The Indian National Army and Subhash Bose

• Subhash Chandra Bose Intrepid man.
• Passed the Indian Civil Services examination securing fourth position but resigned from the service in 1921 to join the struggle for freedom by becoming a member of the Congress.
• Political guru was Chittaranjan Das.
• Mayor of Calcutta in 1923.
• Bose decided to go his own way to fight for independence.
• 1940 March, Bose convened an Anti-Compromise Conference at Ramgarh, joint effort of the Forward Bloc and the Kisan Sabha.
• World wide struggle on April 6, call to the people not to help the Imperialist War with any resource—men, money or materials.
• Enthusiastic participation by the people in the struggle launched on April 6.
• Bose arrested in July, he protested and tried to launch a satyagraha against a proposed monument for Holwell in Calcutta.
• house arrest in December 1940 after a hunger strike, January 1941, Bose had escaped.
• Later left India "to supplement from outside the struggle going on at home".
• Approached Russia for help in the Indian struggle for freedom from Britain. But, in June 1941 Russia joined the Allies in the war, which disappointed Bose, So went to Germany.
• Bose met Hitler under the pseudo name, Orlando Mazzotta. Help of Hitler, ‘Freedom Army’ (Mukti Sena) was formed which consisted of all the prisoners of war of Indian origin captured by Germany and Italy.
• Bose came to be called ‘Netaji’ by the people of Germany. Slogan, ‘Jai Hind’ from the Free India Centre, Germany.
• Regular broadcasts from Berlin radio in January 1942, early 1943, he left Germany reach Japan and then Singapore, take over command of the Indian independence movement from Rashbehari Bose, but that was the second phase of the Indian National Army.

Origin and Phase of the Indian National Army

• Indian prisoners of war (POWs) was originally that of Mohan Singh, Indian army officer who had decided not to join the retreating British army in Malaya.
• Turn to the Japanese for help.
• Japanese had till then encouraged Indian civilians to form anti-British organisations. Mohan Singh asked for Indian prisoners of war.
• After the fall of Singapore, several POWs were ready to join Mohan Singh, end of 1942, 40,000 men were ready to join the INA.
• Intended that the INA would go into action only on the invitation of the Indian National Congress and the people of India.
• Check against the misconduct of the Japanese against Indians in South-East Asia and as a bulwark against a possible future Japanese occupation of India.
• INA got a boost with the outbreak of the Quit India Movement in India.
• September 1942, first division of INA formed with 16,300 men.
• Japanese wanted a token force of 2,000 only while Mohan Singh wanted to raise a much larger army. Mohan Singh was taken into custoday by the Japanese.
• Second phase began with the arrival of Subhash Bose in Singapore.
• Rasbehari Bose, another great freedom fighter, made lot of effort in getting the Japanese interested in the Indian independence movement.
• Active in Pan-Asian circles, founded the Indian Club of Tokyo.
• itself he was impressed by Subhash Chandra Bose. Indian National Army was formed by Mohan Singh in Singapore, Rashbehari Bose was greatly excited and left Tokyo for Southeast Asia.
• INA under an Indian Independence League whose chairman would be Rashbehari Bose himself, created the League in 1942 in Tokyo.
• Subhash Bose was sought by the Japanese to lead the INA, went to Singapore & met Rashbehari Bose, happily transferred the control and leadership of the Indian Independence League and the INA to Subhash in July 1943.
• Subhas Bose could build up the Indian National Army. Became Supreme Commander of INA on August 25.
• 1943, 21 October,  Subhash Bose formed Provisional Government for Free India at Singapore with H.C. Chatterjee (Finance portfolio), M.A. Aiyar (Broadcasting), Lakshmi Swaminathan (Women Department), etc. The famous slogan - "Give me blood, I will give you freedom"
• Declared war on Britain and the United States, recognised by the Axis powers. Women’s regiment called the Rani Jhansi Regiment.
• INA headquarters was shifted to Rangoon (in Burma) in January 1944 - war cry “Chalo Delhi!”.
• 1943, November 6, Andaman and Nicobar islands was given by the Japanese army to the INA, rename Shahid Dweep and Swaraj Dweep respectively.
• July 6, 1944, Subhas Bose addressed Mahatma Gandhi as ‘Father of Nation’ - from the Azad Hind Radio.
• INA battalion commanded by Shah Nawaz was allowed to accompany the Japanese Army to the Indo-Burma front and participate in the Imphal campaign.
• Indians received discriminatory treatment from the Japanese.
• 1944 March 18, Azad Hind Fauz crossed the Burma border, and stood on Indian soil. Advanced up to Kohima and Imphal
• April 14, Colonel Malik of the Bahadur Group hoisted the INA flag for the first time on the Indian mainland at Moirang, in Manipur, enthusiastic cries of “Jai Hind” and “Netaji Zindabad”.
• Allied forces reclaimed the territory, all brigades began their withdrawal on July 18, 1944.
• Steady Japanese retreat thereafter quashed any hopes of the INA liberating the nation.
• August 15, 1945 the surrender of Japan in the Second World War took place and with this the INA also surrendered.
• August 18, 1945, reportedly, Subhash Bose died mysteriously in an air-crash at Taipei (Taiwan).
• When the INA POWs were brought back to India after the war to be court-martialled, a powerful movement emerged in their defence.