Fall of Rangoon, the Great Exodus and Indo-Burma Border Tensions: The Assam Chapter

Abstract

Opening a new front in the Second World War against the Allied Powers, Japan had attacked Tenasserim in December 1941 and occupied it. Its victory was so rapid that by March 7, 1942 Rangoon was occupied forcing the British to retreat from Burma. The fall of Rangoon and subsequently Burma by May 1942 not only alienated China from Allied support but also created great tensions in the Indo Burmese border specially Assam. The failure of British defence in Burma created a feeling of insecurity in the minds of Burmese Indians and the British civil population. Most of them started evacuating Burma and crossed the Indo-Burma border heading towards original homeland in India. It resulted a great exodus in the history of Asia. This exodus created socio-economic and political crisis in eastern border of India especially in Assam. Moreover, the threat of Japanese invasion of India crossing Manipur and Nagaland also had added fuel to military and civil tension. The paper aims to analyse the war situation in Assam following the fall of Burma and the Great Exodus and its various implications.