Select Documents on Indian National Army (An Old and Rare Book)

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The heritage of the I.N.A. remains an inseparable part of the legacy of the national movement. Their uncompromising espousal of secularism and rejection of all c l caste, communal and regional divisions are worthy of emulation.

The present work consisting of only selected documents on the Indian National Army is in continuation of author's earlier studies relating to the efforts of the Indian nationalists abroad for the attainment of India's freedom.

The hitherto unpublished documents in cluded in this book were collected from India Office Library and Records, Public Records Office, Imperial War Museum, London, National Archives of India, National Library, Singapore and other places in India and abroad. Besides the official documents, unpublished memoirs of a few participants have also been included.

These documents shed considerable light on the circumstances leading to the formation of the Indian National Army, the activities on Indian Independence League, the clash between Rash Behari Bose and Mohan Singh on one hand and the Japanese on the other, coming of Subhas from Berlin and the crucial role of the Indian National Army under his dyna mic leadership for the liberation of India from abroad. These documents are a mine of information for the Indian students of Modern Indian History.

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 Associate Editor Towards Freedom pro ject. Was associated with Institute of Historical Studies in their project "Dictionary of Nationalist Biographies". Served 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 Kenya.

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

The history of India's fight for freedom was quite unique in the sense that it was carried on two fronts i.e. one inside the country which believed in achieving it by non-violent means and the other carried on-though on a limited scale-from outside India which tried to attain it by violent means.

During their struggle against British colonial rulers, the Indian Nationalists abroad received help from many foreign powers. The nature of foreign assistance varied from time to time and was determined by the relation of the assisting country with Britain. In the present documentary study it is intended to trace the links between the Indian Nationalists and Japan during the Second World War and how their collaboration resulted in the formation of the Indian Independence League (IIL) and the Indian National Army (INA). Though the interest of the Japanese in the activities of the Indian Nationalists fighting from abroad began during the First World War, yet the alliance took concrete shape only after the Second World War.

The credit for putting the Indian Independence movement in East Asia on a sound footing and for the initial formation of the INA goes to Sardar Pritam Singh, General Mohan Singh and Major Fujiwara. As head of the Japanese Intelligence agency, Fujiwara appreciated the demand put forward by the Indian nationalists on the eve of the Pacific War for the formation of an Indian Voluntary Army from amongst the civilians and the Pri soners of War of the British Indian Army. Fujiwara inspired Mohan Singh after the defeat of the British in Malaya in 1941 with the idea of liberating India with Japanese assistance and thus the INA was born. It was assisted by the Indian Indepen dence League under Pritam Singh.

I feel privileged in being asked by my friend and colleague, Dr. T.R. Sareen, Director, Indian Council of Historical Research. to contribute a foreword to this volume.

Dr. Sareen has dedicated himself with particular single-mind edness to the history of Indian nationalists abroad. Among the most eminent of these fighters for freedom have been the Ghadr patriots of the era of the first World War and the men and women of the Indian National Army of the Second World War. Dr. Sareen has now assembled a number of documents from varied sources, such as INA records. Japanese sources, British reports. memoirs of participants, etc., to enable the reader to trace the story of the Indian National Army. It may seem-as it seemed to many at the time that in the great worldwide struggle against Fascism, the INA was on the wrong side of the fight. The Indian people could not possibly be convinced that the Japanese Imperial Army could really help rid India of colonial servitude. But the INA was not a puppet of the Japanese army, as these documents so well. show. Subhas Chandra Bose and his comrades were with Japan. not out of choice but because of circumstances, given their burning desire to see their homeland free. They wanted to plant the defiant tricolour, not any alien flag, on the ramparts of the Red Fort.

The heritage of the INA soldiers remains an inseparable part of the legacy of our National Movement. Their uncompromising espousal of secularism and rejection of all caste, communal and regional divisions are especially worthy of emulation today, just as their total devotion to the country must touch a chord in the heart of every person with a conscience. They made Iqbal's stirring song for the country their own anthem. Its opening words our country, India, the best in the world... were surely divested of their naivete when these were sung by men marching ready to lay down their lives in battle.

Dr. Sareen's collection of documents is a worthy form of salute to the men and women of the INA to whom all of us shall be for ever in debt.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages