Japan and The Indian National Army (An Old and Rare Book)

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The history of India's struggle for freedom was unique in the sense that it was carri ed on two fronts i.e. one inside the country which believed in achieving it by non-violent means and the other carried on from abroad which tried to attain it by violent means.

This monograph is in continuation of the author's earlier studies relating to the activities of Indian revolutionary nationa lists abroad for the attainment of India's independence. In their bid to overthrow the British, they sought help from many foreign powers. The present study is confined to their alliance with Japan during the second World War which culminated in the formation of the Indian National Army and its march towards India. Based on an intensive examination of source material drawn from private and official records, the monograph provides a detailed account on the dramatic events leading to the formation of the Indian National Army by General Mohan Singh; on his clash with the Japanese; on the heroic exploits of the I.N.A. under the dynamic leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose; on its defeat and trial by Court martial. Besides utilising the sources available in India and abroad, the author has also consulted the Japanese docu ments for depicting the attitude of Japan towards the question of Indian Independence.

Dr. T. R. Sareen is at present Director, Indian Council of Historical Research, was formerly Assistant Director in the National Archives of India. He was also Editor Towards Freedom Project. Was associated with Institute of Historical Studies in their project "Dictionary of Nationalist Biographies". With the Indian Institute of Public Administration for the preparation of "Guide to the Sources of Modern Indian History". He was Records Management Consultant with Government of Keneya.

Having travelled widely in India and abroad, Dr. Sareen has three published. works to his credit, apart from many articles on Indian History and Culture. His publications include Indian Revolutio nary Movement Abroad 1905-21, Russian Revolution and India 1917-21 and A Study of Soviet Policy towards Indian National Movement 1922-29.

The present study is in continuation of my earlier studies relating to the activities of the Indian Revolutionary Nationa lists abroad to achieve the liberation of India. In their bid to overthrow the British, by an armed revolution, they alligned with many foreign powers. They joined hands with Germany during the two wars, forged an alliance with International Communism after the Russian Revolution for the same purpose. The objective was the same when they collaborated openly with Japan and Germany during the II World War.

The present study is confined to the activities of the Indian Revolutionary Nationalists in East Asia which began during the First World War and culminated in the formation of the Indian National Army and the Indian Independence League with the backing of Japan. Besides the narrative of their activities, an analysis of the attitude of Japan to the question of Indian Independence has been briefly outlined.

An attempt has also been made to study the British reaction to this alliance with Japan and how it tried to malign it in the eyes of the world. The study is by no means exhaustive and is mainly based on the sources available in India and abroad. There is no dearth of source material on the subject, but the major portion of the original sources available in India and the Public Record Office, London are still not open for consultation to the Research Scholars. Naturally, the study based on the limited access to the source material is likely to prove a hinderance in presenting the story in its proper prospective. Still every effort has been made to present the facts as objec tively as possible.

For writing of the monograph, the official sources available at the National Archives of India, Historical Section of the Ministry of Defence, India Office Library and Records, Public Records Office London, have been utilised. The records of the Army Department which have now been declassified throw a good deal of light on the subject. especially useful and informative are the series of files containing reports which were prepared by the South-East Asia Translation and Interro gation Centre based on the interrogation of many Japanese and Indian Army officers after the termination of the war. These files are entitled "Historical" or "Intelligence" Bulletins. The Historical Section has also got large number of original papers belonging to the Indian National Army and the Indian Inde pendence League which were collected at the end of the war by the British Intelligence officers in South-East Asia. All these papers are not open for consultation. The Historical Section was kind enough to give me access to some of the files only as per rules.

To write an objective and dispassionate account of certain long-drawn-out historical events is not an easy matter, so long as some of the main actors who participated in the final phase of that struggle which resulted in their victory, are still alive.

I know Dr. T.R. Sareen for the last twenty years, who at present, is Director Indian Council of Historical Research. He has a passion for not only an objective study of historical events connected with our freedom struggle abroad, but is also imbued with a spirit and tenancity of purpose to dig out the truth in a despassionate manner, with a view to isolate facts from fiction which is not an easy task as far as the history of our independence movement is concerned.

During the last two decades he often discussed with me the veracity of certain facts and information which he had culled from various books and important documents about INA and Indian Independence movements launched from the Far East.

Seeing his keen interest in hunting the truth about what we did in the East, I often suggested him to write an authentic account of the INA based upon records, his personal study and research in this line. I am glad he has now come out with the present book entitled, "Japan and The Indian Nation Army".

With the background of his experience of over a quarter of century of hard work and research in the National Archives of India in various capacities and passionate desire to separate myths from reality, he is suitably equipped to write the history of this movement.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages