Book Insights 1/3- THE SQUIGGLY CAREER by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis

It has been a while I have been contemplating with the idea of writing book summaries. Given the time constraints we all have, book summaries serve as a valuable resource as you can pick the key takeaways and learnings in couple of minutes of your reading. 

This blog is a only a summary note of the book and does not capture the full content and all the details. 

This blog is written for academic purpose, please do provide citation to the book The Squiggly Career, Authors - Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, Publisher - Penguin Random House, UK.

I encourage the readers to buy the book for a detailed reading. 

It's available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Squiggly-Career-Ladder-Discover-Opportunity/dp/0241385849 

This book summary is of THE SQUIGGLY CAREER, authors – Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, published by Penguin Random House UK, which I read (rather listened to it on Audible).

There are total of eight chapters in the book.

·       Welcome to Your Squiggly Career

·       Chapter 1: The Squiggly Career

·       Chapter 2: Super Strengths

·       Chapter 3: Values

·       Chapter 4: Confidence

·       Chapter 5: Networks

·       Squiggly Careers Summaries

·       Chapter 6: Future Possibilities

·       Chapter 7: Squiggly Career Conundrums

·       Chapter 8: 100 Pieces of Career Advices

Welcome to Your Squiggly Career Summary

Today’s careers are no more like Staircase/Ladders, rather they are Spaghetti like Squiggly Careers.

The five career skills required in this modern world of work are:

1.      Super strengths (things you are great at and applying these at work)

2.      Values (What motivates and drives you?)

3.      Confidence (Belief in yourself, build your resilience and support system)

4.      Networks (People help people, build a network based on giving)

5.      Future possibilities (Career plans are things of the past, explore the possibilities and take control)

Chapter1: The Squiggly Career (Summary)

1.      The career ladder analogy has lost it’s usefulness for describing today’s career.

2.      The Who, What, When, Why and Where of Work are all changing simultaneously.

3.      No size fits all approach to career development has become irrelevant and impossible.

4.      No one cares about your career as much as you do. Self-reflection, Self-awareness and Continuous Learning is a must-do and not nice thing to do.

5.      JD (job description) is no more stagnant in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) work environment.

6.      Rethink on your relationship with learning. Identify yourself  as a learner than being a knower.   

7.      9 am to 5 pm schedule is fast disappearing.

8.      Design your own operating system.

9.      Understanding your Why of work will improve your decision making at work and make you feel fulfilled at work.

10.   Five skills which will make you succeed: Super strengths, Values, Confidence, Networks and Future possibilities.

 

Chapter 2: Super strengths (Summary)

1.      Strengths are the things you are good at. Super strengths are the things you are brilliant at.

2.      Spent 80% of your time focusing on your strengths stronger and 20% of your time in mitigating any specific weaknesses relevant to your job.

3.      Strengths are the combination of your natural talents and learned experiences.

4.      Natural talents are what you are good at. We often underestimate them and the positive impact it has on work.

5.      Ask your colleague/friends/family for three words that describe you (feedback).

6.      Your learned strengths are combination of your work, knowledge, expertise and behaviour.

7.      You can find and evaluate your own super strengths vs strengths by four criteria success, frequency, openness and happiness.

8.      Know what you want people to say about you when you are not in the room.

9.      Ask for strength based feedback – e.g. can you tell me when I was in my best this week?

10.   Take practical action to ensure your strengths are visible and stands out. E.g. Job crafting, taking special projects, team-based strength identification, online presence.

 

Chapter 3: Values (Summary)

1.      Values makes you YOU. It motivates and drives you.

2.      Values are formed in three phases: spongy, copycat and rebel. They are fully established by the time you reach your early 20’s.

3.      Knowing your values helps you in three ways: a. Knowing your values at work, b. Using empathy and c. Using values as a career compass to make better decisions.

4.      You have 3 to 5 core values which are your strongest motivator, which are ultimately most important to you.

5.      You have a set of value which effects your work and personal life. Values are not for value judgement.

6.      Values can positively and negatively affect you. Hence knowing and making use of values positively will have a productive impact in your career.

