{"id":2131,"date":"2020-12-08T10:26:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T09:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projekt-mida.de\/?post_type=reflexicon&p=2131"},"modified":"2022-12-08T16:09:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T15:09:10","slug":"the-making-of-a-cosmopolitan-jangi-qaidi","status":"publish","type":"reflexicon","link":"https:\/\/www.projekt-mida.de\/en\/reflexicon\/the-making-of-a-cosmopolitan-jangi-qaidi\/","title":{"rendered":"The Making of a Cosmopolitan Jangi Qaidi: A Leaf from Sohan Singh\u2019s Prison Notebook written in Annaburger Stammlager D\/Z in German captivity during the Second World War (1942- 45)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Van\u00addana Joshi
<\/strong>Pub\u00adlished in 2020<\/strong>
DOI<\/span> 10.25360\/01\u20132022-00025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig. 1:<\/strong> A page from Sohan Singh\u2019s prison diary con\u00adtain\u00ading trans\u00adla\u00adtion of Ger\u00adman words into Urdu and Eng\u00adlish. Cour\u00adtesy: Volk\u00ader Kummer\u2019s Pri\u00advate Collection<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Con\u00adtents
<\/strong>The Prob\u00adlem of Method\u00adolog\u00adi\u00adcal Nation\u00adal\u00adism<\/a> | Euro\u00adpean Archives: Prove\u00adnance and Per\u00adti\u00adnence<\/a> | The Prison Note\u00adbook as a His\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal Source<\/a> | The Lega\u00adcy<\/a> | Cos\u00admopoli\u00adtan Sol\u00addier\u00ading<\/a> | Colditz Oflag IV<\/span> C<\/a> | Dr.  Biren\u00addra Nath Mazumdar\u2019s Sound Record\u00ading<\/a> | End\u00adnotes<\/a> | Bib\u00adli\u00adog\u00adra\u00adphy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This piece is ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to the mem\u00ado\u00adry of pris\u00adon\u00ader Sohan Singh and his transna\u00adtion\u00adal nur\u00adtur\u00ader, the \u2018hob\u00adby his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan\u2019 Volk\u00ader Kum\u00admer, a mem\u00adber of the Annaburg Asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion for the Preser\u00adva\u00adtion of local his\u00adto\u00adry and Her\u00aditage (Annaburg\u00ader Vere\u00adin f\u00fcr Heimat\u00adgeschichte und Denkmalpflege) who relent\u00adless\u00adly searched for eye\u00adwit\u00adness\u00ades of WWII<\/span> in India. I am indebt\u00aded to Pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Rahul Peter Das, the cus\u00adto\u00addi\u00adan of Volk\u00ader Kummer\u2019s pri\u00advate col\u00adlec\u00adtion, who entrust\u00aded me with it. While hand\u00ading over his col\u00adlec\u00adtion, Kum\u00admer urged Pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Das to give it to a \u2018real\u2019 his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan. I am hum\u00adbled to be its recip\u00adi\u00adent and hope that I have been able to do jus\u00adtice to it. Kummer\u2019s insti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal col\u00adlec\u00adtion is housed in Annaburg\u00ader Amtsmu\u00adse\u00adum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above image is tak\u00aden from the prison note\u00adbook of a British-Indi\u00adan Pris\u00adon\u00ader of War, jan\u00adgi qai\u00addi<\/em>, in con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adrary Ger\u00adman par\u00adlance[1]<\/a>, Sohan Singh. He spent three years in the cas\u00adtle prison of Annaburg locat\u00aded in Sax\u00adony. Dur\u00ading his cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty he filled 64 pages of his prison note\u00adbook. Annaburg had the largest con\u00adcen\u00adtra\u00adtion of jan\u00adgi qai\u00addi<\/em>s and was the recruit\u00ading ground for Sub\u00adhas Chan\u00addra Bose\u2019s INA<\/span> or the Indi\u00adan Legion dur\u00ading WWII<\/span>. Accord\u00ading to British sources, out of 12,000 British-Indi\u00adan pris\u00adon\u00aders, who land\u00aded in Ger\u00adman camps, not more than 3200 trained ulti\u00admate\u00adly as the 950th<\/sup> Reg\u00adi\u00adment under the SS<\/span>.[2]<\/a> The Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Red Cross vis\u00adi\u00adta\u00adtion report\u2019s high\u00adest tal\u00adly of Annaburg inmates record\u00aded on 15.5.1943 puts the total strength at 4323 of whom 2736 were out with labour detach\u00adments.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Legionar\u00adies have been a sub\u00adject of sev\u00ader\u00adal books in India and abroad, ordi\u00adnary jan\u00adgi qaidis<\/em> who did not defect have attract\u00aded lit\u00adtle aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic atten\u00adtion. This neglect can be attrib\u00aduted to both method\u00adolog\u00adi\u00adcal approach\u00ades and lin\u00adguis\u00adtic bar\u00adri\u00aders of the mul\u00adti-lin\u00adgual Euro\u00adpean archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The Problem of Methodological Nationalism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sol\u00addier\u00ading in orga\u00adnized twen\u00adti\u00adeth cen\u00adtu\u00adry war\u00adfare spilled over the bound\u00adaries of nation-states, yet nar\u00adra\u00adtives of war have been penned with\u00adin the frame\u00adwork of method\u00adolog\u00adi\u00adcal nation\u00adal\u00adism.  