During World War II, he prioritised the stockpiling of food for Britain over feeding Indian subjects during the Bengal famine of 1943, against the pleas made by India Secretary Amery and the Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, but eventually eased the famine by directing shipments of grains to India from Australia. The famine resulted in the death of up to three million Indians, for which Sashi Tharoor and Madhusree Mukerjee have blamed on Churchill's response.