7.      Careers must have and must not give clues to your values.

8.      Defining what your values means to you, will help you share them with other people at work.

9.      Understanding others values helps in creating teams with high trust, empathy and where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.

10.   Knowing your values and living them is a work for life. So do revisit them regularly.

 

Chapter 4: Confidence (Summary)

1.      Confidence is a skill. It can be learned, practiced and improved.

2.      Confidence gremlins holds you back at work and everyone has them.

3.      Work out  to identify the triggers of your confidence gremlins and when it holds you back.

4.      To test and overcome your confidence gremlins, take small actions.

5.      Reward yourself for taking actions towards your confidence gremlins.

6.      Confidence and success goes hand in hand. More successes you get, the more confidence you build.

7.      The three R of building a success mindset: Recognise, Record and Run your own race.

8.      Build your support system around with people who love you, understand you, challenge you and inspire you.

9.      Use confidence boosters to calm yourself down in tense moments.

10.   Our top three confidence boosters are: Watch your words, Be in your body and Practice makes perfect. 

 

Chapter 5: Networks (Summary)

1.      Networking is people helping people.

2.      In a Squiggly career, your network helps you to develop meaningful relationship, gain access to diverse perspective and build your brand.

3.      Everyone can build a network, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Best relationships are build with authenticity and which is right for you.

4.      To build a brilliant network you need three Ds: to be Discerning, to be Deliberate  and to be Diverse in your approach.

5.      Access the strengths and gaps in your networks by identifying the network you have which supports your current role, future possibilities and personal development.

6.      The best network is build on what you can give, without expectations of immediate gain.

7.      To identify what you can give to a network, start with your strengths and passion and how these can be helpful to other people.

8.      Not everyone will say yes to networking request. So don’t get disheartened and take it personally.

9.      Know what role you are playing in a network: Consumer, Connector, Contributor or Creator.

10.   Developing a network takes time, energy and it is a work in progress.

 

Chapter 6: Future Possibilities (Summary)

1.      The stage life of education, work and retirement is getting replaced by multi-stage, multi-transitional squiggly career.

2.      Ditch your career plan in favour of exploring future possibilities.

3.      Define your obvious, ambitious, dreams and pivot possibilities.

4.      For discovering a future possibility, be specific what you need to know and who can help you.

5.      Future possibilities focus on your What and career vision focuses on your Why.

6.      Use a vision board (manifesto) to point out what is important for you.

7.      Treat yourself as work in progress to future proof your future career.

8.      People with high CQ (Curiosity Quotient) are better placed to work effectively in ambiguity and uncertainty.

9.      Feedback should be regular.

10.   Grit is more important than talent as an indicator for success.

 

Chapter 7: Squiggly Career Conundrums (Summary)

Seven common career conundrums:

1.      Should I start a side project?

2.      How do I find a mentor.

3.      What should I do if my organization does not invest in training?

4.      How do I achieve work-life balance?

5.      Should I stay? Or should I go?

6.      How do I build my personal brand?

7.      How can I be a leader, when I don’t have a team?

Should I start a side project?

Starting side projects is becoming mainstream.

Side projects can be related to your passion (hobby), problem solving (unmet needs), or idea testing side project (pilot).

Tips for starting your side projects:

·        Start your side project and don’t wait for perfection.

·        Collaborate with others on your side project.

·        Share your side projects with many others.

·        Learn and leap-frog.

·        Have fun.

One book to read: Do Fly: Find Your Way. Make a Living. Be Your Best Self – Gavin Strange. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26782674-do-fly

One video to watch: Don’t Complain, Create – Tina Roth Eisenberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk9sUoqiutQ

How do I find a mentor?

Don’t limit yourself to one type of mentor (e.g. seniority). Find mentors based on their expertise and not on their age.

Mentoring relationship can be short term or long term, depending on the career needs.

Become a mentor yourself.

While reaching out for mentoring, don’t make it too formal. You can request for informal conversation time on specific areas where you are looking for advice.

It’s not necessary to know all your mentors personally. You can learn from distant learning mentors.

Three self-reflection questions before seeking for a mentor: What do I want to learn and why? Whom I already know who can help me learn what I want to learn or can get me connected to someone? How can I ask for mentoring in a way which is interesting and meaningful to me.

One book to read: Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast Track Your Career. – Sylvia Ann Hewlett

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17290914-forget-a-mentor-find-a-sponsor

One video to watch: The secret to great opportunities? Tanya Menon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFgtI7nt6Q4

What should I do if my organization does not invest in training?

Take ownership of your own career development.

Apply for grants for funding your own learning, Seek support from your manager/organization (flexibility in time for pursuing learning).

Create your own curriculum from MOOCs.

Create your own learning style and learning community.

Be a learning advocate.

 One book to read: Mindset: Changing The Way You Think – Carol S. Dweck

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54328136-mindset---updated-edition

One video (YouTube channel) to watch: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse

How do I achieve work-life balance?

What balance means to you, requires self-reflection.

Consider Work Life Integration.

Focus on two inter-related aspects: Feelings and Choices.

Strive to have some control on the time you spend and make conscious choices and decisions.

Choices to make: Get good sleep (7-8 hours), Do exercise, Take a break (have a downtime), Turn off notifications and stop overuse of technology, Make a friend, Don’t be apologetic/guilty.

One book to read: Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder – Arianna Huffington.

One video to watch: How to Gain Control of Your Free Time? Laura Vanderkam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3kNlFMXslo

 Should I stay? Or should I go?

Are you Happy? And Are you Learning? (your answer should be yes)

What’s the job after the next job? (think new possibilities, take your time and don’t feel pressurized to take up a role if it does not suit you).

Apply your strengths and your values at work.

Enjoy the journey rather than the destination. (in squiggly career destination is unclear)

Work on improving your working relationship with your manager.

Consider are you running from something in your old role? (if you are running away from something it will impact your quality of decision) Or Are you drawn towards something in your new role? (positive drive will have a long term positive impact).

One book to read: The Start of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career – Reid Hoffman https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12030438-the-start-up-of-you

One video to watch: Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career Larry Smith Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKHTawgyKWQ

How do I build my personal brand?

Build your authentic personal brand so that interesting opportunities and possibilities come to you.

Make your brand visible.

Five personal brand principles: Start with your strengths and values, Being mindful your personal brand is everywhere, Make a positive Impact, Win-win: your personal brand should benefit you and your organization, Invest your time and energy in building your personal brand.

One book to read: The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion through the Art of Story Telling – Annette Simmons https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/575386.The_Story_Factor

One video to watch: How to Build Your Personal Brand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-AlAG8a2Q

How can I be a leader, when I don’t have a team?

Time is changing. Organizations are adopting more agile ways of working and are looking outcomes rather than functioning out of organizational chart.

Many organizations are experimenting with Holacracy (a method of decentralized management and organizational governance. Self-governance by team themselves).  (Look up

Successful Leaders have the following qualities in common: Good listener, Self-aware, Stay Curious, Ability to Influence and Persuade others, Invest in self-learning and developing others.

Think laterally.

Lateral leadership ideas – Volunteer yourself, Take up a problem to solve, Become a Mentor, Look for opportunities for gaining exposure to leadership activities, Focus on your strengths and lateral leadership experiences.

One book to read: Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/91832-why-should-anyone-be-led-by-you

Chapter 8: 100 Pieces of Career Advice (Summary)

This chapter has 100 career advices from people who have inspired the authors in their career journey.

Learning Resources from Squiggly Careers authors:

Visit Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis website: Amazing If

https://www.amazingif.com/

Tune into Squiggly Careers Podcast

                  https://www.amazingif.com/listen/ 

Happy Learning by reading, watching and listening! 

Please do share this blogpost. There may be someone out there who might benefit from your small generous act of sharing.

I am on diet! INFORMATION DIET

I am on diet is a common phrase of our times. After all fast food, confectionaries, beverages (the addictive trio salt, sugar and fat) has become our way of life, over time. 

Industrialization of food, has resulted in the prevalence of microwave dinners, fast food, packaged and processed foods, food-consumerism culture, large-scale food production, grocery shelves stocked with microwaveable, super-sized, bite-sized and on-the-go meals, plastic-wrapped and frozen food. In essence, there is no gastronomic experience but rather efficiency and utility of food, just to re-fuel ourselves.   

