Lessons from the Polashi Tragedy

June 23 marks an inglorious day in the history of Bangladesh, since on this day, in 1757, Bengal lost its independence to the forces of the English East India Company led by Robert Clive in an infamous skirmish (battle) at Polashi (Plassey), a small village and mango grove between Kolkata and Murshidabad, on the bank of the river Bhagirathi. The battle of Polashi was only a skirmish, not a big battle, but it had far reaching historical and strategic implications not only for the people of Bengal and India but also for the onward mach of the British colonial Empire in South Asia and other parts of the world. • FULL STORY