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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
In India, the ‘Lost Generation' was actually a generation that found its voice
The defining event of the Lost Generation in Europe and the Americas was the Great War. It is harder to pinpoint a single event that served the same function for that cohort in India. Most of the giants who led the freedom movement — Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Sarojini Naidu — belonged to previous generations. But their influence on those who followed saw the struggle for independence become truly national, with the Indian equivalent of the Lost Generation eventually becoming the architects of a new, independent nation. The battles of this younger cohort were different from those that shaped Ernest Hemingway, JRR Tolkien and Ezra Pound in the West. Was the new political awareness in India the result of George Curzon's Partition of Bengal and the Swadeshi movement that began in 1905, partly as a result of it? Was it furthered when India's dead soldiers and wounded veterans were met with the thanks of the Rowlatt Act of 1919, which gave the police the continued right to arrest without warrants, hold detainees indefinitely and imprison without trial or judicial review? Was it shaped by the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh (also 1919)? Or the rise of Gandhi as a national leader, after his return to India in 1915? As these events, one after another, reinforced the idea of a new 'India', a generation of young leaders emerged: BR Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad, Mahadev Desai, Acharya Kripalani, Subhas Chandra Bose and, vitally, Jawaharlal Nehru. In India, this wasn't a Lost Generation at all. It was a generation finding its voice. In the words of the freedom fighter Rambriksh Benipuri, no stranger to the pen: 'When I recall Non-Cooperation era of 1921, the image of a storm confronts my eyes… no other movement upturned the foundations of Indian society to the extent… From the most humble huts to the high places, from villages to cities, everywhere there was a ferment, a loud echo.' When Independence was won, it was this storm of young people that began the business of building the nation. In the fields and hospitals, the offices and transport systems. In the courts beginning to uphold a new Constitution. It was at the hands of this generation that an India as old as the Indus Valley and the Vedas was reborn as a new country, and emerged blinking from the shadow of the Raj and the bloody birthing of Partition. Look at free India's first cabinet and you see them. With the exceptions of Patel and C Rajagopalachari, every minister, starting with Nehru, came from the generation born between 1883 and 1900. A generation, in India, of pathfinders. Dreamers. Doers of the impossible. Looking back, it can be hard to believe what they pulled off. In their gentle way, they shook the world. (K Narayanan writes on films, videogames, books and occasionally technology)
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Trapped between two wars: The art of the Lost Generation
Sometime in the early 1920s, Gertrude Stein took her ancient Ford Model T from her home in Paris's Rue de Fleurus to a local mechanic. The car had been having starting trouble, and the young mechanic assigned to it was making heavy weather of it. Eventually, Stein deemed his efforts unsatisfactory and complained to his boss, who berated the boy, saying: 'You are all a generation perdue.' When Ernest Hemingway, a friend, next visited her home, she applied it to him and others of his generation. 'All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation,' she said. Hemingway, who understood the value of phrases like that, used it as an epigraph for his first novel, The Sun Also Rises (1926), which follows the lives of a group of American and British expatriates in Paris in the mid-1920s, rootless people wounded physically and emotionally by the Great War, looking for, and not always finding, an anchor. The expatriates in Paris at the time, incidentally, made up a sort of who's who of the cultural icons of the first half of the 20th century. The poet Ezra Pound moved to Paris in 1921. Writer Ford Madox Ford in 1922. Novelist John Dos Passos in 1919. James Joyce came to Paris intending a two-day layover en route to London, and ended up staying until France fell to the Germans in World War 2. Sylvia Beach, the daughter of American missionaries, moved to Paris in 1917, and set up Shakespeare and Company, one of the world's most famous bookshops. F Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda Fitzgerald visited in 1921 and '24. (A year after that second visit, he would release his best-known work, set in this era, but in New York: The Great Gatsby. It is 100 years old this year.) Back to Paris, in the wake of the Great War, this was a city where people caught fish in the Seine for dinner, and toilets with aluminium containers were still emptied into cesspools that were cleared by horse-drawn wagons. But it was also the home of Picasso, Modigliani, Chagall and, on occasion, Salvador Dali. It was the city of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, of Coco Chanel and the singer Josephine Baker. It was a world of people who had been in the war young, were trying to build their own anchors — through art and sculpture and dance, stories and fashion and architecture — and didn't yet know another war was coming. *** The rootlessness was not restricted to Paris. In England, in 1922, TE Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, dissatisfied with life as a civil servant, applied to the Royal Air Force under the name TE Ross and was initially rejected, before people like Winston Churchill recommended he be accepted. The poet Robert Graves suffered so badly from shell shock that even the smell of flowers reminded him of the gas warfare attacks he had suffered as a soldier. Siegfried Sassoon, awarded the Military Cross, one of the war's highest decorations, became a poet and a conscientious objector. Wilfred Owen, generally considered one of the great poets of the war, was killed a week before its end, aged 25. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? / Only the monstrous anger of the guns. / Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle / Can patter out their hasty orisons. / No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells, / Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, — / The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; / And bugles calling for them from sad shires… he wrote, in Anthem for Doomed Youth (1917). *** This was also the beginning of a new world for the Western woman. First, with the men off in the battlefields, they took up jobs in factories. Many lost their menfolk and breadwinners; the lucky among them received war-widow pensions, but others struggled. More women were forced to seek permanent employment. This, directly and indirectly, contributed to the movement for women's suffrage, and the right to vote was finally extended to them. Back to Stein's phrase, 'Lost Generation' soon began to be used beyond its original context of her inner circle of artists, poets and writers who flocked to Paris in the 1920s. It became the tag for anyone born between 1883 and 1900. Franz Kafka (1883-1924) would fit the bill, even though he never fought in the war, having been found medically unfit. The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), his best-known novels, deal with the sense of despair, alienation and fruitless search for meaning that would come to define the young adults of this age. But what about Hugh Lofting of Doctor Dolittle fame, or PG Wodehouse? Well, there never has been just one kind of art. This is a period that saw the rise, for instance, of the crime novel, with people essentially binge-reading the work of great British pulp-fiction writers such as Sax Rohmer (a former soldier and creator of the Chinese criminal mastermind Fu Manchu); Hermann McNeile aka Sapper of the Bulldog Drummond adventures (who was still serving when he began to write these tales, and would inspire authors such as Ian Fleming and Alistair MacLean); Dornford Yates, who alternated been funny stories of upper-class Englishmen dealing with declining fortunes, and hard-edged spy thrillers, with characters that moved between genres. It wasn't just the men. Three of the four Queens of Crime who dominated the Golden Age of Mystery: Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers in England, and Ngaio Marsh in New Zealand, were from this cohort. (The fourth, Margery Allingham, was born in 1904.) Christie served as a nurse with the Red Cross during World War 1, which left her with a vast knowledge of poisons (and a penchant for murderous nurses). Sayers, credited with popularising the statement 'It pays to advertise', also wrote the original advertising jingle for Guinness. Marsh toured as a stage actress during the war and would use her knowledge of stagecraft to great effect in her Roderick Alleyn books. *** Across the Atlantic, other Lost Generation authors were redefining the crime novel. Dashiell Hammett, an ambulance driver in the war, would define the 'hard-boiled' detective novel; a genre launched by Carroll John Daly's Three Gun Terry (1923). Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) would take up Hammett's mantle with gritty, hard edged crime thrillers such as The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. The Lost Generation changed children's literature as well. The Australian-British Pamela Lyndon Travers created Mary Poppins in 1934. Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince (1943) remains one of the bestselling books of all time. The Englishwoman Richmal Crompton created that irrepressible schoolboy William Brown in 1922. Air Force pilot WE Johns (also the man who rejected Lawrence's application to the RAF) created Biggles. And there was, of course, Enid Blyton (1897-1968). *** World War 1 made Hollywood what it is today. The destruction of European cinema in the war saw a wave of actors and directors make their way to America. There were so many movies being made in the US after the war — 80% of all movies made worldwide — that the studio system evolved, as did the producers who would dominate the industry's golden age: Louis B Mayer, Irving Thalberg, Harry Cohn, Jack L Warner. All the great silent comedians belonged to this generation: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Chico, Harpo and Groucho Marx. So did many of the great directors who would transform cinema: Ernst Lubitsch, Fritz Lang, George Cukor, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Renoir, Rene Clair. And, of course, there were the actors. The South African-born Basil Rathbone crawled to the German side, across no-man's land, disguised as, of all things, a tree, to recover military intelligence that would earn him the Military Cross. He would go on to epitomise sneering British villainy in swashbuckling films, and is still considered one of the best portrayers of Sherlock Holmes. Claude Rains, who made every movie better just by being in it, and whose performance in Casablanca is still remembered, lost almost all the vision in one eye as a result of a gas attack. Within months of the war breaking out, Ronald Colman (A Tale of Two Cities, Prisoner of Zenda) had his leg shattered by a mortar shell, forcing him to crawl back to safety. The experience left him with an air of melancholic reserve that worked well for the characters created by another Lost Generation Englishman: James Hilton. His novels Lost Horizon (1933) and Random Harvest (1941) both featured world-weary protagonists scarred by the war. Colman played both men in the film adaptations. 'It was the war that made an actor out of me,' he would later say. 'I wasn't my own man anymore. We went out. Strangers came back.' (K Narayanan writes on films, videogames, books and occasionally technology)
