The Dark Side of Winston Churchill — by many regarded as the greatest Briton ever, for some he remained an intensely controversial figure.
Views on race
I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place. (Churchill to Palestine Royal Commission, 1937)
Churchill certainly believed in racial hierarchies, he saw the white protestant Christians at the top, above white Catholics. Indians were higher than Africans. Supporter, however, claim that although he did think that white people were superior, it did not mean that he necessarily thought it was OK to treat non-white people in an inhuman way.
While George W Bush left a bust of Churchill near his desk in the White House, to associate himself with the war leader’s heroic stand against fascism, Barack Obama had it returned to Britain. His Kenyan grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, was imprisoned without a trail for two years and was tortured on Churchill’s watch, for resisting his empire.
Poison gas
Moreover Churchill has been criticised for advocating the use of chemical weapons — primary against Kurds and Afghans.
I do not understand the squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favour of using poisonous gas against uncivilised tribes. (Writing as president of the Air Council, 1919)
Bengal famine
In 1943, India experienced a disastrous famine in the north-eastern region of Bengal. At least three million people are believed to have died. Churchills lack of action has been therefore criticised — British officials begged Churchill to direct food supplies to the region. He bluntly refused. He appeared to blame the Indians for the famine, while claiming that they “breed like rabbits”. At other times, he said the plague was “merrily” culling the population.
Statements about Gandhi
It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir of a type well known in the east, striding half naked up the steps of the vice regal palace, while he is still organising and conducting a campaign of civil disobedience, to parlay on equal terms with the representative of the Emperor-King.
Commenting on Gandhi’s meeting with the Viceroy of India, 1931
For years Gandhi was a threat to Churchill’s vision for the British Empire When Mahatma Gandhi launched his campaign of peaceful resistance, Churchill raged that he “ought to be lain bound hand and foot at the gates of Delhi, and then trampled on by an enormous elephant with the new Viceroy seated on its back.” As the resistance swelled, he announced: “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.”
As prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill rallied the British people during WWII, and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory. Eventhough he is by many highly regarded and remembered for leading Britain through her finest hour, one should not ignore that he used many questionable and racist comments as shown above (and many more).
http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2002/nov/28/features11.g21
