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Churchill deliberately starved Indians, says National Portrait Gallery
Critics say the 40-minute work misrepresents Churchill and gives credibility to a false portrayal of the 1943 Bengal famine.
- The National Portrait Gallery faces criticism for displaying a 40-minute video installation by artist Helen Cammock titled 'Persistence,' which claims Sir Winston Churchill used "wilful" mass starvation during the 1943 Bengal famine.
- Cammock's film portrays the famine, which claimed nearly 3 million lives, as deliberate policy failure, while critics argue a devastating 1942 typhoon destroyed rice crops and infrastructure, causing the disaster.
- Lord Andrew Roberts and more than 50 members of the House of Lords sent a letter to the gallery on Monday, describing the film as a "barefaced lie" and "foul and vile."
- Gallery officials defended the installation, stating they support freedom of artistic expression while clarifying that displaying commissioned works does not constitute endorsement of artists' personal opinions.
- Debates regarding Churchill's wartime legacy continue as the controversy reignites long-running historical disputes, with the installation remaining on display at the NPG through August 2026.
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National Portrait Gallery Faces Fury Over Video Accusing Churchill Of Starving Millions Of Indians During WWII
The National Portrait Gallery has come under fire after displaying a film that accuses Sir Winston Churchill of deliberately starving millions of Indians during World War II, prompting a backlash from historians, peers and members of Churchill's own family. The controversy centres on Persistence, a 40-minute film by artist Helen Cammock that links the wartime prime minister to the 1943 Bengal famine. Critics, including Churchill biographer Lord …
·United Kingdom
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Row breaks out over National Portrait Gallery claims that Churchill starved Indians
Lord Roberts called the claims from Turner Prize-winning artist Helen Cammock a ‘barefaced lie’
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources8
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
L 38%
12%
R 50%
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