“Black pepper is hotter than Red pepper.”

By the time you finish reading this blog post, this above quote will emerge as a diametrically opposed definition. And if you thought I would be writing something about a scrumptious food recipe, then I am sorry to disappoint.

India… a land of rich culture and vast history. The stories of foreign invaders and rulers are which we have studied, learned and lived with. Explored and Invaded by many western powers like the Portuguese, French and the British, we cannot tell our own history without their involvement. Two of those many historically significant events were the World War 1 and World War 2.

Indian Empire, as it was known during the British rule gloated the largest self-volunteered army in history, giving rise to the ‘Indian Army’. This helped the British greatly when they declared war against the Nazi Germans. While most commanders and high-rank officers of the Indian Army then were British, a sea of Indian soldiers was what contributed to this war. These soldiers served vigorously in foreign lands like Germany, Italy, France, Africa, Middle East, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Japan and many more. Like alien lands were what it must have seemed to these heroes. Many died… many lost… and many never returned.

But did you know that during these wars, Indian soldiers were much stronger and ferocious than the British? A fact that the Invaders had shadowed from the Natives; a truth which would have defeated the British even before independence. I am sure, not many were aware of this.

Indian soldiers during World War.
Ready to embark upon a journey to fight in foreign lands.

Now coming back to that quote, which is also a Korean proverb, the British used this very quote to communicate in decode tongue during the World War 1, stating sentences like…

“The Red pepper was hot, but the Black pepper was hotter.”

Secretly messaging their superiors that the Indian soldiers (Black pepper) were much stronger and fought better than the British soldiers (Red pepper).

Even today in Ypres (Belgium) there is a ‘Memorial to the Indian soldiers’ close to the Menin Gate, which was established in honor to thousands and thousands of Indian soldiers who died in the battle at unidentifiable brutal conditions of war. Even today no one knows their names, their age or their family. But they rest today with a single tomb upon them, known as the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ which is, in fact, the highest respect any soldier would get after death. 

Acknowledgement:
This blog post has been a rush of inspiration from a great man who also fought among these Indian and British soldiers during the World War 2. Flew across nation borders on military planes; sailed the oceans on huge navy ships; fought battles and missions with heavy rifles shoved in hands; spoke stylish ‘British English’ one ever heard, even though he was hardly literate; won war medals in foreign nations, and also was a loving father and a grandfather. He was my GRANDFATHER.

My granddad Girianna
Medals:
1. Indian Independence Medal by King George VI
2. The Pacific Star Medal for the Burma campaign
3. The Star Medal of the British commonwealth
4.  The War Medal a British decoration

He not only participated in the World War 2 but also returned home after surviving some of the greatest battles of the war in countries like England, Germany, Italy, Burma, Japan, Singapore, Malaya, Ceylon and maybe even more, which I may never know of? May his soul rest in peace.

And in honor of his greatness, and with the bits and pieces of elements and information I have received from my family and the sources, I would like to add below some creatively interesting facts that I suppose he always mentioned.

• He sailed 90 days on colossal battleships to Japan, surrounded by nothing but sea on all sides.
• These battleships were so huge that he used to ride a cycle to commute to the other end of the ship, to watch football matches held on the ship deck.
• During the war, he and his troopers often walked over dead bodies, since they hardly had space.
• When he was posted in cold countries like England, he often slept with 9 blankets underneath and 9 blankets over, to keep himself warm while asleep.
• He often said that if any normal person wanted to experience how World War sounded, then the close example would be the night on the Indian festival Diwali.
• He believed that the Indian Republic Day and Indian Independence Day are the only two festivals.
• His definition of Earth and its shape was with a one-rupee coin, stating that 75% of the coin is water and only 25% is land.

P.S. A man who traveled the world and fought great battles even before India got Independence. I am PROUD to be his grandson. - Girish Rathna