Subhas Chandra Bose, Forward Bloc and

the Indian National Army (INA)

Class 10 - APC Modern History & Civics Solutions

Short Answer Questions

Question 1

Why did Subhas Chandra Bose resign from the

post of President of the Congress Party?

Answer

Pant, Patel and some other members of the All-

India Congress Committee wanted that Subhas
should constitute his working committee in
accordance with the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi.
However, Mahatma Gandhi refused to suggest any
name. As a result, Bose resigned from the
chairmanship of the party on 29 April, 1939.

Question 2
Mention any one irreconcilable difference between
Gandhi and Subhas.

Answer

Subhas believed in Socialism and was well-known

for his revolutionary beliefs. This went against the
policy and programme of Mahatma Gandhi.

Question 3

Name the Party formed by Subhas Bose in May

1939.

Answer

The Party formed by Subhas Chandra Bose in May

1939 was named the Forward Bloc.

Question 4

What was the immediate objective of the Forward

Bloc?

Answer

The immediate objective of the Forward Bloc was

liberation of India with the support of workers,
peasants, youths and all radical organisations.

Question 5

Who was Rash Behari Bose? What was the

objective of the Indian Independence League?

Answer

Rash Behari Bose was an old revolutionary who

had fled to Japan in 1915. He was the organiser of
the Indian Independence League.

The League aimed at mobilising the members of

the Indian community for the purpose of securing
Indian independence.

Question 6

When was the Indian National Army (INA) formally

established?

Answer

The Indian National Army (INA) was formally

established on 1st September, 1942.
Question 7

Mention any one objective of the Indian National

Army (INA).

Answer

One objective of the Indian National Army (INA)

was to mobilise all their forces effectively to lead
Indian people to regain their lost freedom.

Question 8

Who announced the formation of the Provisional

Government of Free India in 1943? Mention the
two slogans that became the battle cry of the INA.

Answer

Subhas Chandra Bose announced the formation of

the Provisional Government of Free India on 21st
October, 1943.

The two slogans that became the battle cry of the

INA were 'Jai Hind' and 'Delhi Chalo'.

Question 9
Name any two countries that accorded recognition
to the Provisional Government of Free India.

Answer

Two countries that accorded recognition to the

Provisional Government of Free India were Japan
and Germany.

Question 10.

What names were given by Subhas Bose to the

Andaman and Nicobar Islands respectively?

Answer

Subhas Chandra Bose renamed the Andaman and

Nicobar Islands as Shahid and Swaraj Islands
respectively.

Question 11

Why could not the INA take possession of Imphal?

Answer

The Indian National Army was three kilometres

from Imphal when the Japanese forces had to
withdraw from the Indo-Burma border because of
their entanglement with the Americans in the
Pacific Ocean. The rainy season set in and
Rangoon was recaptured by the British in May,
1945. The INA soldiers were disarmed and made
prisoners of war. Hence, INA couldn't capture
Imphal.

Question 12

Mention one significant achievement of INA in its

struggle for India's freedom.
Or
When and where did the INA plant Tricolour Flag
as liberator of the Soil of India?

Answer

The INA gave a tough fight to the British forces in

the Assam hills and succeeded in capturing Ukhral
and Kohima. They planted the Tricolour Flag for
the first time on the liberated soil of India (near
Kohima) on 19 March 1944.

Structured Questions
Question 1

With reference to the formation of Forward Bloc

answer the following questions:

(a) What led to the formation of Forward Bloc?

(b) What were the immediate aim and long-term

objectives of the Forward Bloc?
Or
Explain any four measures suggested by Subhas
Bose to establish a Socialist society.

Answer

(a) Subhas Bose's re-election as Congress

President against Gandhi's wishes, his socialist
beliefs and his revolutionary ideas were the
factors that led to the formation of Forward Bloc
in May, 1939.

(b) Forward Bloc's immediate objective was

liberation of India with the support of workers,
peasants, youths and all radical organisations.

After attaining independence, the Forward Bloc

would work for the establishment of a Socialist
Society. The measures suggested by Subhas Bose
were as follows:

1. State-planning for the reorganisation of

agriculture and industry on Socialist lines
2. Abolition of landlordism, i.e., Zamindari
system
3. Social ownership of the means of production
(land, factories, etc) and means of distribution
(banks and the transportation system)
4. Making the 'right to work' as a Fundamental
Right of the citizens
5. Providing workers several kinds of benefits,
such as the payment of minimum wages and
occupational safety
6. Introduction of a new Monetary and Credit
System.

Its objectives also included the following-

1. Freedom in the matter of religious worship.

2. Linguistic and cultural autonomy for all
sections of the Indian community.
Forward Bloc's statement of objectives concluded
with these words: "Application of the principle of
Equality and Social Justice in building up the New
Order in Free India".

Question 2

The triumphant campaign of the Japanese in

South-East Asia caused much excitement among
the people of Indian origin living in these regions.
In this context briefly describe:

(a) Circumstances which led to the establishment

of Indian Independence League

(b) Decisions taken at the Tokyo Conference

(c) The Bangkok Conference and the Formation of

Indian National Army

Answer

(a) In South-East Asia, the Japanese were getting

one success after another against the British.

1. As a result, a large number of Indian soldiers

fell prisoners into their hands.
 2. After the fall of Singapore in February 1942
Japan captured some 40,000 Indian soldiers
as prisoners of war.
3. The Japanese handed them over to Captain
Mohan Singh, who had earlier surrendered to
them after the Japanese forces attacked
Malaya.
4. Britain's defeats roused great hopes among
Indian soldiers.
5. They were ready to take action which led to
the formation of the Indian Independence
League.
6. The organiser of the league was Rash Behari
Bose, an old revolutionary who had fled to
Japan in 1915.