Over time, we are suffering the negative consequences of obesity and lifestyle diseases, since the advent of industrialization of food.

Clay Johnson in his book The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption, draws a parallel between the industrialization of food and the industrialization of information.

So what is industrialization of information? 

Webster dictionary defines Information Age as a time in which information has become a commodity that is quickly and widely disseminated and easily available especially through the use of computer technology. 

With Information floodgates open, countless content irrespective of meaningful or not, keeps rushing at us in countless formats through our laptops, tablets, mobiles. 

Johnson points out, we modern humans are mindlessly spending endless hours everyday consuming information through screens (mobiles, tab, laptops) and speakers. "Just as we have grown morbidly obese on sugar, fat and flour - so too, have we become gluttons for texts, instant messages, emails, RSS feeds, downloads, videos, status updates and tweets." - Johnson.

Indeed a food for thought, to chew upon isn't it? 

There is so much of overload of information, many of it is junk, irrelevant, forced upon, distracting, devoid of any value, meaningless which does not cater to our wellbeing and growth. But we end up consuming them because we aren't mindful enough and we have got habituated to it over a period of time. 

In this context, if we see the term 'Information overload' is a misnomer. 

Clay Johnson argues blaming the abundance of information itself is as absurd as blaming the abundance of food for obesity. It's not that the fast food on it's own is coming out of the fast food joints and popping into our mouth. It is we who are making the choice to consume it over healthy food. (Makes perfect common sense isn't it? Ultimately it's about cultivating good habits and making healthy choices).

He proposes an alternative phrase, 'Information Over-Consumption' which is a truer reflection of the reality.

Parallels drawn between the industrialization of food and the industrialization of information is quite evident to us now. Eating too much food can lead to obesity, and consuming too much information can lead to cluelessness.

Just like over-eating leads to negative health outcomes, Information Over-Consumption leads to various negative outcomes across Physical (obesity, hypertension, sedentary death syndrome, diabetes, heart disease), Psychological (distorted sense of time, shallow social relationship, reality dysmorphia, screen addiction) and Social (agnotology, epistemic closure, democratic failure) dimensions.

In the background of this contemporary issue, Clay Johnson in his book The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption, makes a strong case of cultivating good habits and to become selective about the information we consume as we are about the information we consume.

Remember Maslow's Needs for Hierarchy? The pyramid model of hierarchy of human needs.

Extrapolating the idea of Clay Johnson's Information Diet, Future Crunch a weekly newsletter proposed an 'Information Pyramid' model in the lines of Maslow's Needs of Hierarchy model.

The Information Pyramid model gives us a visualization of what kind of information we should  consciously consume and what kind of information we should consciously minimize. 

We should consciously cultivate a good habit and make smarter choice to consume more of Consensual Information (newsletters, podcasts, specialist publications) & Humanistic Information (books, audiobooks, essays, documentaries) and minimize the consumption of Non-consensual Information (email, messages, notifications) & Algorithmic Information (news, social media).

Bottom-line, let's make smarter, conscious decision to stop Information Over-Consumption in today's Information Age for our own sanity, well-being & growth.   

Bucket List - the little done, the vast undone.

 

Like me, so many of you would also be working from home (WFH) during this pandemic crisis. It's hard to do team bonding activities while working remotely but on the contrary team activities are more important in this virtual work environment, when compared to working out of office. 

In this effort for team bonding during this prolonged WFH, we regularly host various virtual engagement events to bring the team together. My colleague, Ashwathi recently hosted one such event named: 'BUCKET LIST'.

During this event, each team member's took turn to share their 3 bucket list items. 

The event started off on a formal note and with customary greetings. Initial few speakers were guarded and formal but as the event proceeded inspite we being adults and working professionals all started to shed their inhibitions and were expressing their bucket lists with emotions, feelings and authenticity.

I felt it as a deep humane experience, seeing my team members expressing their wishes which they have secretly harboured in their hearts. "May your bucket list come true" wishes for one another, created a bubble of Ubuntu. 

