Indian National Army

Why is in news? EAM S. Jaishankar visits INA Memorial Complex at Moirang in Manipur

The Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar visited Indian National Army (INA) Memorial Complex at Moirang in Manipur today.

He pays homage to the INA leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Boss there and other heroes who fought the British during Second World War.

The tricolour flag was hosted here by INA during the Second World War. The site would attract tourists and would also be a place for research purposes.

Indian National Army:

The Indian National Army was an armed force formed by Indian collaborators and Imperial Japan on 1 September 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II.

Its aim was to secure Indian independence from British rule. It fought alongside Japanese soldiers in the latter's campaign in the Southeast Asian theatre of WWII.

Azad Hind Fauj or the India National Army (INA) was first established by Mohan Singh in 1942.

It was revived by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943, during the Second World War to secure India’s complete independence from British Raj. Under Bose, the INA is called second INA.

Hence, every year on 21 October, the anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government is celebrated across the country.

On this day, India’s first independent provisional government named Azad Hind Government was announced.

There was also an all-women regiment named after Rani of Jhanshi, Lakshmibai.

Under Bose's leadership, the INA drew ex-prisoners and thousands of civilian volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in Malaya (present-day Malaysia) and Burma.

On October 21, 1943, Subhash 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.

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.

The famous slogan—“Give me blood, I will give you freedom” was given in Malaya.

The INA headquarters was shifted to Rangoon (in Burma) in January 1944, and the army recruits were to march from there with the war cry “Chalo Delhi”

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”.

But the INA failed to capture Impal. The British forces suppress the INA. On August 15, 1945 the surrender of Japan in the Second World War took place and with this the INA also.

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

INA trails:

The Indian National Army trials (also known as the INA trials and the Red Fort trials) was the British Indian trial by court-martial of a number of officers of the Indian National Army (INA) between November 1945 and May 1946, on various charges of treason, torture, murder and abetment to murder, during the Second World War.

The number of INA troops captured by Commonwealth forces by the end of the Burma Campaign made it necessary to take a selective policy to charge those accused of the worst allegations.

The first of these was the joint trial of Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon.

They were charged of “Waging War against the King Emperor” as well as Murder and abetment of Murder.

The decision was made to hold a public trial, as opposed to the earlier trials, and given the political importance and significance of the trials, the decision was made to hold these at the Red Fort.