Dear Delegates,

I am thrilled to have the honor of serving as your Director of the 1857 Indian Rebels committee for Harvard National Model United Nations 2010. Our simulation will run concurrently with the British Cabinet committee, and as a committee our aim will be to win independence from the British Empire, rise above our differences, and embark upon the difficult task of nation-building. In real life, the Indian Mutiny failed, and India did not achieve independence until 90 years later. But with effective research and collaboration, we can ensure that history does not repeat itself.A few words about myself: I’m a sophomore at Harvard College, concentrating in Social Studies (an interdisciplinary social science major comprising politics, economics and social theory). I was born in New Delhi, India, but have spent the majority of my life in Bangalore, which you may know as a center of information technology and outsourcing. Model UN has become a huge part of my life: I travel to conferences every year as part of Harvard’s intercollegiate team, and also serve as a director at our sister conference for high school students, HMUN. Apart from schoolwork and Model UN, I am an avid sports fan: cricket, basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball– I follow almost any sport. I also write about music and literature for The Harvard Crimson and about international affairs for our sister publication Harvard International Review.

I have chosen this topic for three main reasons. One, as an Indian whose father is a historian, I have a passionate interest in the history of my country. Two, it is a topic that hasn’t been covered on the MUN circuit. But thirdly and most importantly, the Indian Rebellion gives rise to a fascinating array of issues that are still relevant today. Nationalism, ethnic and religious divides, the idea of a multicultural state, the dynamic of colonist vs. colonized: as a student of political theory, but also as a citizen of the world, I believe that these issues will make for an exciting and rewarding simulation.

I know that many of you may never have been in a crisis committee before, but I can assure you that it is a format that offers a range of possibilities that can engage rookie and veteran alike. I’ll be holding office hours on the first day of conference both to address questions and concerns about the committee as well as to get to know all of you better as individuals– this is the aspect of committee that I most look forward to. I urge you to get in touch with me at any point that you have questions or points of clarification.

Looking forward to meeting you in February!

Warmest regards,

Keshava Guha
Director, Joint Cabinet Crisis: Indian Rebellion of 1857 – Indian Rebels
Harvard National Model United Nations 2010

Topic Area: The Struggle for Independence

Our committee opens in June, 1857, with the Indian rebels (who are not united) having captured all the major towns of Northern India. The British cabinet has decided to take over control of India from the East India Company and send troops to India. Our committee brings together fourteen important rebel leaders, some of whom are allies (there are several Marathas), some of whom are fiercely independent. While each member of the committee will have his or her own private agenda, as a committee I will urge you to work closely together in the struggle to win independence.

The committee is deeply divided along the lines of ethnicity and religion. There are Marathas, Punjabis, Bengalis, and kings and queens from the central Indian heartland. There are six Hindus, six Muslims and two Sikhs, and the committee will be presided over by Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II Zafar.

The primary task before the committee will be achieving full independence from the British. This will require unity, as the British army will overpower the Indians if they do not cooperate (and this was in fact the major cause of the Mutiny’s failure). Alternatively or additionally, the delegates can seek the aid of the Russian Empire and French Second Empire, both of whom are keen to establish themselves in South and Central Asia. If successful in this task, the committee can declare the existence of an independent India 90 years before 1947.

However, if achieved, independence is only the first step in the process. What will an independent India look like? What will be the territories of the new nation? What about its political organization? And how will the committee rise above the tensions of caste and religion?

The committee will have to deal both with the British as well as with internal events and discord. This challenging simulation will provide delegates with, of course, a better knowledge of the history of India and the British Empire, but also with an enhanced understanding of nationalism, colonialism, and creating unity in the most heterogeneous society on Earth.