Friday, December 25, 2009

Jodhpur Government Gazette - August 10, 1940 (War News)


This year December has been unusually hectic for me. I was thinking it to be relaxed period but surprisingly it has been more busy month than October-November. Well, don't take it as excuse for not updating the blog. I am not complaining :-) I hope I can work like this even after marriage ;-)

I am planning to go to my native place Patna after more than 3 years. There are couple of reasons for it. Of course it has been a very long time since I visited there so there are nostalgic reasons as expected. Nostalgia has different meaning for different people. Like I want to feel the chillness and cold weather of North India, indulge into the great food of winter like Sweet Carrot Halwa, Sweets made out of Til (I need to find English word for it) and Kachori/Paratha (Indian Fried Breads) made out of fresh green Gram flour. Winter is the season when one shall visit North India. It's bad weather but an unique experience!

Last but the least, I also want to go to Gangaes Ghats and roam around old and new Patna to refresh my childhood memories. This time, I also plan to carry camera to capture some moments. Even though, I have been born and brought up there still I know Patna always gives you an experience every time one visits. So let's see this time what I will have to share with my friends here when I return.

So, there will not be any more updates after this weekend until 16th Jan! I will be back in Bangalore on 10th Jan but will post 1st entry of Jan only on 16th-17th. I will try to see how much I can update this holiday weekend to compensate for December-January.

I have lots of literature items coming in next months. To start with, today's post is based on "The Jodhpur Government Gazette" dated August 10, 1940. Sometimes back, I had shared 2 pages of same Gazette. This post covers remaining 2 pages of same Gazette on War News.

The scan above shows the first page I am going to translate. The headline says "News" and it covers some statements by Allied leaders on war followed by small commentary on WWII through a character. Next page then covers weekly war news from around the world. I will skip the statements part and directly jump on commentary on war.

----------------------------Page 1-----------------------------------

The Voice of your Uncle -

Dear children, though I have grown old still I am very much familiar with places like Palestine, Egypt, France, Belgium, Holland, England etc. You would have started hearing name of these places now days very often but I have seen them in the last world war itself. I was a serving soldier that time, and even now I am mentally.

You are sons and daughters of a great country. (Here country refers to the place where the princely state of Jodhpur used to belong i.e. Marwar region.) Marwar has also been the birth place of great warriors. Our land is famous for brave Rathors. Very recently in 1897-98, our ruler Maharaja Shri Sardar Singhji had provided assistance to British Army in Frontier War. Maharaja Shri Sumer Singhji fought in France in last European war. Our army secured/won Haifa in Palestine. We captured some 700 prisoners of war and a number of machine guns. They are now decorated in Jodhpur Fort. You have seen them already, now wait for more! Our officers and soldiers were awarded total of 88 medals/citations.

We stil have our army in Risalpur. Shri Darbar Saheb is getting trained in air warfare under the command of Indian Air Force. We are natives of a brave and glorious country. I wish, I was serving in army even now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you read you can make out that the article tries to raise partiotism in general public. It expresses a soldier's desire to fight for his country even though he is now retired. He still wants to serve. He recites examples set by Maharaja of the state and other dignitaries. It is like modeling the young minds of kids (or in crude way brain washing them so they grow up as loyal citizens of princely state and British Empire).

-----------------------------------Page 2------------------------------------------

Weekly News:-

Around the World:-

Air raids (German) continued on England. Sometimes, even Wales got hit. There was hardly any damage to England. Though, Germany had to suffer huge loss. (Seems clear propaganda !!)

Some Incidents:-

1. Only 6 of the British airplanes were enough for 80 German airplanes. The air raid consisted of 80 German fighter planes which were chased out of Britain by 6 of Royal Air Force fighters assisted by anti-aircraft guns. Whole battle lasted only 30 minutes, where Germans lost 15 of their planes while British only one. The damage caused to Britain was 1/5 of what Germany suffered. Germany has already lost some 318 of their fighter planes trying to capture Great Britain. In fact, they have lost 244 planes beginning 10th June. As an average they are losing almost 6 fighters daily.

2. Italian air force dropped some 280 bombs on a British naval warship near Mediterranean sea but not a single bomb hit the target. Actually, because of high tides and waves, warship was almost covered causing zero visibility to enemy thus they could not target it properly. We didn't suffer any damage. In between, one of Royal air force fighter chased enemy planes out of the area.

In India:-

Preparations are on full swing. Indian air force is expanding and similarly army and naval forces are also increasing. We are manufacturing ammunition and other war equipment rapidly.

People from every caste and society are collecting funds for war assistance.

Organizations like civic guards are performing their duty impressively for the defense of the country.

In Jodhpur:-

A message to general public of Marwar by Chief Minister Saheb Shri Lt. Col. D. M. Field:

"Shri Jodhpur Darbar Saheb has offered all the state resources to His Highness the Emperor and adviced the general public of state to face the difficult situation with confidence in unity and peace.

Shri Darbar Saheb advice general public to beware of rumors, warn of those people who spread fear and panic in society by word or their deeds.

Shri Darbar Saheb has firm belief that his fellow men will go beyond their ancestors loyalty and follow him."

-------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails