Pre-independent India played a crucial role in the world wars. India volunteered a lot of  soldiers to the British and provided enormous financial and tactical help. One of the lesser known contributions of the Indians to the World War II was the formation of a special force in the British Indian Army, popularly known as Chindits. This team was responsible for stopping the inroads made by the Japanese into South Asia during the World War II. The Chindits often suffered from diseases such as dysentery and malaria as they marched into the Japanese lines via difficult terrains.