Before World War II, Burma was home to over a million Indians, and Rangoon was virtually dominated by them. In 1942, as Japanese troops marched into Burma, hundreds of Indians fled. It was the longest walk home. But trouble was brewing even before the Japanese invasion. The rise of nationalist politics had acquired an anti-Indian colour. The hostility within, coupled with the Japanese invasion, made Indians especially vulnerable. Between 1942-45, half a million walked back—through thick jungles battling malaria, dysentery, fatigue and hunger. But only half of these made it back safe; others perished in the endless trek that lasted months. At our Online Talk #LongestWalkHome, journalist Mandira Nayar recounts this large-scale migration that remains largely forgotten and undocumented, and uses the prism of history to offer a view into contemporary politics in Burma today.

About the speaker

Mandira Nayar has spent 17 years in journalism and writes on books, culture and foreign affairs for The Week. She is a Charles Wallace scholar, and her obsession with history has taken her across India and beyond. In 2013, she was the first Indian magazine journalist to travel to Burma to write on the country when it had just opened up.