The irony of the nation\u00adal\u00adist par\u00ada\u00addigm becomes glar\u00ading in view of the fact that the num\u00adber of British-Indi\u00adan sol\u00addiers reached the mark of 2.4 mil\u00adlion and became the largest army ever raised by any war\u00adring force. Britain fought the war as an empire, yet when it comes to mythol\u00ado\u00adgiz\u00ading the war, the tight skin of British nation\u00adal\u00adism squeezed in the expe\u00adri\u00adences of a diverse British-Indi\u00adan army, ren\u00adder\u00ading the colo\u00adnial sol\u00addiers invis\u00adi\u00adble in his\u00adto\u00adry, mem\u00ado\u00adry and memo\u00adri\u00adal\u00adi\u00adsa\u00adtion. Britain was quick to mythol\u00ado\u00adgise the war as \u201cpeople\u2019s war\u201d cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00ading \u201cthe Blitz spir\u00adit of wartime British cities\u201d, \u201cthe Colditz myth\u201d and the British soldier\u2019s sto\u00adic mas\u00adculin\u00adi\u00adty. How\u00adev\u00ader, colonised sol\u00addiers trained and fought with the same spir\u00adit, ethos and cul\u00adture were large\u00adly kept out of the pol\u00adi\u00adtics of rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion and myth\u00admak\u00ading. Sol\u00addier\u00ading in cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty added yet anoth\u00ader lay\u00ader to the whiten\u00ading of his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adog\u00adra\u00adphy. Despite the suc\u00adcess\u00adful escape attempts of a few Indi\u00adan offi\u00adcers, Kochavi (2005) men\u00adtions British-Indi\u00adan sol\u00addiers in three pages in total as mere sta\u00adtis\u00adtics and Macken\u00adzie (2005), while bust\u00ading the Colditz myth, does not even reg\u00adis\u00adter the pres\u00adence of British-Indi\u00adan soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sec\u00adond prob\u00adlem fac\u00ading researchers who wish to explore these hith\u00ader\u00adto ignored lives is that of acces\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty to mul\u00adti-lin\u00adgual Euro\u00adpean archives, specif\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly for the Anglo-Amer\u00adi\u00adcan world\u2019s his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adans of South Asia. Though they have recent\u00adly start\u00aded address\u00ading the invis\u00adi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty of British-Indi\u00adan sol\u00addiers by focussing on the impact of WWII<\/span> on the home front, nar\u00adra\u00adtives from Ger\u00adman cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty still elude them as they have not been able to ful\u00adly use the diverse mul\u00adti-lin\u00adgual Euro\u00adpean archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third prob\u00adlem is that the South East Asian The\u00adatre of War (com\u00adbats in Bur\u00adma, Malaya, Sin\u00adga\u00adpore, and India) has attract\u00aded rel\u00ada\u00adtive\u00adly more atten\u00adtion due to the much larg\u00ader num\u00adber of INA<\/span> sol\u00addiers raised in Japan and their actu\u00adal com\u00adbats against the British on the east\u00adern fron\u00adtiers of India.[4]<\/a> The Ger\u00adman nar\u00adra\u00adtive, with a few excep\u00adtions such as G\u00fcn\u00adther (2003), too has been large\u00adly pre\u00adoc\u00adcu\u00adpied with the INA<\/span> and Boses\u2019s activ\u00adi\u00adties rather than the every\u00adday life of ordi\u00adnary captives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>European Archives: Provenance and Pertinence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under\u00adneath the rich nation\u00adal and inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal prove\u00adnance based Euro\u00adpean hold\u00adings in the For\u00adeign Office Archives, Berlin, Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Red Cross Archives, Gene\u00adva, ITS<\/span>, Bad-Arolsen, Mil\u00adi\u00adtary Archives, Freiburg,[5]<\/a> to name a few, there is a lay\u00ader of unuti\u00adlized mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal based on the per\u00adti\u00adnence-prin\u00adci\u00adpal, such as pri\u00advate col\u00adlec\u00adtions of Indophile his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adans and activists, that has the poten\u00adtial of adding new per\u00adspec\u00adtives and depth to the expe\u00adri\u00adences of war. This post com\u00adbines these two types of sources, with a focus on the lat\u00adter as a case study, to recon\u00adstruct a uni\u00adverse of cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty in Sax\u00adony, which saw the largest con\u00adcen\u00adtra\u00adtion of British-Indi\u00adan POWs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sohan Singh\u2019s prison note\u00adbook is a rare piece of his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal evi\u00addence pre\u00adserved by Kum\u00admer. It is unique, illus\u00adtra\u00adtive, instruc\u00adtive, and emblem\u00adat\u00adic as I shall show in the fol\u00adlow\u00ading pages. Singh was one among the innu\u00admer\u00adable Sikh sol\u00addiers who served the impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal army from its incep\u00adtion. The Sikhs were cat\u00ade\u00adgorised as a mar\u00adtial race by the British and nur\u00adtured with benev\u00ado\u00adlence to serve the mil\u00adi\u00adtary needs of Empire there\u00adby hop\u00ading to ensure their loy\u00adal\u00adty. Singh was also a typ\u00adi\u00adcal young sol\u00addier who joined the army in the wake of an aggres\u00adsive recruit\u00adment cam\u00adpaign, in which the phys\u00adi\u00adcal qual\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions were low\u00adered and the age brack\u00adet expand\u00aded to mobilise larg\u00ader num\u00adbers.  