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Abstract

Abstract
This article examines the atmosphere of panic and fear in British India during World War 2, coinciding with the Japanese advance towards India when countries in east and south-east Asia were overrun by Japan’s armed forces. The situation became desperate, giving rise to panic as the Andamans, Thailand, and Burma fell to the Japanese, and the coastal cities of Calcutta, Chittagong, Vizagapatam, and Madras were bombed by the Japanese air force. I discuss this alarming situation, and its impact on south and south-east India as well as on the province of Sind in north-west-India, an area far removed from the battle zones in the east. I also discuss the state of affairs prevailing till around mid-1943, with an incident in December 1943. By then, the military situation had started tilting in favour of the Allies due to the massive involvement of the armed forces of the United States of America.