Exhibition throws light on life in Madras during World War II

In order to bring to fore the happenings in the city and its role during the World War II (1939-45), Madras Literary Society is hosting an exhibition showcasing the military history of the city.

Propaganda war posters, pictures of air raids, wartime posters calling people from the city to join the Air Force, and posters of the rice shortage that Madras was then going through to push wheat consumption — these are some of the glimpses of the city the exhibition offers, while taking the visitor on a time travel.

“We wanted to present a collection of posters, pictures and news articles crowdsourced and collected by members of the Madras Local History Group, that speak of the part that Madras had played during the Second World War. The display includes a rare collection of pictures, posters and books on military. Whenever one talks about the war, he or she doesn’t think of Madras. The Madras Regiment (one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army) played a big role during the war. We wanted to put together such stories that will make a Chennaiite revisit our past,” Madras Literary Society’s General Secretary Thirupurasundari Sevvel tells DT Next.

From propaganda posters that read that the Japanese were eyeing Madras and the resources of Asia, to pictures of the Catalina sea planes that had landed in Red Hills reservoir in the northwestern part of the city, to Tamil propaganda film posters like Burma Rani, and images of air raids and bombings over Madras — the display covers different aspects of society during the war. “The collection includes movies, newspaper and magazine clippings, war posters, photographs taken in the city during those days and a few prominent people from Madras. We have had over 150 school children visit us over the past few days to view the exhibition. We have also had army veterans and professionals coming to see the photographs,” adds Thirupurasundari.