Most of the new ordi\u00adnary recruits were \u2018peas\u00adants in uni\u00adforms\u2019 with few options of earn\u00ading a liv\u00ading in vil\u00adlages. A career in the army entailed a promise of incen\u00adtives, offers, recog\u00adni\u00adtion, earn\u00ading while learn\u00ading, besides the tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal ben\u00ade\u00adfits of pay, wel\u00adfare, and land grants.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Singh was tak\u00aden pris\u00adon\u00ader, he was bare\u00adly 18. With lit\u00adtle for\u00admal edu\u00adca\u00adtion and train\u00ading, young recruits were sent to face the fury of Rommel\u2019s high\u00adly pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal and well-equipped Ger\u00adman army divi\u00adsions. Most of them were cap\u00adtured in North Africa with\u00adout offer\u00ading much resis\u00adtance and were brought to Ger\u00adman pris\u00adons via Ital\u00adian camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The Prison Notebook as a Historical Source<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Singh\u2019s prison note\u00adbook has the size of a pock\u00adet\u00adbook. It does not have a cov\u00ader, the hand\u00adwrit\u00ading is fad\u00aded and smudged in places, and the edges of the yel\u00adlow brit\u00adtle pages have frayed at the bot\u00adtom. It has no page num\u00adbers and dates to give us a sense of time. Nonethe\u00adless, it is a rare ego doc\u00adu\u00adment that gives us a peek into the mind of a reg\u00adu\u00adlar jan\u00adgi qai\u00addi<\/em> and thus a valu\u00adable piece of tex\u00adtu\u00adal evi\u00addence from the kind of pris\u00adon\u00aders who found it chal\u00adleng\u00ading to nav\u00adi\u00adgate through their every\u00adday life in a cul\u00adtur\u00adal\u00adly and lin\u00adguis\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly strange cos\u00admos and taught them\u00adselves how to deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The note\u00adbook is per\u00adhaps the only sur\u00adviv\u00ading piece of writ\u00ading by a jan\u00adgi qai\u00addi<\/em>. It offers clues to his hopes, aspi\u00adra\u00adtions, dreams, and desires although it is cod\u00aded at times. The first few pages show his efforts to learn words in Ger\u00adman by not\u00ading their mean\u00ading in Urdu, the script he was most famil\u00adiar with. He not\u00aded down Ger\u00adman terms for body parts, ani\u00admals, cloth\u00ading, rela\u00adtions and so on which he wrote next to their Urdu equiv\u00ada\u00adlents, as the cov\u00ader page image shows. In the next few pages, one could see a tran\u00adsi\u00adtion from Urdu to Eng\u00adlish as he scrib\u00adbled more words of every\u00adday use in Ger\u00adman and English.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Another
Fig\u00adure 2:<\/strong> Words of dai\u00adly use from Eng\u00adlish-Ger\u00adman dic\u00adtio\u00adnary in Sohan Singh\u2019s prison Notebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

His note\u00adbook entries from then on show a pat\u00adtern of learn\u00ading from a bi-lin\u00adgual Eng\u00adlish Ger\u00adman dic\u00adtio\u00adnary. Sev\u00ader\u00adal pages there\u00adafter con\u00adtain beau\u00adti\u00adful\u00adly writ\u00adten Sabads<\/em> from Gur\u00adbani <\/em>(Guru Nanak\u2019s preach\u00ading in the holy book of Sikhs, Guru Granth Saheb<\/em>) in the Gur\u00admukhi script. This method of learn\u00ading was quite typ\u00adi\u00adcal for self-taught peo\u00adple in India until the very recent advent of the com\u00adput\u00ader, where learn\u00ading by watch\u00ading YouTube tuto\u00adri\u00adals or vocab\u00adu\u00adlary train\u00ader appli\u00adca\u00adtions has become commonplace.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Another
Fig\u00adure 3: <\/strong>A page of Sabad from Gur\u00adbani. Source: Sohan Singh\u2019s prison notebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chil\u00addren as also adults from ver\u00adnac\u00adu\u00adlar schools crammed up words from the dic\u00adtio\u00adnary in the hope that one day they would be able to mas\u00adter the lan\u00adguage of the elite. In wartime Ger\u00admany too, Euro\u00adpean pris\u00adon\u00aders often car\u00adried a bi-lin\u00adgual pock\u00adet dic\u00adtio\u00adnary to facil\u00adi\u00adtate con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adtions, espe\u00adcial\u00adly with local women. It became an impor\u00adtant tool, besides pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly learnt skills of plumb\u00ading, gar\u00adden\u00ading and car\u00adpen\u00adtry that almost worked as a social lubri\u00adcant in cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading friend\u00adships by fix\u00ading locks, doors, bath\u00adtubs, and the like for their Ger\u00adman acquain\u00adtances. Ger\u00adman spo\u00adken with\u00adout syn\u00adtax and gram\u00admar became the lin\u00adgua fran\u00adca of the camp uni\u00adverse. Singh\u2019s note\u00adbook is a rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive exam\u00adple of an alien\u2019s desire to social\u00adize and blend in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few pages after these lan\u00adguage lessons, he wrote down some dates with names of fel\u00adlow pris\u00adon\u00aders, dead, lib\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded or those he was look\u00ading for. Sad\u00adly, the details of his men\u00adtal pro\u00adcess\u00ading are lost to us as we can\u00adnot deci\u00adpher why he wrote down some oth\u00ader dates and address\u00ades. But one we know for sure: 24.4.1945, next to which he wrote, Chut\u00adti ka din <\/em>in Urdu: the day of liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Ger\u00adman names fig\u00adure in it too. One that he tried to write him\u00adself reads Maha\u00adgret. Right below that two names were writ\u00adten in Ger\u00adman style: Mar\u00adgarete Kurth\u00e4user and Heinz Kurth\u00e4user. These, I sup\u00adpose were writ\u00adten by some friend\u00adly Ger\u00adman who tried to teach him how to write their names cor\u00adrect\u00adly, most prob\u00ada\u00adbly Mar\u00adgarete her\u00adself. Anoth\u00ader name found in his note\u00adbook was Hilde\u00adgard Kossagk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The Legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Singh\u2019s sto\u00adry did not end after lib\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion. On 15.02.1974, he wrote a let\u00adter from Bazpur to Kurt Kos\u00adsagk, Hildrgard\u2019s hus\u00adband.[7]<\/a> By then he had tak\u00aden the title of Sube\u00addar. He remind\u00aded Kos\u00adsagk that he had worked on his farm. He told Kurt that he was the own\u00ader of a big farm, had bought a Roman\u00adian trac\u00adtor, and worked on the farm with his sons. This half page let\u00adter was writ\u00adten in Ger\u00adman. Bar\u00adring a few gram\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal errors, the let\u00adter was able to com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adcate its pur\u00adpose. He wished to trav\u00adel to Ger\u00admany to vis\u00adit them at his own cost and request\u00aded for help with visa and oth\u00ader for\u00admal\u00adi\u00adties. How\u00adev\u00ader, his wish did not mate\u00adri\u00adalise due to trav\u00adel restric\u00adtions dur\u00ading the Cold War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the col\u00adlapse of the Berlin Wall, his sto\u00adry took anoth\u00ader turn. Volk\u00ader Kum\u00admer, the hob\u00adby his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan of Annaburg, traced him and Singh became a reg\u00adu\u00adlar item on Kummer\u2019s trav\u00adel itin\u00ader\u00adary along with Netaji\u2019s Research Cen\u00adtre in Cal\u00adcut\u00adta. Singh host\u00aded him with great warmth and hos\u00adpi\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty on each vis\u00adit. The local news\u00adpa\u00adpers in Sax\u00adony car\u00adried spe\u00adcial columns on Kummer\u2019s vis\u00adits and report\u00aded about the great con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adtions they had despite his school Eng\u00adlish and Singh\u2019s lim\u00adit\u00aded abil\u00adi\u00adties to under\u00adstand him. It was report\u00aded that in 2008, the 84 years old Singh once again expressed the wish to vis\u00adit Annaburg with a com\u00adpan\u00adion. Kum\u00admer hoped to raise funds from Annaburg\u2019s Asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion, Ger\u00adman-Indi\u00adan Soci\u00adety (Deutsch-Indis\u00adche Gesellschaft), and oth\u00aders. How\u00adev\u00ader, his efforts and Singh\u2019s wish did not bear fruit. Long after his return to his roots, his fam\u00adi\u00adly, and tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal pro\u00adfes\u00adsion in which he made great advances, Singh\u2019s spir\u00adit sored high on a tran\u00adscul\u00adtur\u00adal hori\u00adzon despite his inabil\u00adi\u00adty to cross nation\u00adal borders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Cosmopolitan Soldiering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Through this illus\u00adtra\u00adtive sto\u00adry I would like to dwell on the con\u00adcept of cos\u00admopoli\u00adtan sol\u00addier\u00ading of the jan\u00adgi qai\u00addi<\/em> in WWII<\/span>. Although a few pris\u00adon\u00aders made suc\u00adcess\u00adful escape attempts, most real\u00adized it was a tough and futile exer\u00adcise and tried to go on with their lives with as much accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adtion and flex\u00adi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty as allowed them to nav\u00adi\u00adgate through the camp life, monot\u00ado\u00adnous at best and cru\u00adel at worst, along with find\u00ading venues for cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty and enter\u00adprise where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large major\u00adi\u00adty saw cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty as an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty for transna\u00adtion\u00adal, cross-cul\u00adtur\u00adal inter\u00adac\u00adtion to mit\u00adi\u00adgate their dis\u00adtress, amuse them\u00adselves or ful\u00adfil their wish\u00ades. In Annaburg there were POWs of oth\u00ader nation\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties too with whom jan\u00adgi qaidis<\/em> bartered, played, socialised, and indulged in for\u00adbid\u00adden activ\u00adi\u00adties. Bose him\u00adself vis\u00adit\u00aded the camp thrice for his recruit\u00adment dri\u00adve. This brought along an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to exer\u00adcise indi\u00advid\u00adual agency. The camp became a cen\u00adtre of rumours, spies, and mutu\u00adal rival\u00adries for resources. Men were lured with bet\u00adter food, attrac\u00adtive uni\u00adforms, and local girls to join the INA<\/span> and when this did not work senior legionar\u00adies gave lash\u00adings to the non-com\u00adpli\u00adant ones. With\u00addraw\u00adal of the Red Cross parcels and post from home were oth\u00ader meth\u00adods of reprisals. Even then, the major\u00adi\u00adty stayed as ordi\u00adnary captives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These loy\u00adal \u2018peas\u00adants in uni\u00adform\u2019 under\u00adwent a trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion of their own kind under the influ\u00adence of their mates, inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal pris\u00adon\u00aders and employ\u00aders, if they hap\u00adpened to be kind, as was the case with Singh. Despite lan\u00adguage bar\u00adri\u00aders they assumed, con\u00adscious\u00adly or uncon\u00adscious\u00adly, habits and ways of doing things as they were done by oth\u00aders around them. This cre\u00adat\u00aded a cos\u00admopoli\u00adtan envi\u00adron\u00adment of learn\u00ading by doing. Singh\u2019s exam\u00adple shows that jan\u00adgi qaidis<\/em> learnt the lin\u00adgua fran\u00adca of the camp uni\u00adverse. Singh may not have been alone in spend\u00ading some qui\u00adet time in the library learn\u00ading Ger\u00adman with the help of a bi-lin\u00adgual dic\u00adtio\u00adnary. He came out of cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty a self-taught poly\u00adglot, how\u00adev\u00ader lim\u00adit\u00aded in his com\u00admand of Ger\u00adman. His spir\u00adit to learn taught him to nav\u00adi\u00adgate in his every\u00adday life in mul\u00adti\u00adple lan\u00adguages, so much so that he even wrote a let\u00adter to Kurt Kos\u00adsagk in Ger\u00adman in 1974. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The larg\u00ader point that I am mak\u00ading through this micro case study is the cross-cul\u00adtur\u00adal, transna\u00adtion\u00adal cos\u00admopoli\u00adtanism that brought to bear its influ\u00adence on the jan\u00adgi qaidis<\/em>. Look\u00ading at the expe\u00adri\u00adences of sol\u00addier\u00ading in cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty through the lens of the sol\u00addier, which Singh\u2019s note\u00adbook helps us in doing, we can dis\u00adcern that the con\u00adcerns of ordi\u00adnary sol\u00addiers were at vari\u00adance with those of the polit\u00adi\u00adcal elite whether British, Ger\u00adman, or Indi\u00adan nationalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Colditz Oflag IV<\/span> C<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let us zoom out of the prison note\u00adbook and zoom into anoth\u00ader Cas\u00adtle prison, Colditz, also locat\u00aded in Sax\u00adony. This Renais\u00adsance style hunt\u00ading lodge was turned into Oflag<\/em> IV<\/span> C which housed \u201cincor\u00adri\u00adgi\u00adble\u201d offi\u00adcers from all pos\u00adsi\u00adble nation\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties who had attempt\u00aded escapes on ear\u00adli\u00ader occa\u00adsions. Rev\u00aderend Courte\u00adnay, a British inmate of Colditz, called it a pun\u00adish\u00adment camp where all pris\u00adon\u00aders with nui\u00adsance val\u00adue were thrown in and were reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly beat\u00aden for bad behav\u00adiour. This did not damp\u00aden their spir\u00adit and they con\u00adtin\u00adued with their pranks, escape attempts, adven\u00adtures, and amus\u00ading activ\u00adi\u00adties. The Rev\u00aderend remem\u00adbered hav\u00ading laughed the most in his life in Colditz because of the peo\u00adple there. He described the nui\u00adsance mak\u00aders as tremen\u00addous\u00adly skilled, deter\u00admined, aggres\u00adsive, and spir\u00adit\u00aded, who, among oth\u00ader enter\u00adpris\u00ading activ\u00adi\u00adties, even formed an escape com\u00admit\u00adtee to help who\u00adev\u00ader want\u00aded to escape and devel\u00adoped a great sense of sol\u00adi\u00addar\u00adi\u00adty.