A hundred years on, it’s open season on First World War histories. Each combatant nation is giving its battle honours a deserved airing. Australia and New Zealand look back proudly at Gallipoli, the Canadians at Vimy Ridge, and the Americans at Meuse-Argonne. Moreover, the war is owned by the Tommies, Fritzes and Poilus. In India and the First World War, Vedica Kant points out India’s stupendous contributions, including one-and-a-half million participants and over 70,000 casualties. How then can we account for the pall of silence surrounding the Indian experience in the war?