Administering Colonialism and War

Description

Colonialism is a dehumanizing experience for all those at the mercy of its power structures. The officers of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) were no exception. This book focuses on the role of ICS in World War II and engages in a wider debate about colonialism’s impact on its administrators and subjects.

The author looks at the events of World War II specifically in the province of Assam in India’s North-East. It is here that the British and American troops were stationed as they attempted to retake Burma following Japan’s invasion in 1942 and supply the Allied Chinese by road and air. The volume also focuses on how radio broadcasting was used to manufacture the Indian public’s consent for the war effort and explores the horrors of the Bengal Famine and the controversies surrounding the British responses to it.

The central character in the book’s narrative is Sir Andrew Clow who was a career civil servant in India. He was the Minister for Communications during the late 1930s and early 1940s before he became the Governor of Assam in 1942. The book is partly a biography of his fascinating career.

About the Author

Colin R. Alexander teaches political communications at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom.

Reviews

“This book brings to light some of the psychological traumas that incurred as a result of colonialism. An in-depth examination of the life of the main character provides a detailed account of how his colonial experiences impact on him and, through diary extracts, the reader witnesses the effect of those experiences on his mental well-being. The book explores how he attempts to make sense of, and manage, his own psychological distress, offering fascinating insights into this experience. What becomes apparent is that colonialism is a dehumanizing experience for all those involved, and by examining the role of a colonizer from a trauma perspective the book offers a fresh way of thinking about this topic.”

— Rachael Hillyer, Trauma Psychologist, Sheffield, United Kingdom

“The stature of Sir Andrew Clow, a quiet and unassuming man, should be measured not by his height but by the brilliance of his intellect as illustrated in this well-written and telling biography of his life in India during the 1930s and 1940s. All praise to Colin R. Alexander for this in-depth critical study.”

— M. Clow, niece-in-law of Sir Andrew Clow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Table of contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction: Colonialism and the Colonial Mind
2. Sir Andrew Gourlay Clow: A Life in History
3. Radio Broadcasting in Colonial India
4. World War II in Assam and the North-Eastern Frontier
5. The Indian Civil Service and the Bengal Famine of 1943
6. Perspectives: Leaving India and the End of Empire

Bibliography

Index

About the Author