Empire

171. The Bengal Famine: Chaos in Calcutta

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Episode notes

By 1943, the price of rice was beyond unaffordable for most in Bengal, and people were dying in the streets. Despite government censorship of letters, news spread about the famine and the tide turned with the introduction of a new Viceroy. Yet when aid eventually did arrive from other regions of India, it was so chaotically handled that some food shipments were halted at the station. Listen as Anita and William are joined again by Kavita Puri to explore the legacy of what is sometimes dubbed “Churchill’s Famine”.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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