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Tuapeka memorial unveiled
Tuapeka District fallen soldiers' memorial at Lawrence. — Otago Witness, 23.6.1925 There was a large gathering at the Peace Garden in Peel street, Lawrence, at 4.30pm yesterday afternoon, when residents of the township, the surrounding districts, and even further afield, assembled to do honour to the memory of the soldiers from the locality who laid down their lives in the course of the struggle for freedom between 1914 and 1918. The weather was all that could be desired, the sun shining brightly, and there being a complete absence of wind. The gathering was held for the purpose of unveiling a beautiful memorial, which will bear witness from now onwards to the bravery, devotion and sacrifice made by so many men in the interests of humanity in the great struggle against German militarism. The memorial bears the following inscription: "Erected by the people of Lawrence and surrounding districts in grateful remembrance of the men who, at the call of duty, left all that was dear unto them, faced danger, endured hardship, and finally laid down their lives for their country in the Great War for righteousness and freedom." The granite panel contains the names of 25 men from Lawrence, 11 from Waitahuna, nine from Beaumont, eight from Tuapeka West, six from Raes Junction, six from Waipori, five from Clark's Flat, four from Blue Spur, four from Waitahuna West, three from Evans Flat and three from Tuapeka Flat. The memorial, which occupies a commanding position in the Peace Garden, is 25 feet high and 16ft wide. It is octagonal in shape, and is constructed of concrete, covered by cement. The memorial was unveiled by Mrs Samuel French. One minute of silence was then observed, this being followed by the sounding of the "Last Post" by Sergeant-major Napier. A number of beautiful wreaths were subsequently laid on the memorial. Reform elects 'fellow' leader The first indication of Mr Coates's selection as Leader of the Reform Party came in a curious way. A workman coming down the lift said he had heard them singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." This was at 20 minutes past four, and the inevitable conclusion was that Mr Coates had been selected as Leader of the Party. The caucus, having decided who was to be the new leader, adjourned for afternoon tea and soon afterwards Sir Francis Bell (Prime Minister) sent for the press representatives who were in the building, and to them he made a brief announcement. He said: "Joseph Gordon Coates is elected Leader of the Party, and of all those who sit on the right of the Speaker's chair." The latter part of the sentence was somewhat cryptic because Mr George Witty, one of those who sit on the right of the Speaker's chair, though he has voted with the Reform Government, is not a member of the Reform Party, and Mr Lysnar, who also sits on the right, was not present at the caucus. Gordon Coates takes on mantle The expected happened at the meeting of the parliamentary members of the Reform Party yesterday. Mr Coates was chosen as party leader, and it goes without saying that he will promptly become Prime Minister. We congratulate him upon his signal advance in public life, and confidently hope that the results will be satisfactory to the country and to himself. The auspices are not unfavourable, though circumstances may arise that will shrewdly test the new leader's judgment and general capacity. He does not lack experience. It is a little less than fourteen years since he entered Parliament. — editorial A bad phase for Port elderly In terms of the Port Chalmers council's renewed street lighting contract with the City Council, which owns the electrical supply, the streets are now left unlighted for several nights at the full moon period. Under the old lighting contract the street lighting was not cut off at full moon, and the new arrangement is not regarded as favourable, the unlighted streets when the moonlight is obscured by cloudy weather being a hardship, especially in the case of old people who have occasion to go out at night time. The new councillors, recognising the disability, have decided to endeavour to modify the terms of the new lighting contract with the City Council so that the lighting of the streets may be improved. — ODT, 28.5.1925 Compiled by Peter Dowden
San Francisco Chronicle
25-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Golden Gate Park's WWI monument finally gets recognition, a century after armistice