[8]<\/a> Courtenay\u2019s wit\u00adty and light-heart\u00aded ren\u00addi\u00adtion of life in Colditz offers quite a con\u00adtrast to my sec\u00adond case study, an Indi\u00adan medic, also an inmate of Colditz, Dr. Biren\u00addra Nath Mazumdar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Birendra Nath Mazumdar\u2019s Sound Recording<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mazum\u00addar from the Roy\u00adal Armed Mil\u00adi\u00adtary Corps was cap\u00adtured in Eta\u00adples, France, and tak\u00aden through six\u00adteen or sev\u00aden\u00adteen Sta\u00adlags<\/em> before final\u00adly land\u00ading in Colditz. At Colditz, Mazum\u00addar suf\u00adfered unusu\u00adal men\u00adtal agony and phys\u00adi\u00adcal tor\u00adture due to his colo\u00adnial Oth\u00ader\u00adness, for being labelled a spy and a Gand\u00adhi chap by British inmates, and also because of his stub\u00adborn\u00adness and refusal to join the INA<\/span>. The high\u00adpoint of pres\u00adsure came when he was escort\u00aded to Berlin to meet Bose in per\u00adson. After mak\u00ading him com\u00adfort\u00adable by con\u00advers\u00ading in Ben\u00adgali, Bose said in Eng\u00adlish, \u201cYou know why you are here? We are form\u00ading the Indi\u00adan Legion. I want you to join us.\u201d Mazum\u00addar said, \u201cI can\u00adnot, and I would not\u201d. \u201cWhy? I have done it\u201d, said Bose to which Mazum\u00addar replied, \u201cYou had the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to resign and escape. I was taught, a promise once made, you have got to abide by\u201d. Bose left him with the words, \u201cI do not think we should meet again\u201d.[9]<\/a> After his return from Berlin, he went on a five-week hunger strike demand\u00ading his free\u00addom and even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly escaped. He reached Gene\u00adva with the help of a French resis\u00adtance fight\u00ader, con\u00adtact\u00aded the Swiss Immi\u00adgra\u00adtion Office, got the per\u00admis\u00adsion to stay and pur\u00adsue fur\u00adther stud\u00adies. Soon he start\u00aded dat\u00ading a Swiss girl. He was then forced to dis\u00adrupt his stud\u00adies and go to Locarno with oth\u00ader Indi\u00adan soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are snip\u00adpets from a two-and-a-half-hour oral inter\u00adview, record\u00aded in 1996, of the then eighty-year-old RAMC<\/span> medic in the sound archives of the Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal War Muse\u00adum. This was the first time ever that a British-Indi\u00adan offi\u00adcer spoke to his erst\u00adwhile mas\u00adters about his tri\u00adals and tribu\u00adla\u00adtions dur\u00ading his Ger\u00adman cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty. The twists and turns of his colour\u00adful and adven\u00adtur\u00adous sto\u00adry give us insights into the per\u00adils and prospects of Indi\u00adan cap\u00adtives, not just in Ger\u00adman Sta\u00adlags<\/em> (prison camps for ordi\u00adnary sol\u00addiers) and Oflags<\/em> (camps for offi\u00adcers), but also at the hands of their own British fel\u00adlow inmates and the Raj in the form of sub\u00adtle racism, veiled threats, loom\u00ading sus\u00adpi\u00adcion, polit\u00adi\u00adcal taunts, pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal rival\u00adry, and sheer neglect in the post-war era. Many a British-Indi\u00adan cap\u00adtive may find an echo of their own voice in Mazumdar\u2019s rendition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the prison note\u00adbook of Sohan Singh, this rare pri\u00adma\u00adry source from the sound archives of the Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal War Muse\u00adum opens anoth\u00ader win\u00addow to the micro\u00adcosm of cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty for those \u2018promise keep\u00aders\u2019 who resist\u00aded all lures and pres\u00adsures to join the Indi\u00adan Legion dur\u00ading cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty and were moved in and out of the grey zone of col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion until after their repa\u00adtri\u00ada\u00adtion. Hav\u00ading said that, Mazum\u00addar was an offi\u00adcer, who despite fac\u00ading iso\u00adla\u00adtion, hos\u00adtil\u00adi\u00adty, and con\u00adstant accu\u00adsa\u00adtions of espi\u00adonage from his British coun\u00adter\u00adparts on the one hand, and tor\u00adture or temp\u00adta\u00adtions from his Ger\u00adman cap\u00adtors on the oth\u00ader, enjoyed access and oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties to things sel\u00addom avail\u00adable to an ordi\u00adnary pris\u00adon\u00ader in Ger\u00adman cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty, such as social\u00adis\u00ading with White women, con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading his stud\u00adies in Switzer\u00adland after a suc\u00adcess\u00adful escape, and even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly, return\u00ading to the UK<\/span>, where he lived with his wife until his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a source, the eye\u00adwit\u00adness account of Singh\u2019s prison note\u00adbook gives us a visu\u00adal expe\u00adri\u00adence with sev\u00ader\u00adal gaps, cod\u00aded nota\u00adtions, inter\u00adrupt\u00aded tex\u00adtu\u00adal flows, and lack of coher\u00adence, where\u00adas Dr. Mazumdar\u2019s detached and monot\u00ado\u00adnous aur\u00adal