Hello and welcome to the History Hour podcast from the BBC World Service with me Max Pearson,

the past brought to life by those who were there.

This week the centenary of the Amritza Massacre, a pivotal moment in the history of British rule in India.

I realised that my force was small and to hesitate might induce attack.

I immediately opened fire and disperse the crowd.

I estimate that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. I

returned to my headquarters about 1800 hours. Also, perhaps not for everyone. We

meet the man who invented the modern wing suit.

Wing suits have killed many, many, many people, hundreds of people, but I created a, kind of like a driver's

license system for skydovers.

And from film history, the choreographer who got Marilyn Monroe dancing.

He had that mixture of femininity, sexuality, and balls,

balls, excuse the expression.

I mean, you dance like a guy.

Put the blame on main, boy.

Put the blame on main boy. That's all coming up later in the podcast. But we're going to

begin this week in India where right now the world's largest ever democratic process is underway with an estimated

900 million eligible voters deciding the fate of the incumbent Prime Minister Norendra

Modi.

It's such a vast undertaking that the election is spread over six weeks.

For the last five years, Mr. Modi's Baratia Jantap Party or B.J.P. has been the dominant

force in India. But with its roots in Hindu nationalism, the B. has been accused of

...