Those were the days: How Madras confronted the travails of wartime

World War was slowly engulfing globe. Though Hitler and Hideki Tojo were too distant for Madras city and neither bombs were raining like in Berlin or London, the city was suffering in her own way. War is a gorger of materials. Like an ever hungry monster with a hole in its stomach, it kept swallowing resources. If anything was needed by a citizen, it was more often than not needed much desperately by a soldier.

The scarcities during wartime were not limited to food alone. Even something insignificant like matchboxes was rationed in Madras. No more than three boxes were to be sold by TUCS to one customer (the hoarders were charging an anna and a quarter for boxes of 60 sticks which was double the TUCS price).

The supply chains were cut off with ship movements reduced fearing torpedoes and the value of trade which passed through the Port of Madras during the wartime fell by 35 percent. In addition, hoarding by people who did not know when the war would end and traders who wanted to make a quick buck complicated the issue.

Fearing a Japanese invasion, much of the Madras population evacuated. But even with the limited inhabitants, the supplies were just not enough and the scarcities continued till Japan’s militant aspirations withered and the tide of war turned.

Conservation was considered the major step towards combatting scarcities. The Government of Madras undertook propaganda measures for conservation on a large scale.

The Government diverted the Railways and motor lorries mostly to the transport of troops and war supplies This led to inordinate delays in the transport of ordinary citizens and goods. To meet this situation, the Government discouraged travel. Ironically, airways and railways actually advertised in the newspapers asking people not to travel if not necessary and to question themselves on whether their journey was actually needed.

Paper was being rationed and magazines and newspapers tightened their belts. SS Vasan of Ananda Vikadan even reduced the size of his stories. Devan’s one page serial for 14 weeks told the entire story of a novel.

Tires were rationed with vehicles involved in the war being given top preferences. The government lost hope after rubber producing areas like Malaya had been overrun by the Japanese. Other than rationing, the government took steps to protect the existing tires and lengthening their lives. Surprisingly, the bullock cart was giving a tough fight to the automobile. 

The bullock shoes lying dislodged from the hooves to which they had been nailed were lying on the roads and tearing the rubber tyres. The government even announced a scheme in the interests of tyre protection. To collect the serrated metal shoes when strewn on the ground they thought of magnets attached to vehicles. But that proved infeasible. The government then offered a reward for young boys in the street to pick fallen metal shoes and hand them over for an award of an anna each. When the boys cunningly broke the shoes into two and claimed twice the awards, the government in a notification clarified that the award was feasible only for one complete shoe.

Companies felt the reuse of containers to be very important to maintain their supply chain. Returning of cans and barrels were considered very important for metal scarcities could hinder future sales. Burmah Shell’s advertising slogan read ‘No longer can we watch without concern the mali (gardener) who waters his flowers from a converted petrol can or drums to be used to protect the bus wallah from driving light-heartedly. While the war lasts, the steel containers must continue to serve the purpose for which they were made.’

Scarcities gave rise to many ironic situations. The evacuation had a hundred thousand Madras houses vacated. The first thought of a potential fleer was of a lock to secure their spaces. Unfortunately, the largest lock-making unit in Dindigul had a capacity of around a few hundred per month. So there came about a special breed of Madras robbers who stole only locks without even caring about what was being available inside the houses.

Most people left town in peace of mind that their doors had been secured without realising they had bought a lock pilfered from another house and theirs would be stolen soon enough. However, during special night patrols, many lock robbers were arrested.