ren\u00addi\u00adtion is char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by the accu\u00adra\u00adcy of details, flu\u00aden\u00adcy of speech, polit\u00adi\u00adcal aware\u00adness, and unwa\u00adver\u00ading deter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion. These dif\u00adfer\u00adences owe to their dif\u00adfer\u00adent class ori\u00adgins and train\u00ading that offered them dif\u00adfer\u00adent sets of tools and oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties of social mobil\u00adi\u00adty. In sev\u00ader\u00adal oth\u00ader ways, how\u00adev\u00ader, the expe\u00adri\u00adences of these \u2018promise keep\u00aders\u2019 inter\u00adsect. Despite the lures and threats by the legionar\u00adies and the guards, both stuck to their guns. Both sought transna\u00adtion\u00adal con\u00adtact, main\u00adtained pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal ethos, and showed com\u00adradery in the face of adver\u00adsi\u00adty. Mazum\u00addar got his clue to why he was being ostracised by British inmates. The French and Dutch inmates told him that they called him a spy. Until then he thought he was just being teased as the \u2018bloody Gand\u00adhi chap\u2019. Mazum\u00addar then over\u00adheard the word spy in the wash\u00adroom. He went up to Major Hen\u00adry and asked, \u201cDid I hear you say I am a spy?\u201d Then he gave him five min\u00adutes to with\u00addraw his state\u00adment after which he hit him on his head. The six feet tall British offi\u00adcer fell flat on the floor. The Ger\u00admans on their part also con\u00adtin\u00adued to exer\u00adcise pres\u00adsure tac\u00adtics such as not shift\u00ading him to an Indi\u00adan camp which might have end\u00aded his sense of iso\u00adla\u00adtion and feel\u00ading of vic\u00adtim\u00adiza\u00adtion[10]<\/a> at the hands of his own British col\u00adleagues. He final\u00adly made a suc\u00adcess\u00adful escape attempt from a mov\u00ading train and reached Gene\u00adva. While in Gene\u00adva, he con\u00adfront\u00aded anoth\u00ader British offi\u00adcer when the lat\u00adter told him not to socialise with a Swiss girl and only with his coun\u00adtry\u00admen. Majum\u00addar retort\u00aded, \u201cYou can\u00adnot chain me. I am a free man\u201d.[11]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mazum\u00addar final\u00adly set\u00adtled in the UK<\/span> with his wife after the war while Singh became a suc\u00adcess\u00adful farm own\u00ader. What they both prac\u00adticed long there\u00adafter was derived from lessons they had learnt in cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty: resilience, adven\u00adture, and reci\u00adprocity across lines of nations, colour, and faith. This piece is a small trib\u00adute to the \u2018cos\u00admopoli\u00adtan spir\u00adit\u2019 of the jan\u00adgi qaidi.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Endnotes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> This is how Indi\u00adan POWs were addressed in camp notice boards and offi\u00adcial instruc\u00adtions. The camp lan\u00adguage was Hin\u00addus\u00adtani writ\u00adten in Roman script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> TNA<\/span> WO<\/span> 208\/802<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> ACICR<\/span>, C SC<\/span>, Sta\u00adlag IV<\/span> D\/Z 15.05.1943 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> For recent lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture on the vis\u00adi\u00adbal\u00adi\u00adsa\u00adtion of British Indi\u00adan sol\u00addiers in WWII<\/span>, the impact of the war on the home front and mil\u00adi\u00adtary-soci\u00adety rela\u00adtion\u00adship in South Asia see: Barkawi 2017, Bay\u00adly 2005, Douds 2004, Ragha\u00advan 2016, Khan 2015 and Khan et. al. (ed.) 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> Das poli\u00adtis\u00adche Archiv Auswer\u00adtiges Amt (PAAA<\/span>)<\/em>, Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Trac\u00ading Ser\u00advice (Inter\u00adna\u00adtionaler Suche\u00addi\u00adenst<\/em>) archives in Bad Arolsen (ITS<\/span>), Fed\u00ader\u00adal and Mil\u00adi\u00adtary Archives in Freiburg (Bun\u00adde\u00adsarchiv \u2014 Abteilung Milit\u00e4rarchiv\/<\/em>BA<\/span>\/MA<\/span> Freiburg)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> For recruit\u00adment strat\u00ade\u00adgy and cam\u00adpaigns dur\u00ading WWII<\/span>, see Khan 2015, pp.40\u201349, Ragha\u00advan 2016, pp. 64\u201378, Bay\u00adly, 2005 281\u20135<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> Bazpur is locat\u00aded in the Himalayan foothills of Kumaon, Uttarak\u00adhand. It is an afflu\u00adent city whose inhab\u00adi\u00adtants are main\u00adly Pun\u00adjabi migrants from the post\u00adwar, post-Par\u00adti\u00adtion era. These indus\u00adtri\u00adous and enter\u00adpris\u00ading migrants turned the Tarai <\/em>(wet\u00adland) into an arable agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal land and became large estate own\u00aders. Bazpur is close to Naini\u00adtal, a famous colo\u00adnial hill sta\u00adtion, and Rudra\u00adpur, an indus\u00adtri\u00adal town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a> Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal War Muse\u00adum (IWM<\/span>), Sound Archive, 10771 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a> Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal War Muse\u00adum (IWM<\/span>), Sound Archive, 16800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> PAAA<\/span> R 40985. On 21.5.42 the Ger\u00adman Mil\u00adi\u00adtary High Com\u00admand (OKW<\/span>) wrote to the For\u00adeign Office in response to the Swiss delegation\u2019s rec\u00adom\u00admen\u00adda\u00adtion that it was out of the ques\u00adtion to trans\u00adfer Mazum\u00addar to an Indi\u00adan camp due to spe\u00adcial rea\u00adsons. The com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion also stat\u00aded that doc\u00adtors and spir\u00adi\u00adtu\u00adal lead\u00aders could be grant\u00aded spe\u00adcial priv\u00adi\u00adleges such as spe\u00adcial rooms, dou\u00adble let\u00adters, post cards, week\u00adly 2.5 hours walks out\u00adside the com\u00adpound if their behav\u00adior was unob\u00adjec\u00adtion\u00adable. The denial of such priv\u00adi\u00adleges was a rou\u00adtine pun\u00adish\u00adment giv\u00aden to trou\u00adble\u00admak\u00aders, besides beatings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal War Muse\u00adum (IWM<\/span>), Sound Archive, 16800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Bibliography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Barkawi, T., Sol\u00addiers of Empire: Indi\u00adan and British Armies in World War II<\/span><\/em>. Cam\u00adbridge: Cam\u00adbridge Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty Press, 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bay\u00adly, C. A., Tim Harp\u00ader, The For\u00adgot\u00adten Armies<\/em>: Britain\u2019s Asian Empire and the War with Japan.<\/em> Lon\u00addon: Pen\u00adguin, 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douds, G. J., \u201cThe men who nev\u00ader were: Indi\u00adan POWs in the Sec\u00adond World War\u201d. South Asia: Jour\u00adnal of South Asian Stud\u00adies<\/em> 27, 2 (2004): pp. 183\u2013216.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khan, Yas\u00admin, The Raj at War: A People\u2019s His\u00adto\u00adry of Indian\u2019s Sec\u00adond World War<\/em>. Lon\u00addon: the Bod\u00adley Head, 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khan, Yas\u00admin, Gajen\u00addra Singh, and Ash\u00adley Jack\u00adson (eds.), An Impe\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal World at War: Aspects of the British Empire\u2019s Expe\u00adri\u00adences at war 1939\u201345<\/em>. Lon\u00addon: Rout\u00adledge, 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kochavi, Arieh J., Con\u00adfronting Cap\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty<\/em>: Britain and the Unit\u00aded States and Their POWs in Nazi Ger\u00admany.<\/em> North Car\u00adoli\u00adna: Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of North Car\u00adoli\u00adna Press, 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u00fcn\u00adther, Lothar, Von Indi\u00aden nach Annaburg<\/em>. Berlin: Ver\u00adlag am Park, 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macken\u00adzie, S. P., The Colditz Myth: British and Com\u00admon\u00adwealth Pris\u00adon\u00aders of War in Nazi Ger\u00admany<\/em>. Oxford: Oxford Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty Press, 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ragha\u00advan, Sri\u00adnath, Indi\u00ada\u2019s War: World War II<\/span> and the Mak\u00ading of Mod\u00adern South Asia<\/em>. New York: Basic Books, 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van\u00addana Joshi, <\/strong>Sri Venkateswara Col\u00adlege, Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Delhi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n\n\n\n

MIDA<\/span> Archival Reflex\u00adi\u00adcon<\/strong>

Edi\u00adtors: Anan\u00addi\u00adta Baj\u00adpai, Heike Liebau<\/strong>
Lay\u00adout: Mon\u00adja Hof\u00admann, Nico Putz<\/strong>
Host: ZMO<\/span>, Kirch\u00adweg 33, 14129 Berlin<\/strong>
Con\u00adtact: archival.reflexicon [at] zmo.de<\/strong>

ISSN<\/span> 2628\u20135029<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2132,"template":"","categories":[54],"tags":[104,90,80,89],"class_list":["post-2131","reflexicon","type-reflexicon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflexicon","tag-biographie","tag-kriegsgefangenschaft","tag-politische-geschichte","tag-suedasiatische-soldaten"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Making of a Cosmopolitan Jangi Qaidi: A Leaf from Sohan Singh\u2019s Prison Notebook written in Annaburger Stammlager D\/Z in German captivity during the Second World War (1942- 45) - MIDA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vandana Joshi's reflections on the \u2018cosmopolitan spirit\u2019 of the jangi qaidi based on Sohan Singh's prison notebook.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.projekt-mida.de\/en\/reflexicon\/the-making-of-a-cosmopolitan-jangi-qaidi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Making of a Cosmopolitan Jangi Qaidi: A Leaf from Sohan Singh\u2019s Prison Notebook written in Annaburger Stammlager D\/Z in German captivity during the Second World War (1942- 45) - 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