HISTOBLOG

 NETAJI SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE
a: Founder of Forward Block
- Among the young leaders of the Indian National Congress, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose was one of the most important leaders. 
- He was chosen President of Congress Session of Haripura in 1938 and even the next year in 1939 again, the President of Congress Session of Tripura. 
- He was a strong votary of the policy of undertaking a revolutionary programme to overthrow the British rule during the World War period. 
- He however, had conflict of opinion with the senior leaders of the Congress because of his more aggressive programmes. 
- He resigned from the Congress and founded his own party called Forward Block in May 1939.
b: Views of Subash Chandra Bose on the programmes to attain Independence: 
- Subash Chandra Bose was of the view that the Congress should not support any of the groups which were fighting the World War as all of them were imperialists. 
- In March 1940, during the session of Forward Block Subash Chandra Bose asked the people not to help the British government either with their money or by any other means. 
- He was of the opinion that along with the non-violent movement against the British government, the Indians should also undertake armed revolution and even take the help of the enemies of England to end the British rule in India. 
c: Action of British government against Subash Chandra Bose: 
- The British government arrested Subash Chandra Bose for his activities against the war efforts of Britain. 
- He was placed under house arrest when he went on fast unto death in the prison. 
d: Free India Centre was founded: 
- Subash Chandra Bose had developed a strong view that an armed revolution should also be carried out along with the non-violent movement to end the British rule in India. 
- He was also of the view that the Indians should take the help of the enemies of Britain to end their rule in India. 
- Subash Chandra Bose escaped to Germany from his house arrest in India. 
- In Germany, he founded Free India Centre. 
e: Subash Chandra Bose in Germany
- In Germany, Subash Chandra Bose founded Free India Centre.
- He called upon the Indians from the Berlin radio to launch an armed struggle against the British rule for the independence of India. 
- In Germany, he received invitation of Rasbihari Bose from Japan and he left for Japan in a German submarine. 
f: Activities of Rasbihari Bose and Indian National Army: 
- Rasbihari Bose was an Indian revolutionary who had actively participated in the revolutionary activities in India. 
- After the failure of Gadar Party Movement, he had shifted to Japan in 1915. 
- In Japan he found that many Indians well established in trade and commerce had sympathy for the independence movement of India. 
- He established Indian Independence League in 1924 with the help of Indians living in Japan. 
- Japan had arrested many Indian soldiers of British Indian army when she defeated Britain. 
- Rasbihari Bose with the help of Captain Mohan Singh organised the Indian National Army out of the Indian soldiers imprisoned by Japan. 
- He invited Subash Chandra Bose to take over the organisation of Indian National Army. 
g: Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in Japan
- When Subash Chandra Bose was in Germany he received an invitation from Rasbihari Bose to come to Japan. 
- Subash Chandra Bose came to Japan and took over the leadership of Indian National Army. 
- Subash Chandra Bose came to known as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose after he had taken over the charge of Indian National Army. 
- On October 21, 1943, Netaji established the Azad Hind Government in Singapore after negotiations with Japan. 
- Netaji and his followers took pledge to fight till India got independence. 
h: Azad Hind Government
- Netaji Subash Chandra Bose established the Azad Hind Government in Singapore on October 21, 1943. 
- The Azad Hind Government was extended recognition by Japan, Germany and Italy. 
- The flag of Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) under the Azad Hind Government was tricolor. 
- The way of greeting in Indian National Army was Jai Hind. 
- The war cry of Indian National Army was Chalo Delhi. 
- The independent women unit of Indian National Army was called Rani Jhansi Regiment. 
- The Rani Jhansi Regiment of Indian National Army was Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan who was also a minister in Azad Hind Government. 
- The Indian National Army constituted soldiers of different Indian communities which included Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus and members of different castes. 
- Netaji as the head of the Azad Hind government an Indian National Army declared war against USA and England. 
- Netaji gave a call to the Indians in the following way, “Give me blood and I shall give you independence.” 
i: Achievements of Indian National Army under Azad Hind Government
- In November 1943, Azad Hind Government got Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar. 
- Netaji named the islands as Shahid and Swaraj respectively. 
- Netaji then envisaged a role for Indian National Army in the independence of India. 
- Netaji raised the economic resources for the expenses of his army, government and the plan to fight for the independence of India from Indians and East Asia. 
- The INA (Indian National Army) mainly fought on the support of people. 
- The INA fought in the Arakan province of Myanmar in 1944. 
- In May 1944, the INA stepped on the soil of India for the first time at Mowdoc in Assam. 
- The flag of the Azad Hind Government was unfurled for the first time on the soil of India at Mowdoc in Assam (older Assam). 
- After Mowdoc, the INA captured Kohima. 
- After Kohima, the INA attacked Imphal. 
j: INA activities came to an end: Netaji died on August 18, 1945 in a plane crash: 
- By August 1945, the activities of INA came to an end without achieving the final goal of the independence of India. 
- British forces had grown powerful when USA joined her forces. 
- The combined forces of USA and Britain forced Japan to withdraw his attention from India and concentrate on Pacific Ocean where she fought against USA. 
- By 1944, Britain and USA had emerged as a winning party. 
- In absence of Japan support, the INA had to face the situation on its own but it did not have enough resources. 
- The INA withdrew but kept its dream of freeing India from the tutelage of England alive. 
- However, the activities of INA came to an end when Netaji died.
- Netaji died on August 18, 1945 in a plane crash near Formosa near Taiwan while flying to Tokyo. 
- Japan had also surrendered when America bombed it with two atom bombs. 
9. The INA Trial: Dhillon Sehgal Shahnawaz: A great inspiration to the Indians in the British armed forces:
- The British government had arrested many INA soldiers. 
- They were tried in the military court. 
- Lawyers like Jawahar Lal Nehru, Bhulbhai Desai and Tej Bhadur Sapru defended the officers and soldiers. 
- Three officers, namely Dhillon, Sehgal and Shahnawaz were found guilty of treason and sentenced them to life imprisonment along with other soldiers. 
- It sent a great consternation in India and people collectively raised a strong voice against the government. 
- The government was forced to suspend the punishment. 
- The INA trials and their results became a great source of inspiration for the Indian people and the Indians in the British armed forces to work for the independence of India.