War is savage, war is madness, war is demon, war is macabre, war is tragedy. Fergal Keane's " Road of Bones: The siege of Kohima " is in general terms yet another tale of brutal madness and utter savagery which was very common all around the world in the turbulent days of World War 2. But in broader sense the book depicts the epic battle of struggle for survival of the two mighty empires from the pre-war world dominated by imperial powers. The sun of the British empire was already about to set in the eastern horizon while on the other hand the megalomaniac dream of imperial Japan to be the imperial master of the Asiatic empire was already turning into a nightmare of defeat,doom and destruction. While the British empire was desperately trying to restore its prestige as the mightiest empire of the world by inflicting a major blow to the invading Japanese army, the empire of the sun was frantically playing one of its last gambles by invading India and crushing the British-Indian army on the way in the hope of turning the tide of the war in their favour. Indeed Kohima Imphal battle, from this perspective was not merely a battle but a struggle for survival for both the empires.
The Battle of Kohima is also quite enigmatic and confusing from the Indian point of view. If an Indian is asked which side would u have taken had u been offered the option to choose a side, i am sure he would be confused to answer the question. The tale of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army had become a legend in the independent India despite several attempts by the British imperialists to brand him as 'the Quisling of India'. Even Sohevu Angami, the Naga Havilder who devotedly fought for the Britishers in the Battle of Kohima admitted to the author of the book that he respected Subhash Bose as a person ( "I think his ideas were good.Even though we were opponents i came to respect him and what he was fighting for" ). Let alone millions of Indian people both in India and abroad, who regard Bose as one of the most selfless patriots of India ( Even Gandhi referred Bose as " the patriot of patriots" ). The point is the battle of Kohima and Imphal was unique in the sense that apart from the Britishers against the Japanese , the battlefield of Kohima and Imphal witnessed the savage clashes between Indians who were loyal to British and Indians who were loyal to Bose's ideals and to the noble cause of India's independence. Indians fighting along with their British comrades were struggling to save India from Japanese imperialism while on the other hand Indians loyal to Bose were fighting to liberate India from British imperialism. Really such a battle is an exception in itself.
Now come to the point. What impress me most after reading this book are the selfless bravery and sacrifice of John Harman in the battle of Kohima, the guerrilla fight of Ursula Graham Bower along with her Naga subordinates , the personality of Charles Pawsey ( The deputy commissioner of Naga region) who refused to leave the Naga people to the doom and destruction in the hands of the Japanese invaders and instead stayed with and assisted them throughout the war and last but not least the fellow-feeling and sympathy of Japanese commander Kotuku Sato for the ordinary Japanese soldiers who fought under him and were battered and devastated by thirst,hunger and diseases.
In nutshell Fergal keane's account of Kohima battle is an honest attempt by the author to present before the posterity the horrors of war and the selfless sacrifice of thousands and thousands of soldiers from both sides who gave their lives for the causes of the respective empires which they represented.
The Battle of Kohima is also quite enigmatic and confusing from the Indian point of view. If an Indian is asked which side would u have taken had u been offered the option to choose a side, i am sure he would be confused to answer the question. The tale of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army had become a legend in the independent India despite several attempts by the British imperialists to brand him as 'the Quisling of India'. Even Sohevu Angami, the Naga Havilder who devotedly fought for the Britishers in the Battle of Kohima admitted to the author of the book that he respected Subhash Bose as a person ( "I think his ideas were good.Even though we were opponents i came to respect him and what he was fighting for" ). Let alone millions of Indian people both in India and abroad, who regard Bose as one of the most selfless patriots of India ( Even Gandhi referred Bose as " the patriot of patriots" ). The point is the battle of Kohima and Imphal was unique in the sense that apart from the Britishers against the Japanese , the battlefield of Kohima and Imphal witnessed the savage clashes between Indians who were loyal to British and Indians who were loyal to Bose's ideals and to the noble cause of India's independence. Indians fighting along with their British comrades were struggling to save India from Japanese imperialism while on the other hand Indians loyal to Bose were fighting to liberate India from British imperialism. Really such a battle is an exception in itself.
Now come to the point. What impress me most after reading this book are the selfless bravery and sacrifice of John Harman in the battle of Kohima, the guerrilla fight of Ursula Graham Bower along with her Naga subordinates , the personality of Charles Pawsey ( The deputy commissioner of Naga region) who refused to leave the Naga people to the doom and destruction in the hands of the Japanese invaders and instead stayed with and assisted them throughout the war and last but not least the fellow-feeling and sympathy of Japanese commander Kotuku Sato for the ordinary Japanese soldiers who fought under him and were battered and devastated by thirst,hunger and diseases.
In nutshell Fergal keane's account of Kohima battle is an honest attempt by the author to present before the posterity the horrors of war and the selfless sacrifice of thousands and thousands of soldiers from both sides who gave their lives for the causes of the respective empires which they represented.
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