Heroes Grove, the World War I monument hidden in a redwood grove in Golden Gate Park, has always been impossible to find. But everybody can find the Rose Garden next to it, and now Ken Maley, a non-veteran San Francisco parks devotee, has found a way to link the two attractions. Maley, who is 80 and lives across town on Telegraph Hill, arranged to have a one-ton granite boulder trucked in to the entrance to the Rose Garden at John F. Kennedy Drive. It is engraved like a tombstone with the words 'Heroes Grove' and inlaid with a QR code that he says is a first for any monument or memorial in the park. The QR code works through a smartphone to access the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department website, which then gives a detailed history and description of the World War I memorial along with a park map and walking directions to the monument. The stone marker, which was trucked in from a quarry just last week, was installed in time for Memorial Day, and on Sunday morning Maley was sitting discreetly on a green park bench near it, waiting to see if it would attract enough attention to send people up the trail behind it and onto a 10-minute nature walk through redwoods to Heroes Grove. 'I've watched people look at the QR code and walk up the trail,' said Maley, who is project director of the Veterans Commemorative Committee and has put 10 years and a $50,000 budget into installing the first signage to Heroes Grove since it was dedicated on Memorial Day 1919. 'I just felt that 100 years after the war people should understand that we have this living memorial to it.' Heroes Grove, which began as public sentiment for planting a grove of coast redwoods to those who served, predates the city's main monument to the Great War — the War Memorial War Memorial Veterans Building and Opera House. Its grand opening in 1932 was to feature a granite monument in the courtyard between the two buildings, contributed by the Gold Star Mothers. The 9-foot pillar was engraved with the names of 820 men and women from San Francisco. But the big oblong rock was judged to be incompatible to the Beaux Arts elegance of the Opera House and Veterans Building, so it was banished to the park, where it went completely unmarked for 100 years. Among those who did not know Heroes Grove existed was Maj. Gen. Mike Myatt, a longtime member of the Board of Trustees for the War Memorial, who served on Maley's board. Myatt was president and CEO of Marines Memorial when Maley drove him out on a field trip. 'It really moved me when you started looking at the names,' Myatt said, 'But I could see how nobody could find it and if they found it they wouldn't know what it was.' On Memorial Day 2019, Maley and his committee got a boulder that is 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall installed along JFK Drive in a ceremony that included a color guard and veterans in World War I uniforms. The rock is easy to spot from JFK Drive, but there has never been an arrow or obvious path from there to the grove itself, and most people who see it are on bikes or running down the path toward Ocean Beach and not inclined to stop and investigate. 'It is amazing and so peaceful here, but I never see anyone looking at the monument,' said Julie Purnell, who lives in the Richmond District and runs her dog along the pathway. 'It is right off Fulton Street, and nobody knows it is here.' In hopes of applying a lure, Maley last week had that stone marker on JFK also embedded with a QR code that was drilled into the rock and is the size of a compact disc. 'It's the new wave of 'interpretive' in our park system,' Maley said. 'This is the pilot project.' It worked with Sunset District resident James Larkin and his wife, Felicia Lee. 'When we saw the stone marked 'Heroes Grove,'' Larkin said, 'I thought, 'What heroes are we talking about? Is it 9/11? World War II?' They were intrigued enough to investigate and follow the path in from JFK Drive, through the memorial and down to the Rose Garden where the path delivered them next to the bench that Maley was sitting on. 'It's spectacular,' Lee said. 'We loved walking through there and getting a hit of nature and a hit of history.' While conducting his surveillance, Maley overheard one couple look at the rock in passing and exclaim 'Oh, it's called Heroes Grove.' That made it all worthwhile. 'For 100 years, people didn't call it anything,' Maley said. Bruce and Kerry Grigson, visitors from Australia, knew all about Gallipoli but not about American involvement in the Great War or that they happened to be visiting on Memorial Day weekend. They felt compelled to follow the path from the Rose Garden to Heroes Grove. 'It's a bit of a privilege to be here on memorial weekend,' Grigson said, while standing at the memorial reading the engraving. 'It's amazing. I didn't know any of this.' Maj. Gen. Myatt, who is 84 and retired in Sonoma, plans to come down with his iPhone and activate the code next week when has a medical appointment at the VA hospital. 'Then I can show it to my wife and anybody who comes along,' he said. 'It's a piece of history that says something about the people of San Francisco.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWI Museum offering free admission to military families for Memorial Day weekend
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of the top tourism destinations in Kansas City is spending the weekend honoring those who have died in service to our country. From powerful exhibits to emotional ceremonies, the has a full weekend of inspiration planned. There's a new exhibit open called '' that features short videos depicting authentic letters and diaries from 16 individuals who documented their intimate experiences while living through the Great War. Island Fest 816 celebrates Polynesian culture in Kansas City metro Frank Albani is a Navy vet who has volunteered more than 4,000 hours as a guide. To him, Memorial Day is especially important. 'It means that we should all respect and be thankful for our military personnel who gave their lives for our country and gave us the freedom we all enjoy. That's very important,' Albani said. All veterans and active-duty military members and their families get into the World War One Museum and Memorial free this weekend. Everyone else is half price through Monday. The museum is also hosting a free Memorial Day service on Monday at 10 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
