The UPSC mains GS- 1 paper has History and Geography, Subhash Chandra Bose's had huge role in bringing India at global level before Independence and raising international voice in support of India. IAS Aspirant should understand the importance of Indian National Army and its contribution in India's Freedom Struggle.

TOPICS

  • INA

INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY

The INA resulted from an informal alliance between exiled political leaders of the Indian Independence League (IIL), which sought India’s freedom from British colonial rule, and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The INA existed in two distinct incarnations. In the first, it was raised and initially led by a disillusioned British Indian army officer, Captain Mohan Singh, who had been captured in the opening stages of the Japanese invasion of Malaya. After the British surrender at Singapore in February 1942, Singh recruited Indian troops of the British Indian army from Japanese prisoner of war (POW) camps with the aim of eventually fighting the British in India

 

  • Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary who had escaped from India and had been living in Japan for many years, set up the Indian independence league with the support of Indians living in the countries of south-east Asia.

  • When Japan defeated the British armies and occupied almost all the countries of south-East Asia, the league formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners of war with the aim of liberating India from the British rule.

  • General Mohan Singh, who had been an officer in the British Indian army, played an important role in organizing this army.

  • Azad Hind Fauj was another name of Bose' Indian National Army which was inspired by the concepts of Netaji who planned to take foreign help to get rid of the country of British reign. The Fauj was revived with the determination and leadership of Netaji and entered in the freedom fight portray in 1943. On the birthday of the ultimate revolutionary of India, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose here is some facts about his Azad Hind Fauj.

  • In the meantime, Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in 1941 and gone to Germany to work for India’s Independence. In 1943, he came to Singapore to lead the Indian Independence league and rebuild the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to make it an effective instrument for the freedom of India. The Azad Hind Fauj comprised of about 45,000 soldiers, among who were Indian prisoners of war as well as Indians who were settled in various countries of south-east Asia.

  • Inception of Azad Hind Fauj World war II was at its peak and Britain just had lost Singapore to Japan. With the slogan "Asia for Asiatics" Japan wanted to capitalise their strength against British with Indian soldiers. About 45,000 Indian soldiers gathered and Japanese Army called to form Azad Hind Fauj in 1942. A year after the army took a new avatar under Bose. Netaji escaped house arrest in Culcutta and reached Singapore, and took leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj. The army was then declared to be the Army of Bose.

  • Army which truly empowered Women The army was a believer in women power. Rani of Jhansi Regiment was formed as all-women-soldiers under the Azad Hind Fauj. The women were given training like night marches, bayonet charging, tactical combat, weapon skills and made ready for the battle.

  • On 21 October 1943, Subhas Bose, who was now popularly known as Netaji, proclaimed the formation of the provisional government of independent India (Azad Hind) in Singapore.

  • Netaji went to the Andaman which had been occupied by the Japanese and hoisted there the flag of India. In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north-eastern parts of India to oust the British from India (Imphal campaign).

 

The exceptional courage, determination and sacrifice the Azad Hind Fauj showed, reached the people of India and the nation witnessed a surging wave of revolution. The impact of Azad Hind Fauj on Indian revolution is not military but it seeded the spirit of courage and determination in Indians. To read more articles on Modern Indian History- Click Here