Friday, November 5, 2010

German WW2 Propaganda Leaflet against Indian Soldiers - Hoshiar!


It's celebration time :-) It's Diwali today. So, along with my best wishes here is a propaganda leaflet for my readers to celebrate with!

It's long time since I showed a German WW2 propaganda leaflet against British India. This one is not in very good condition but then you can't expect more from a leaflet. It survived all odds of war for us to enjoy and admire it now after more than 60 years itself is wonder.

Shown above is front side of German War Propaganda leaflet targeting Indian Soldiers part of British Army. It depicts a Sikh soldier listening to radio broadcast consisting of news and music/dance program. The soldier is imagining a female dancing on some music. It also has text in Urdu and English (Hindi words formed using English alphabets).

Attention!
Attention! Attention!

Bhai Band is calling you!
You are listening to Radio Bhai Band.

"Bhai" in Hindi means brother in English.

If you see the reverse side then you will understand the real propaganda. The reverse has text in Hindustani (Hindi), Urdu and English (again Hindi words are formed using English alphabets).

HINDUSTANIO (INDIANS)!

Do you know how to listen to Indian music and dance program?

Tune in to Bhai Band Radio!

Do you want to get the true news from all over the world?

Then listen Bhai Band Radio!
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When can you listen Bhai Band Radio?

Daily 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the evening on 449.1 medium wave and 28.3 or 39.6 short wave.
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Who speaks on Bhai Band?

Only your fellow countrymen, Indian Brothers!

Basically, the leaflet asks soldiers to tune in to Bhai Band Radio so they can be brain washed and misled about the then situation of war in Africa, Europe and Asia where Indian soldiers were fighting against German and Japanese forces as part of allied forces.

Here I am borrowing text from Herbert Friedman's article, which states:

It is said that India’s real involvement in modern psychological warfare began when Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army waged it. The Azad Hind radio stated its regular broadcasts from January 1942, in most of the prominent Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Pashto and also English.

"Free India Radio" (Azad Hind Radio) was the main propaganda station for India set up by the exiled Subhas Chandra Bose with German assistance. Bose’s Provisional Indian Government in Berlin also had two other radio stations, namely "National Congress Radio" and "Free Moslem Radio." ("National Congress Radio," by the way, had nothing to do with the short-lived "Congress Radio," which was a clandestine station operated by Gandhi supporters on British soil). Moreover, there was an Italian-sponsored Indian station known as "Radio Himalaya," run by the exiled Indian Moslem Iqbal Shedai. In addition to these stations, there was a German station manned by Indians called "The Brothers" or "Bhai Band" (BBC Monitoring Service translation), to which the soldier in the above leaflet is shown listening.

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