During the construction of the Siam–Burma Railway
During the construction of the Siam–Burma Railway
During the construction of the Siam–Burma Railway by the Japanese during World War II (1942–1943), the condition of Indian soldiers and workers of Indian origin was extremely brutal and remains one of history’s most tragic episodes.
The affected Indians can be broadly divided into two main groups:
- Prisoners of war from the British Indian Army, and
- Workers of Indian origin—mostly Tamils—who were forcibly recruited from plantations in Malaya (present-day Malaysia).
After the collapse of British rule in Malaya, the Japanese targeted hundreds of thousands of Tamils and other Indians who had been working on rubber plantations there. They were lured onto trains with false promises of good wages, light work, and accommodation, and transported to the jungle regions of Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar). Those who learned the truth were often threatened at gunpoint and forcibly taken away.
The workers were required to construct a railway through dense jungles, steep mountains, and rocky terrain under extremely harsh conditions.
Without any modern equipment, they were forced to work using only shovels, crowbars, and baskets. During the period known as the “Speedo” campaign, Indians were made to work under Japanese and Korean guards for 16 to 18 hours a day, often without adequate sleep, both day and night.
Anyone who showed signs of exhaustion or attempted to rest was subjected to whipping and severe punishment. Both laborers and Indian prisoners of war received only minimal food.
Their daily ration often consisted of spoiled rice gruel contaminated with insects and rat droppings. Vegetables and protein-rich foods were largely unavailable. Many Indians who strictly followed vegetarian diets could not bring themselves to eat the meat provided by the Japanese and died from starvation.
The lack of clean drinking water forced many to drink muddy and contaminated water.
The harsh tropical climate, monsoon conditions, and unsanitary environment of the dense jungles allowed diseases to spread rapidly. Cholera, malaria, dysentery, and beriberi caused by vitamin deficiency were widespread.
The Japanese provided little or no medical treatment or medicines for the sick.
Even small cuts on the hands and feet often became infected, developing into severe ulcers and gangrene. Flesh decayed, bones became exposed, and many died in agony without proper treatment. During this period, Subhas Chandra Bose was building the Indian National Army with Japanese support. According to some accounts, the Japanese feared that if Bose became fully aware of the suffering of Indians on the Siam Railway, it could strain their alliance. Therefore, whenever he visited the region, Indian laborers and sick soldiers were allegedly hidden deep within the jungle by the Japanese military.
It is estimated that between 100,000 and 150,000 Asian laborers died during the railway’s construction, with a significant proportion being people of Indian origin, including many Tamils.
The bodies of many Western prisoners of war, particularly British and Australian personnel, were later recovered and buried in organized cemeteries such as the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
In contrast, many deceased Indians and Tamils were buried in mass graves alongside the railway or left in the jungle where their remains gradually disappeared.
In summary, the Siam–Burma Railway became so notorious that it was often said that “beneath every railway sleeper lies a human body.” Indian soldiers and laborers paid for the railway with their blood and their lives, enduring immense suffering under Japanese wartime rule.
Translation by Hari
0 Comments