The Bengal Famine of 1943 was a devastating disaster that killed an estimated 4 million people in what is now India. It's one of the worst humanitarian disasters in history, and it's also one of the most controversial. At the time, Britain was running the Bengal region of India as part of its imperial rule.

The cause of the famine is still disputed to this day, with various theories blaming everything from weather conditions to British policies. The British for many years treated the famine as though it were a calamity caused by the weather and a lack of food. Today, however, the majority of researchers concur that the crisis was man-made and was principally brought on by wartime inflation, which made food prices unaffordable.

One of the major factors contributing to the famine was Britain's decision to halt food exports to India during World War II. This caused prices for foodstuffs to spike, and it resulted in widespread starvation across the country. Additionally, Britain imposed strict travel restrictions on Indians, which made it difficult for them to find food or medical help.

Ultimately, the British government's incompetent management contributed greatly to the famine. They made decisions that exacerbated the situation instead of taking steps to address it head on. When Indians demanded food, Churchill said it was their fault for 'breeding like rabbits'. Apparently, his words were, “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.”