Why didnt India helped the Roma in World War 2?

**Mortimer** · 03-06-2023, 06:53 AM

Subhas Chandras Bosse, was a ally of Hitler, even married a german woman with the blessing of Hitler. His daughter or granddaughter still lives in Germany. Some Indians served in the foreigners Waffen SS. Why didnt the indians just said "listen if you hate the roma, and want to kill them, we will give them assylym in india"? I mean better then complete extermination in gas chambers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhas_Chandra_Bose

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Legion

**Aldaris** · 03-06-2023, 07:45 AM

Of course there have been some Indian collaborators just like in any other country of the Allies, but India actually did declare war on Axis powers and fought against them under the British. So in a way, they did help the Roma in a big picture. But indeed it's a bit more complex. Many Indians didn't wanna fight 'for the British'. Some of them demanded independence before they join the fight against the Axis and as I said earlier, some outright joined them. And why didn't the Indians just said 'listen if you hate the Roma, and want to kill them, we will grant them asylum in India'? Because, among other things, there was a zero chance for that to actually work. Imagine if the US said the same about Jews - 'listen, if you hate the Jews so much, we will grant them asylum, so they won't bother you anymore'. Hitler wouldn't stroke his chin and said 'well, ok'. They wanted both of the groups in question dead, not just out their sight.

**Smeagol** · 03-06-2023, 05:14 PM

For one thing, India was a British colony and declared war alongside Britain in 1939. Most Indians were not allied with Hitler. For another, they probably just didn't care.

**Smeagol** · 03-06-2023, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by Aldaris

Imagine if the US said the same about Jews - 'listen, if you hate the Jews so much, we will grant them asylum, so they won't bother you anymore'. Hitler wouldn't stroke his chin and said 'well, ok'. They wanted both of the groups in question dead, not just out their sight.

The Germans did all they could to get as many Jews out of their country as possible in the 30s. If America had agreed to take them all in, Hitler would have gladly taken that offer. We didn't want them though, they weren't our problem.

**Sarin** · 03-06-2023, 05:26 PM

*British India (I guess it doesn't need to be elaborated further what this implies) .

As of Indians (as subjects) then , it is like expecting Mr.A , already in troubled waters floundering to make it to the shore & largely unaware of even the existence of Mr. B who is firmly clenched in the jaws of a jumbo croc faraway in deep , to rather go out of the way & save Mr. B !

As of Bose particularly , it was Congress , among scores of factions seeking freedom , that used to run the show among Indian masses not Bose . For same reason , he couldn't persuade enough the Nazis for his own cause (hence his INA had to turn to Japan) . Add to this , the INA i.e. your legion was composed chiefly of POWs & exiles with zero resources & hence naturally not in the position to bargain with & that too , for an unpragmatic as well as tangent cause ; luckily 'it was enemy of an enemy.....' kind of situation so it was enough that they were not just let off but also provided support with the arms & other resources .

**Tauromachos** · 03-06-2023, 05:29 PM

Did the Indians know or were informed about the Nazis plan to genocide the Romani ?

**Aldaris** · 03-06-2023, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Smeagol

The Germans did all they could to get as many Jews out of their country as possible in the 30s. If America had agreed to take them all in, Hitler would have gladly taken that offer. We didn't want them though, they weren't our problem.

Jews were hunted down by Germans as pest regardless of them living in or outside the Reich. The Germans were really determined to exterminate them all. If America had agreed to take them all in, Hitler would have lost his control over their population which was the last thing he would want to happen.

**Criystian26** · 03-06-2023, 07:14 PM

Gypsies are probably 100% Indian.
However, some Gypsies are not 100% Indian. But only 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 1%.

From this point of view, probably India could not fully assume its responsibility. It wasn't 100% accountability.
Also, let's not forget that the Gypsies did not leave India 1 year ago or 10 years ago or 100 years ago. But probably about 1500 years ago. This is another reason why they no longer belonged to India so much. And India's responsibility has decreased for them. Not only these 2 reasons, but also:
3. They left their Indian religion
4. They changed their Indian language (even if it is the same, changes have occurred)
These would be 4 of the reasons.
5. The world did not know so much information and history in those days. Today Yes. But then no. The Indians would have said: "Who are the Gypsies?"
And the gypsies would have said: "Who are the Indians?"
6. They probably did not ask India for help. How could help be offered if one was not asked for?
7. I am not a connoisseur of History, of the events of the 2nd World War, in fact I am not even sure what happened to my country in the 2nd World War. I didn't learn that much at school and now I don't have time. But from the hearsay and from the little information I know, there would have been some attempts to send them to India or to create their own country in case India does not accept them. Anyway, the costs would have been high enough. But I repeat, I don't know the events of WW2 well except from hearsay, so I don't want to comment.

This is how I imagine the situation. I do not know. It was probably so and these would be the reasons.

A better question would be: Why can't all people live in peace and harmony?
Why was such an event needed?

**Incal** · 03-06-2023, 08:20 PM

Because India could not even help itself: as everyone above has already said, India was a british colony. OP should open a book once in a while.

**Sarin** · 03-07-2023, 03:08 AM

Originally Posted by Criystian26

The world did not know so much information and history in those days. Today Yes. But then no. The Indians would have said: "Who are the Gypsies?"

Even today if you ask this qs. to randomly selected 100 resident Indians back here , 99 would probably be like " Maruti Gypsy ofc what sort of qs. is that?? "

( A trivia - even I wasn't aware of their existence before joining TA )