Three Million: 6. Silk scarves
How the legacy of the Bengal Famine of 1943 lives on in Britain today
The Documentary Podcast · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
Eighty years ago at least three million Indians, who were British subjects, died in the Bengal Famine. But today different generations in Britain are coming to terms with this difficult past. Kavita Puri meets Susannah Herbert the granddaughter of Sir John Herbert, the governor of Bengal, who is only just learning about her grandfather's role in the famine. Initially she feels shame, but discoveries in her family archive change her perspective. A 97 year-old British man makes a surprising revelation about his role in the Bengal famine. And three generations on, British Bengalis mark the famine in Britain, in an unexpected way. To hear the other episodes in the mini-series Three Million, scroll down to 23 February 2024.