PUNE: The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has recently received a rare footage of the historic Simla Conference held in 1945.
Shot like a home video in 8 mm format by Royal India Naval Officer William Gledhill Taylor, the footage of about 12 minutes, captures the historical moments of the Simla Conference that was attended by many prominent national leaders of the time. The footage has been sent to NFAI by UK-based Margaret South (Taylor), daughter of William Taylor for preservation.
“It is an amazing collection of shots taken during a crucial period prior to India’s independenceMany important political personalities of the time have been captured on the camera,” said NFAI Director Prakash Magdum. “I sincerely thank South for this noble gesture of sending the footage to NFAI. It will be an important addition to our collection,” Magdum added.
The historic Simla Conference was held from June 25 to July 14, 1945, at Viceregal Lodge, Simla. William Taylor, who has shot the footage, served with the British India Steam Navigation Company from the age of 17 years in 1939 and joined the Royal Indian Navy later in the War. He achieved the level of Lieutenant and then sent on leave to Simla prior to his demobilisation and subsequent return to the UK. According to his daughter, Taylor was a keen photographer and had an 8 mm cine camera in his possession. She mentioned in her letter to NFAI that he had fond memories of the place and returned to Simla along with his wife much later to show her the town and its surroundings, which they both loved. Taylor died in 2010. “He would be very proud that the footage is being preserved in India,” South wrote.
ABOUT THE FOOTAGE
Several important leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad, C Rajagopalachari, MA Jinnah, Rajendra Prasad, Bhulabhai Desai, Master Tara Singh, GB Pant etc. can be seen in this footage of the Simla Conference.
Gandhi, who met Lord Wavell prior to the conference, is seen walking back after the meeting at the Viceregal Lodge.
The leaders are seen chatting among themselves on the lawns of the Viceregal Lodge.
The Viceroy Lord Wavell along with his wife are also seen greeting the leaders and exchanging pleasantries on the occasion.
