national memorial would be a long-overdue recognition. |
RC Questions
Ques 20. In the first paragraph, the author laments the fact that:
Ques 21. The phrase “mood music” is used in the second paragraph to indicate that the Second World War is viewed as:
Ques 22. The author suggests that a major reason why India has not so far acknowledged its role in the Second World War is that it:
Ques 23. The author lists all of the following as outcomes of the Second World War EXCEPT:
Ques 24. The author claims that omitting mention of Indians who served in the Second World War from the new National War Memorial is:
