Subhash Chandra Bose

Early Life and Education:

• Subhash Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa, India.

• He was the ninth child of Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi.

• He studied at the University of Calcutta and later went to the University of Cambridge in the UK to study civil service.

Political Career and Nationalism:

• Subhash Chandra Bose was deeply influenced by the ideas of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.

• He joined the Indian National Congress in 1921 and became its president in 1938 and 1939.

• He founded the Forward Bloc in 1939, a political organization that sought to unite all left-wing parties and groups in India.

• He was critical of Gandhi's nonviolent approach and believed in using force to achieve independence for India.

• He formed the Indian National Army (INA) in 1942 with the help of the Japanese to fight against the British in India.

Role in Indian Independence Movement:

• Subhash Chandra Bose played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement, organizing protests, strikes, and rallies against British rule.

• He was imprisoned several times for his activities, including during the Quit India Movement in 1942.

• He escaped from house arrest in 1941 and fled to Germany, where he sought Hitler's support for India's independence.

• He was reported to have 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.

• He then went to Germany.Bose met Hitler under the pseudo name, Orlando
  Mazzotta.

• With the help of Hitler, the ‘Freedom Army’(Mukti Sena) was formed, which consisted of all the prisoners of war of Indian origin captured by Germany and Italy.

• Dresden, Germany, was made the office of the Freedom Army. Bose came to be called ‘Netaji’ by the people of Germany.

• He gave the famous slogan, ‘Jai Hind’ from the Free India Centre, Germany.

• He began regular broadcasts from Berlin radio in January 1942, which enthused Indians. In early 1943, he left Germany and travelled by German and later by Japanese submarines to reach Japan and then Singapore in July of the same year.

• He was to take over command of the Indian independence movement from Rashbehari Bose, but that was the second phase of the Indian National Army.

• the INA and launched an invasion of India in 1944.

• However, the INA's defeat in the Battle of Imphal in 1944 led to its disintegration.

The Indian National Army (INA)

Origin and First Phase of the Indian National Army

Introduction:

• The Indian National Army (INA) was originally the idea of Mohan Singh, an Indian army officer who decided to turn to the Japanese for help in creating an army out of Indian prisoners of war (POWs).

1st Phase of INA

Formation of the INA:

• The Japanese handed over Indian POWs to Mohan Singh, who tried to recruit them into the INA.

• After the fall of Singapore, several POWs were ready to join Mohan Singh, and by the end of 1942, 40,000 men were ready to join the INA.

• The INA was intended to go into action only on the invitation of the Indian National Congress and the people of India.

• The formation of the INA was seen as a check against Japanese misconduct against Indians in Southeast Asia and a bulwark against a possible future Japanese occupation of India.

Boost from Quit India Movement:

• The INA got a boost with the outbreak of the Quit India Movement in India.

• In September 1942, the first division of the INA was formed with 16,300 men.

• With the Japanese contemplating an Indian invasion, the idea of an armed wing of INA seemed more relevant to them.

Differences and Arrest of Mohan Singh:

• Serious differences emerged between the Indian Army officers led by Mohan Singh and the Japanese over the role to be played by the INA.

• The Japanese wanted a token force of 2,000 only, while Mohan Singh wanted to raise a much larger army.

• Mohan Singh was taken into custody by the Japanese, leading to a leadership vacuum in the INA.

• However, the INA continued to exist, and its leadership was later taken over by Subhash Chandra Bose, who gave it a new direction.

The Second Phase of INA

Introduction

• The second phase of INA began with the arrival of Subhas Bose in Singapore.

• Before that, in June 1943, Subhas Chandra Bose (under the pseudo name Abid Hussain) reached Tokyo and met the Japanese prime minister, Tojo.

• The role of Rashbehari Bose, another great freedom fighter, should also be acknowledged here.

• He had fled to Japan in 1915 following the failed revolutionary activities.

Rashbehari Bose's Efforts

• In Japan, Rashbehari Bose eventually became a naturalised citizen.

• He made a lot of effort in getting the Japanese interested in the Indian independence movement.

• He became active in Pan-Asian circles, founded the Indian Club of Tokyo, and gave lectures on the evils of Western imperialism.

• He was impressed by Subhas Chandra Bose early on.

• It was at a conference in Bangkok that it was decided to place the INA under an Indian Independence League whose chairman would be Rashbehari Bose himself.

Subhas Bose Takes Charge

• When Subhash Bose was sought by the Japanese to lead the INA, he was ready for it.

• He went to Singapore and met Rashbehari Bose, and the latter happily transferred the control and leadership of the Indian Independence League and the INA to Subhash in July 1943.

• Subhas Bose became Supreme Commander of the INA on August 25.

Provisional Government for Free India

• On October 21, 1943, Subhas Bose formed the 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"—was given in Malaya.

• This provisional government declared war on Britain and the United States, and was recognised by the Axis powers.

• Recruits were trained and funds collected for the INA.

• A women’s regiment called the Rani Jhansi Regiment was also formed.

Shift to Rangoon

• The INA headquarters was shifted to Rangoon (in Burma) in January 1944.

• The army recruits were to march from there with the war cry “Chalo Delhi!” on their lips.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• On November 6, 1943, Andaman and Nicobar islands was given by the Japanese army to the INA; the islands were renamed as Shahid Dweep and Swaraj Dweep respectively.

Subhas Bose Addresses Mahatma Gandhi

• On July 6, 1944, Subhas Bose addressed Mahatma Gandhi as ‘Father of Nation’—from the Azad Hind Radio (the first person to call Gandhi, ‘Father of Nation’).

• He asked for Gandhi’s blessings for “India’s last war of independence”.

INA's Participation in Imphal Campaign

• One INA battalion commanded by Shah Nawaz was allowed to accompany the Japanese Army to the Indo-Burma front and participate in the Imphal campaign.

• However, the Indians received discriminatory treatment from the Japanese, which included being denied rations and arms and being made to do menial work for the Japanese units, and this disgusted and demoralised the INA units.

Azad Hind Fauz's Advances

• The Azad Hind Fauz crossed the Burma border and stood on Indian soil on March 18, 1944.

• The INA units subsequently advanced up to Kohima and Imphal.

• On April 14, Colonel Malik of the Bahadur Group hoisted the INA flag for the first time on the Indian mainland at Moirang, in Manipur.

• For three months, the INA carried out military administration duties at Moirang, but then the Allied forces reclaimed the territory.

• The INA met the same fate as the Japanese, and all brigades began their withdrawal on July 18, 1944. The steady Japanese retreat thereafter quashed any hopes of the INA liberating the nation. The retreat continued till mid-1945.

Surrender and aftermath

• On August 15, 1945, the surrender of Japan in the Second World War took place, and with this, the INA also surrendered.

• On August 18, 1945, reportedly, Subhas Bose died mysteriously in an air crash at Taipei (Taiwan).

• But when the INA POWs were brought back to India after the war to be court-martialled, a powerful movement emerged in their defense.

• This movement was supported by a vast majority of Indians who saw the INA as a symbol of their own struggle for freedom.

• The INA trials became a turning point in India's struggle for independence and played a significant role in the eventual withdrawal of the British from India.