‘The British used the artillery more efficiently and also ensured the absence of one-third of the Bengal army from combat by buying the loyalty of Bengali traitor Mir Jafar. The British could also ensure that their artillery shells remained dry when pressed into action as it had rained on the battle day, 23 June. The British had just remembered to carry tarpaulins, unlike the Bengal army. The British lost less than 50 lives; the Bengal army lost around 1,500.

‘The company acquired revenue rights in Bengal. Its repressive and exploitative policies targeting Indians triggered the First War of Indian Independence or the Indian Mutiny of 1857–59 that involved British Indian soldiers, Maratha and Mughal soldiers. The British army crushed the rebellion with extreme ferocity. Hundreds of soldiers were bayoneted or fired from cannons, while the Mughal royal family was wiped out, in reprisals by the British.

‘The British government, which took over the control of India after the 1857 mutiny, was no less ruthless in dealing with dissent. As you know, a few dozen British soldiers under Brigadier General Reginald Dyer on 13 April 1919 opened fire on a peaceful crowd of 10,000 men, women and children at Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh ground, sealing off its exits. Around 400 lay dead, while around 1,200 sustained injuries. Most of those who had assembled there that day had come to protest against the oppressive British Rowlatt Act while some were there to celebrate Baisakhi.’

‘What was the reaction of the British government to the massacre?’ asked Sahil.

‘The British government set up a commission of inquiry, the Hunter Commission, which asked Dyer to resign. But the House of Lords praised Dyer’s barbarism and gave him a sword inscribed with “Saviour of the Punjab”. It was a typical case of British hypocrisy. Right after India and Pakistan attained freedom from British rule in August 1947, our neighbour stabbed us in the back. In 1947-48, it dispatched hordes of wild, armed-to-the-teeth tribesmen from their North-West Frontier Province to massacre civilians and forcibly and illegally acquire Jammu and Kashmir. J&K was then an independent kingdom that was delaying the call on acceding to either India or Pakistan. And since then, while on the one hand that country’s government engages in dialogue with us, on the other, it covertly deploys its sponsored terrorists and saboteurs to bleed us.’

Seeing that the boys were beginning to look tired, Somaiya decided it was time to end the session.

‘That’s it for today. We will meet tomorrow, same time. There is an Olympic-sized pool at the back of the bungalow for those inclined to take a swim. There are volleyball and basketball courts in the campus here too. Enjoy the rest of your day.’

22. TRAINING

22

TRAINING

The following morning, Sameer continued the session. ‘Gentlemen, yesterday I told you about the many foreigners who came to India to enrich themselves at her expense…’

The boys were taking an interest in Sameer’s lectures.