Every year on October 21, the anniversary of the formation of the Azad Hind government is celebrated across the country. On this day, the first independent provisional government of India named Azad Hind Sarkar was announced. First established in 1942 by Mohan Singh, the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army (INA) was revived by Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943.
Azad Hind Fauj was started during World War II to secure complete Indian independence from British rule.
A few other countries, including Japan, Croatia, Indonesia, Germany, Italy and Burma, recognized the Azad Hind government.
Azad Hind Fauj was started during World War II to secure complete Indian independence from British rule.
Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack (then part of the Orissa Division of Bengal Province). He completed his schooling and attended Presidency College for a short time. He later studied Philosophy from the Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta and then went to Britain for higher studies.
A meritorious student, Bose cracked the prestigious Indian Civil Services Examination (ICS). But, Bose soon left the job as he did not want to work under the British government. He played an important role in the freedom struggle of India.
Here are some interesting facts about Netaji and his Azad Hind Fauj
Since Bose was not interested in working with the British, he joined the freedom movement and became a member of the Congress party. Despite working with prominent figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Bose had major ideological differences.
Being a hardline leader in the Congress, Bose became the President of the party in 1938. He was later ousted after differences with Gandhi and the party high command. Bose wanted to wage war against our colonial rulers as they were different from Gandhi’s methods of non-violence.
Captain-General Mohan Singh was the first to establish the Azad Hind Fauj in Singapore with Indian prisoners of war from the British Indian Army in 1942, but it was later disbanded. Bose again formed the INA with the help of Indians living in South East Asia and proudly took command of it.
In 1944, his forces clashed with British forces around Kohima and Imphal. Britain’s struggle to recapture Japan during World War II and the combined forces of the Netaji-led INA were declared the ‘largest battle ever involving the British Army’ in a competition by the National Army Museum in London.