Outwardly we all have so many layers of formalities, positions, decorum but deep within we are just human, so similar to each other. We keep postponing our wish-list because other practicalities of life take precedence and we put our bucket list in a closet, to visit later. Generally for most of us the sum total of our Bucket List is the little done, the vast undone. Combo of happy memories and sighs!

Post the Bucket List Team Event, I was exploring online on this topic and I came across a TedxTalk on Bucket List: 6 Steps to crossing anything off your bucket list by Ben Nemtin.

Ben Nemtin, gives 6 practical tips on how to tick off the Bucket List:

1. What's important?

Ask yourself what is important to you in your life. Take a pause in your life to reflect upon and make a list of what's important for you. 

2. Write your list down?

Write down your dream, write down your idea on a piece of paper. Writing it down converts the intangible form into a tangible form. Convert your dreams into a project. Dream remains a dream, but a Project has step by step process which takes us to our milestone.   

3. Talk about your list.

Talk about your bucket list. If you don't talk about your bucket list, no one will get to know. Surprisingly help can spring up from even the most unexpected quarters, so it's important to talk about your bucket list.

4. Be persistent.

You will hear more NO than Yes, but no does not mean 'never' it usually means 'not now'. Most of the dreams and not get accomplished because people give up. So be persistent and don't give up too soon. 

5. Be audacious. 

Don't over-estimate the competition and don't under-estimate yourself. Be audacious to set unrealistic goals and back it up with relentless hard work.

6. Help other people

Happiness is only real when it is shared. Be helpful by nature and help without expectations. When people see you helping others, there are chances you too will receive help.

So dream big, be audacious, write down your bucket list, talk about it, be persistent and help others in their journey. Wishing you all the very best in our life! May your bucket list come true!  

References:

• 6 Steps to crossing anything off your bucket list by Ben Nemtin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Y7mfxEaco

• Ben Nemtin's website https://www.bennemtin.com/

No copyright voilation intended. Bucket list image used is from https://www.iesabroad.org/blogs/madison-palmer/ultimate-london-bucket-list#sthash.8OMusV91.dpbs

 

  

The Unremembered Stories of The World Wars, INDIA and Indian Independence

 

While browsing through the magazine rack at a local departmental store, I came across a special issue of The Week magazine (dated August 2, 2020): World War II @75 How India Saved The World From Hitler.

It is a special issue of The Week magazine, to commemorate the 75th year of end of World War II, which is just round the corner 2nd of September. (WWII ended on 2nd September 1945).

The title How India Saved The World From Hitler, was intriguing to me. I grew up in the 90's, as a school going kid I had hardly read a paragraph in my history books which mentioned about India's contribution and involvement in the World Wars (I and II).

(By the way, just two years ago 11th of November 2018 was the centenary year for the end of World War I).

This edition of The Week magazine featured many related stories about India and World War II. Reading them made me wonder how little I knew about my country's history, it's contribution and our legacy in shaping the present day modern world.

Reading these stories, nudged me to explore more on India and World Wars.   

It is important for us to know about India's contribution in the World Wars. These wars are watershed moments in the modern human history which shaped our present day world order. 

Writing this blogpost is my small attempt to spread awareness among many more Indians and the global community, who like me might be ignorant of INDIA's enormous contributions in the World Wars. 

India's involvement in World Wars as part of British Empire and India's own freedom movement in the backdrop of World Wars is a vast landscape of complicated stories, many characters and multiple perspectives. Making a sense of this requires a deep dive into further reading and the extend to which one wants to read and know depends on one's personal interest and inclination. 

This blogpost is not a deep dive into the subject. It attempts to do the following:

1. Info-graphics for your easy reading and quick awareness
2. Present a brief write-up on India's enormous contributions in the World Wars.
3. Present a brief write-up on the relevance of World Wars and India's independence.
4. Curate the links (other resources) at one place for your easy accessibility

1. Info-graphics for your easy reading and quick awareness

2. Brief write-up on India's enormous contributions in the World Wars

World War I

Indian political leaders backed the British war effort in order to gain leverage in their fight for dominion status and eventually their call for total independence. 

The sacrifices of the Indian soldiers was of a very different kind, because they were not fighting for their own Nation but there was a HOPE that by defending the British, in return they would eventually earn their independence.

India provided the largest voluntary force ever assembled in history with around 1.4 million (14 lakhs) individuals, with 74,000 fatalities.

The total number of animals sent overseas from India for the war efforts were around 184,350. These included horses, ponies, mules, camels, bullocks and dairy cattle.

The contributions from Indian revenues towards the cost of the war amounted to £146.2 million by the end of 1919-20. In today's terms, these would amount to around 14 billion. 

The approximate value of supplies send overseas during the war to the various forces dependent on India was £ 34 million. Items supplied were, rice, flour, atta, dal, ghee, sugar, tea, tinned meat, jam, biscuits and firewood. It amounted to 3.7m tonnes.

The Indian regiments fought at various places across the world: France, East Africa (now Kenya), Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey and Syria), Egypt, Palestine, Trans-Caspia (modern day Turkmenistan), Arabia, Greece, China, West Africa and North-West frontiers of India.

11 Indian soldiers received Victoria Cross medals for their bravery.

At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, India gained independent representation. As a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles, India gained automatic entry to the League of Nations. The collective contributions of Indian soldiers, gradually lead to positive reforms in the Indian army after the end of WWI.

World War II

At the start of WWII in 1939 the Indian Army had just 1,60,000 (1.6 lakhs) troops. By the time the war ended in 1945, the Indian Army had swelled to more than 2.5 million (25 lakhs). 

It was the largest all-volunteer army in the history of human conflict writes Harry Fecitt, the author of  Distant Battlefields.

Close to 25,000 were martyred in the war, 64,000 were wounded and 12,000 went missing, never again to return home.

The key wars, in which Indian soldiers contributed enormously:

In December 1940, the 4th Indian Division fought the Italian empire in East Africa. The Indian forces that liberated the city of Addis Ababa in April 1941, paving the way for Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to return to his homeland. In May 1941 a regrouped Italian Army was again defeated by 5th Indian Division. 

In the Middle East, a pro-German junta led by Rashid Ali, seized power in Iraq. Britain's supply of oil for running the war machines dried up. By mid-1941, the 8th and 10th Indian Division reached Basra in Iraq and secured the oil fields. 

Another Indian brigade, along with Australians and the Free French Forces, captured Damascus and secured Syria and Lebanon.

In May-June 1942, the 4th and 10th Indian Division joined the Commonwealth forces and won the second battle of El Alamein in Egypt, defeating the celebrated German general Erwin Rommel.

In July 1942, the German forces had begun the seige of Leningard and were almost sighting Moscow. The siege of Leningard lasted for 872 days (2 years and 3 months). Russia was starved of food, fuel and ammunition. Most of Russia's oil import came from Persia. The oil fields of Persia was under threat from the advancing German army, threatening the import of oil. To revive the oil supply, 8th and 10th Indian Division and the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade were deployed for invasion of Iran in August 1941 and they succeed in their mission. The Indian troops developed ports, roads, river and canal routes from the Persian Gulf to the Arctic reaches of Russia, through which tens of thousands of soldiers carried 62,000 tonnes of aid. 

Auchinleck who commanded the Indians in the Middle East said "The British couldn't have come through both wars (WWI, WWII) if they hadn't had the Indian Army."  

With the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese on 7th December 1941, America also entered into the war. Japan was simultaneously fighting in Hong Kong, Malaya (Malaysia), Burma (Myammar) and Singapore. The Rajput and Punjab regiment, 9th and 11th Indian Divisions and the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade fought across Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Burma. In the North East frontiers of India (Imphal and Kohima) the 5th, 7th and 26th Indian Division fought in the fierce battle what came to be known as the Battle of the Admin Box. 

The INA (Indian National Army) lead by Netaji Subas Chandra Bose was engaged in the Battle of the Admin Box seeking to liberate their motherland. To the great glory of India, both sides British India Army and INA fought each other. 

The WWII came to an end with Japanese surrender following the aftermath of US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th of August 1945 respectively. 

