Matsumoto, Toru <br/><br/>
Right to clothing and the clothing crisis during the Bengal famine of 1943–44 

 - Economic & Political Weekly   
 - 61(15), Apr 11, 2026: p.52-58 
<br/><br/> Clothing is a basic need for human development. Although the right to clothing is recognised as a human right, violations have occurred. This historical study examines the possibility of future shortages by analysing a past clothing crisis. During World War II, British India faced the Bengal famine of 1943–44 and a parallel “cloth famine.” Starving homeless people were forced to remain half-naked during a relatively harsh winter. The crisis stemmed from military priorities in textiles, halted Japanese imports, and rising Indian exports, showing clothing scarcity can reappear in wartime conditions.-Reproduced <br/><br/>https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/15/special-articles/right-clothing-and-clothing-crisis-during-bengal.html<br/>