This is the first in a series of posts on British servicemen in Delhi during the Second World War, viewed through the lens of a guide issued at the behest of General Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces. The guide, Hello Chaps! This is Delhi, offers a fascinating template for how the British officer class was encouraged to engage with the city.
It was financed entirely by Khan Sahib S. Rashid Ahmed, a Delhi-born grandson of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who, although best known for his ‘Aligarh movement’ and the M.A.O College, had himself written early “guides” to Delhi under the East India Company. The booklet was distributed free of charge to all servicemen stationed in Delhi during the war.
Meant for easy reading, the guide is replete with puns and military humour. For example, one chapter has a title that calls Delhi the 'Cockpit of India’. In general, Delhi’s history, culture, and attractions, and of course, the new capital city are all highlighted for the reader. Interestingly, the guide also contains quirks that reveal shifting wartime attitudes toward navigating an Indian city. For instance, unlike earlier guides or handbooks that recommended learning Hindustani phrases to interact with locals, this wartime guide discourages such efforts. Instead, it reassures readers that “they don’t expect you to know good Hindustani or Urdu, and you will find that long experience of dealing with tourists has familiarised them with many English words and expressions.” New sentiments for wartime?
Anyhow, I’ll post about another section of the guide next week. See you then.
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