In Britain, the First Memorial to a Famine Bengal Never Forgot — and India Never Marked

Manchester, UK — November 2025:
In 1943, Bengal was devastated by a famine that claimed nearly three million lives. Despite the scale of the tragedy, India and South Asia have never formally commemorated it — no museum, no memorial, not even a plaque. This year, a memorial in Manchester, Britain, sought to honor the lives lost and ask a difficult question: why has one of South Asia’s deadliest catastrophes been largely forgotten?

A Personal Memory of the Famine

Partha Mitter, who grew up on Harish Mukherjee Road in South Calcutta, recalls life in the 1940s with vivid clarity. The house was elegant, shaded by towering trees, yet the horrors of the famine left an indelible mark on young Mitter.

“I remember emaciated women and children through the iron grills of our gate. They were so weak, they could hardly walk. All I heard was their lingering cry: ‘phyan de maa’ — mother, give me rice water,” recalls Mitter, who was just five years old at the time.

Though the memory faded into his subconscious over the decades, journalist Kavita Puri’s inquiries brought it back into focus, reminding Mitter — and the world — of a tragedy often overshadowed by war, riots, and Partition.

Why the Bengal Famine Remains Forgotten

Historians argue that the 1943 famine, under British colonial rule, has been largely omitted from mainstream narratives in India. Unlike wars or political upheavals, the famine is rarely commemorated in textbooks, museums, or public memory.

The Manchester memorial highlighted this gap, encouraging public reflection on historical neglect and the human cost of policy failures during colonial times.

The Role of Memory and Remembrance

Events like the memorial are vital not only for honoring lost lives but also for educating future generations about historical injustices. Survivors’ accounts, like Mitter’s, serve as poignant reminders of human resilience amid tragedy and the importance of acknowledging forgotten histories.