On 2nd September 1945, the Japanese generals officially surrended to General MacArthur on board USS Missouri, berthed in Tokyo Bay.    

For India, however there were a few more days of war left. The 5th Indian Division reached Singapore on 4th September 1945 to take it over. The 23rd and 25th Divisions landed in Malaya on 9th of September to take it over. 

6,300 Indian Army personnel won awards in WWII.

The tally included 31 Victoria Crosses (VC) the highest military gallantry honour, 7 George Crosses, 252 Distinguished Service Orders, 347 Indian Orders of Merit and 1,311 Military Crosses.  

3. World War I, World War II and it's relevance to India's independence

1.4 million and 2.5 million Indian soldiers fighting for British Empire during World Wars I and II, Gandhi's Quit India movement and Bose's Indian National Army (and INA trials) were the three inter-connected plots, which lead to India's independence on 15th of August, 1947, two years after the end of WWII.  

The Indian Independence struggle since the 1900's has to be seen in the backdrop of changing dynamics between the European Imperial Empires and the precipitation of the World Wars.

The Indian political leaders of those times had wholeheartedly supported Britain in WWI in the hope of return of favour of being granted dominion status for India's war efforts. When WWI ended in 1919, Britain refused to give dominion status to India in return for their help. Rather what came through was Rowlatt Act, Jallianwalla Bagh massacre and a water-downed diarchy through the Montagu-Chelmsford (Mont-Ford) reforms.

Though the Indian political leaders where fighting against the British Raj for India's political freedom, when WWII broke out, most of them, except Subhas Chandra Bose were willing to lend their support to the British cause against Nazism, with an assurance of India's independence after the war ends. 

As this assurance did not come through Gandhi threatened British Raj with the call for civil disobedience movement. As the Congress threatened civil disobedience, most of it's top brass leaders were put into jail. By March 1941, Subas Chandra Bose escaped from house arrest and fled to Moscow.

The WWII had taken a global stage with the Axis and Allied forces fighting each other. Bose managed to raise INA (Indian National Army) with the Indian POW (prisoners of wars). 

By 1942, Gandhi announced "Quit India" movement and India was in a turmoil. 

By 1942, with the fall of Burma and Singapore, INA and Japanese armies were at the doorsteps of eastern gate of the British empire. Meanwhile the Japanese and INA were making inroads into Burma, The Andaman islands were handed over by the Japanese to Netaji Subas Chandra Bose, and Bose hoisted the Indian tri-colour. The fate turned soon, with British India Army holding the fort in the Battle of Admin (Imphal and Kohima) and with Japanese surrender after the atom bombs falling in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August 1945.

The captured INA officers and soldiers, were brought to Red Fort in Delhi to be tried for treason. The INA trials resulted in widespread protest across India. The sailors of the Royal Indian Navy rose in revolt in February 1946. These protests drove home a message to the British, that the loyalty of Indians Armed Forces could not be taken for granted any longer. This precipitated this final event of transfer of power and India gaining her political independence on 15th of August, 1947. 

Sarojini Naidu had written a poem, The Gift of India, narrating the sacrifices of Indian soldiers in World War I. In the last stanza of the poem she asks the world to remember the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers who fought in the World War.  

When the terror and tumult of hate shall cease
And life be refashioned on anvils of peace,
And your love shall offer memorial thanks

To the comrades who fought in your dauntless ranks,

And you homour the deeds of the deathless ones, 

Remember the blood of my martyred son!

Unfortunately, we haven't kept them in our remembrance enough. 

Isn't it high time, to remember the Unremembered?