(b) At the Tokyo Conference, the following

decisions were taken:

1. To expand and strengthen the Indian

Independence League
2. To form under the overall command of the
League an Indian National Army, i.e., an army
of Indian Liberation
 3. To hold a conference at Bangkok to
consolidate these decisions.

(c) The Bangkok Conference was held from 15

June to 23 June.

1. More than 150 delegates from Malaya

(Malaysia), Singapore, Burma, Thailand,
HongKong, Manila and Java attended the
Conference.
2. It passed many resolutions, including one
which stated that "Shri Subhas Chandra Bose
be invited to come from Europe to lead this
movement".
3. Thousands of Indian soldiers joined the INA
(Azad Hind Fauz), which was formally
established on 1st September, 1942.
4. The Flag of the INA was similar to that of the
Congress Tricolour. It bore the symbol of a
roaring lion.
5. A Council of Action was formed under the
presidentship of Rash Behari Bose.
6. Mohan Singh took over as the Commander-in-
Chief of the Indian National Army.
 7. Japanese Government supplied the arms,
ships and aeroplanes to the INA.
8. On 26 August 1943 Subhas officially took
charge of the Indian National Army and
became its Supreme Commander.

Question 3

Answer the following questions based on the

picture given below:
(a) What were the INA's objectives?
(b) What was Subhas' contribution to INA's
victories over the British?

Answer

(a) INA's objectives, as stated by Subhas himself,

were as follows:

1. To mobilise all their forces effectively to lead

Indian people to regain their lost freedom.
2. To prepare the Indian people inside and
outside India for "an armed struggle". Subhas
said, "Since the enemy fights with the sword,
we too should fight with the sword." Only then
can we "win the race and get the reward of
freedom."
3. To organize a Provisional Government of Free
India.
4. To go on fighting till the last Britisher is either
cast in prison or thrown out of the country.

(b) Subhas persuaded Japan's Prime Minister Tojo

to give the fighter planes, war tanks, artillery and
lorries used to transport food, equipment and
soldiers to the front line. As INA's supreme leader,
his achievements were as follows:
Formation of the Provisional Government of Free
India —
st
1. On 21 October, 1943 he announced the
formation of the Provisional Government of
Free India and declared War on the Allies.
2. The slogans—Jai Hind (Victory to India) and
Delhi Chalo (march to Delhi)—became the
battle cry of the INA.
th
3. On 8 November, 1943 Japan handed over the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the
Provisional Government of India.
4. In the last week of December Subhas paid a
visit to these islands and renamed them as
Shahid and Swaraj Islands respectively.
5. In 1944 Provisional Government's
Headquarters were shifted from Singapore to
Rangoon.

Struggle for India's Freedom and Victories won by

INA —

1. The INA along with the Japanese army overran

many territories in South-East Asia.
 2. In 1944 they advanced up to the very frontier
of India.
3. They besieged Kohima and reached Imphal.
4. They had the good fortune of planting
Tricolour on the liberated soil of India (near
Kohima) on 19 March 1944.
5. INA's military vehicles had entered Manipur
also.
6. Imphal was expected to fall in April or near the
beginning of May 1944.
7. Monsoon started before the fall of Imphal and
by the end of May 1944 the Japanese forces
started their retreat.
8. Rangoon (Yangon) was recaptured by the
British early in May, 1945.
9. INA men were disarmed and made prisoners
of war.
10. The surrender of Japan on August 15 sealed
the fate of the INA also.

Question 4

With reference to the significance of the struggle

of INA and Subhas Chandra Bose answer the
following questions:

(a) How did people of India show solidarity with

the INA Officers put on trial at the Red Fort in
Delhi?

(b) How did the INA's successes affect India's

armed forces?

(c) How will you justify the statement that the INA
was a unique army?
A Guide: An INA soldier was not the one interested
in money. He could lay down his life as a patriotic
son of the Motherland.

Answer

(a) The people of India showed solidarity with the

INA Officers put on trial at the Red Fort in Delhi in
the following manner-

1. In 1945 the trial of the INA officers — Shah

Nawaz Khan, G.S. Dhillon and Prem Sehgal at
the Red Fort in Delhi evoked the sympathy of
the entire nation.
2. The Congress took up their cause.
 3. Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai and Tej
Bahadur Sapru fought the case on behalf of
the INA officers.
4. Students everywhere demonstrated in support
of the INA officers.
5. Even the Muslim League condemned the trial.
6. The Government viewed these developments
with alarm.
7. The INA officers were ultimately set free.

(b) The INA spirit started affecting the armed

forces of the country.

1. The Indian Navy rose in revolt at Mumbai in

February 1946.
2. Similar uprisings took place at Kolkata,
Chennai and Karachi also.
3. The naval revolts shook the very foundation on
which the British Empire rested.
4. Officers of the army demonstrated their ability
to lead in difficult situations.

(c) The INA was unique in its own way and unlike
many other armies engaged in the global war.
1. It was an army organised on foreign soil,
hundreds of kilometres away from its
motherland.
2. It was dependent on foreign powers for
planes, tanks, artillery, rifles, ammunition and
even lorries for the transport of soldiers to the
front.
3. It depended upon the patriotic fervour of its
nationals scattered over East Asia, from
Myanmar to Japan, for men, money, clothing,
food and other civilian supplies.
4. However, its greatest asset was the spirit of
self-sacrifice of it's soldiers. An INA soldier
was not the one interested in money. He could
lay down his life as a patriotic son of the
Motherland.