Simla, British India, 1925 “There was a sickening crunch as boot met bone. Jagesar howled and begged for mercy. But Harry did not stop. He viciously kicked the man over and over again. Then, he adjusted his sleeves, fixed his hair, and walked off ...

Simla, British India, 1925 “There was a sickening crunch as boot met bone. Jagesar howled and begged for mercy. But Harry did not stop. He viciously kicked the man over and over again. Then, he adjusted his sleeves, fixed his hair, and walked off as if nothing had happened.” Harry Mansel-Pleydell was the head of India’s Army Canteen Board. His position and illustrious lineage allowed him, and others like him, to use any means necessary to keep the natives in line. Jagesar was one of thousands of men who migrated to Simla to ferry European passengers on their shoulders. In life and in death, men like him were invisible to society. An incident like this one—where a European man violently attacked a coolie causing his death, should never have merited a mention or any attention. But it did. Because on that fateful night, the locals decided to knock on the door of Lala Mohan Lal: a powerful politician with a keen sense of justice. Lala’s involvement set off a series of events—the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Based on true events, this story is about a set of determined Indians taking on the mighty Europeans in court—and in society.