4. Curated resources (at one place for your easy accessibility)

• India 1914 website is part of 'Remembering Indian Soldiers', a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Palan Foundation.

          https://www.india1914.com/Default.aspx

• Annu Palakunnathu Matthew a Professor of Art at the University of Rhode Island is working on a project The Unremembered: Indian Soldiers of World War II. She is collecting family photographs of Indian officers and soldiers who fought in WWII, for creating a digital archive to keep their memories and legacy alive.

          http://www.annumatthew.com/gallery/unremembered/ (Annu Matthew's website)

          https://www.indiansoldiers1945.com/ (One can contribute with photographs for this project)

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKMBCXdosDE  (Conversation at BIC - Bangalore                         International Centre)

• Movies, Web series:

1. Kabir Khan directed web series The Forgotten Army Azaadi Ke Liya on Amazon Prime, tells the story of INA during the WWII, from an Indian soldier's point of view. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG6PUj-TUfY (trailer)

2. Rangoon movie directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, is a love triangle in the backdrop of WWII and INA. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4909752/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-tC0wcIu24 (trailer)

3. Sajjan Singh Rangroot is a film on Sikh regiments that went to the front lines during WWI. Lead role played by Diljit Dosanjh. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7762982/  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7YddfDo4N0 (trailer)

4. Raag Desh is a period film directed by Timangshu Dhulia on the historic 1945 Indian National Army Red Fort Trials. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6080746/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TE_2zp5RbA&t (trailer)

• Documentaries:

1. Kabir Khan has scripted a 3 episode documentary The Forgotten Army aired on Doordarshan.

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PArPXYQV5w

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b2UFTE2ijo

Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRHRgKqMI50

One link for episode 1, 2 and 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcgLbAbzzGY 

2. History TV18 featured episodes WW and Indian army: 

61st Cavalry India's Horse Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpV_DdeXJgY (the first 15 mins of this episode talks about 61st Cavalry division during the WWI).

History Honours: India's Forgotten Army: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJzNSs8WT3I (Indian Army during the WWI).  

• Reading

Links to two stories from The Week Magazine's special edition on India and WWI.

1. India's World War (cover story) - a story that is now all but forgotten 
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2020/07/23/we-were-there-everywhere.html

2. Birth of a nation - How WWII started a chain reaction that resulted in India's independence 
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2020/07/23/birth-of-a-nation.html

Books on World Wars and India:

1. The Raj at War: A People's History of India's Second World War - Yasmin Khan

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25203591-the-raj-at-war

2. Farthest Field: An Indian Story of Second World War - Raghu Karnad

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26530362-farthest-field

3. Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment - Vera Hildebrand

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/33556435-women-at-war

4. The Indian Spy: The True Story of the Most Remarkable Secret Agent of World War II - Mihir Bose

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34807236-the-indian-spy

5. Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan - Shrabani Basu

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1035312.Spy_Princess

6. India's War: World War II and the Making of Modern South Asia - Srinath Raghavan

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26240787-india-s-war

7. For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front, 1914-18 - Shrabani Basu

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26073088-for-king-and-another-country

8. If I Die Here, Who Will Remember Me? India and the First World War - Vedica Kant

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22118469-if-i-die-here-who-will-remember-me-india-and-the-first-world-war

9. Sepoys in the Trenches: The Indian Corps on the Western Front, 1914-1915 - Gordon Corrigan

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1389710.Sepoys_in_the_Trenches

10. The Indian Army on the Western Front - George Morton-Jack 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20914055-the-indian-army-on-the-western-front

11. World War One in Southeast Asia: Colonialism and Anti-colonialism in an Era of Global Conflict - Heather E. Streets-Salter

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32735228-world-war-one-in-southeast-asia

References (for writing this Blog): 

India's World War (cover story) - a story that is now all but forgotten 
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2020/07/23/we-were-there-everywhere.html

After Dunkrik, a starter list of 10 engaging books on India's role in the World Wars - article by Jenny Bhatt. https://scroll.in/article/846748/after-dunkirk-a-starter-list-of-10-engaging-books-and-a-bonus-on-indias-role-in-the-world-wars

Photographs of Indian sepoys from World Wars.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/12-photos-of-the-indian-army-in-the-first-world-war

World War I: Six extra-ordinary Indian stories.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46148207

Letters written by Indian soldiers from World Wars.

https://scroll.in/article/677257/heart-rending-letters-of-indian-soldiers-who-fought-in-world-war-i

Common Wealth War Graves

https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/2005200/forli-indian-army-war-cemetery/

The Northeast India WWII Trail

https://travellingslacker.com/world-war-ii-northeast-india/