Subhas Chandra Bose, Forward

9 Bloc and the Indian N ationaJ

Army (INA)

( ~lanning Ahead 1--- ----- ----- ----- ----.

Ideas of Subhas Bose
The Rift with Gandhi: Split in the Congress and Resignation of Subhas Bose
}I
Factors Responsible for the Rift: Irreconcilable Differences between Gandhi and
' Subhas
I
Formation of the Forward Bloc: Its Aim and Objectives
His Escape from House-Prison
Formation of the Indian National Army (INA)
Subhas becomes the Supreme Leader of the INA
INA's Objectives
Subhas' Contribution to INA's Successes and Achievements
- Formation of the Provisional Government of Free India
- Struggle for India's Freedom and Victories won by INA
Significance of the Struggle of the INA and Subhas

Subhas was born on 23 January, 1897. He
had a brilliant career at Kolkata University.
Completing his sh:Idies in India, he went
to England. In 1920 he passed the Indian
Civil Service Examination. Next year he
resigned from the Civil Service, because
his nationalist instinct prevented him
from serving the British Crown.
Subhas was a great leader. He was
imprisoned ten times and spent almost
eight years in prison cells. There was
nothing which lured him more than a life
of adventure.
Ideas of Subhas Bose and Direction
given by him to the National
Movement
At the age of twenty-four Subhas entered
active politics. In 1923 he became a
Swarajist, because he was not in love with
the Gandhian thought. Bose was a political
realist. He was a man of action. He was
an agitator and an aggressive fighter for
Swaraj. In May, 1939 he organised a new
party known as the Forward Bloc. He
said in the absence of a disciplined Left
Wing Organisation, he could not fight the
Orthodox Wing led by Gandhi.
The Rift with Gandhi: Split in
the Congress and Resignation of
Subhas Bose
Subhas was elected as President of the
Haripura Congress Session in 1938. He
sought re-election as Congress President
for the Tripuri (Madhya Pradesh) Session
to be held in 1939. Assertive nationalists
rallied around him. Gandhi supported
Pattabhi Sitaramayya, an outstanding
right-wing leader. Bose, however, won by
a majority of 95 votes. Gandhi confessed:
"the defeat is more mine than that 0!
Sitaramayya." .
After Subhas' re-election, a deep rift

202
d
 ..... •·····················'s'~bh~;,i~·~d;~·s~·····F• .................................................................. a&)ij
·'.::::.. .. . • • • •
••••
upreme commahnder of the IN~,
addressed t e army men m
~rds: "It is only on the basis of
uted Nationalism and of perfect
1 TAGORE BLESSED
and impartiality that th~ Indian
0
f Uberation can be bwlt up...
we stand, the Azad Hind Fauz
be like a wall of granite; when
rch, the Azad Hind Fa'-!z has to
a steamroller. "
--====:= :..!
d between the orthodox wing
w,has as to the formation of the
Working Committee. Pant, Patel
ni'e other members of the All-
Congress Committee wanted that
should constitute his Working
·ttee in accordance with the wishes
indhi. However, Gandhi refused
est any name. As a result, Bose
the Chairmanship of the Party
pril, 1939. Next day Dr. Rajendra
was elected President in his place.
responsible for the Rift
cilable Differences between
i and Subhas
d views radically different from
Gandhi.
first place, Subhas believed in
and was well-known for his
p.ary beliefs. 1his went against
and programme of Mahatma
Subhas believed
~~'. -~~'.d ~!?.'. th~ !~di~ ~'.~Y (!~~)
freedom could not be obtained without
outside support of some kind. According
to Dr. R.C. Majumdar, "Bose looked upon
a war between Gennany and Britain as a
Godsend which would enable India to exploit
the situation to her advantage." Subhas
followed the principle that "England's
necessity was India's opportunity". Gandhi
and Nehru were opposed to this idea.
Thirdly, Subhas believed in employing
tact and diplomacy while dealing with
his opponents. He could not appreciate
the openness with which Gandhi laid
all his cards on the table at the time of
the Second Round Table Conference in
London.
SUBHASBOSB
• In an article in Bengali called 'Deshanayak'
Rabindranath Tagore, in January 1940,
wrote : "After a lapse of many years I
am addressing one (Subhas} who has
come into the full light of recognition.
My days have come to their end. I may
not join him in the fight that is to come.
I can only bless him, knowing that he ,
has made his country's sorrows his own,
I that his final reward is fast coming as
his country's freedom."
FORMATION OF THE
FORWARD BLOC
Subhas Bose's re-election as Congress President
against Gandhi's wishes, his socialist beliefs
and his revolutionary ideas, these were, in brief,
the factors that led to the formation of Forward
Bloc in May 1939. Subhas announced
that his Left Wing Party would function
within the Congress. But the Congress
Working Committee passed a resolutio
disqualifying Subhas to be memb
Congress Committee for
Objectives o
Forw
that
........ i:. H!~~~~:::.::.::::: ::: ::::::::::::: ::: :::::::::::::::: ::: :::: :::: :::: :::::::: ::::::::: :: :::::: ::::::::::: ::: :

of .workers, peasants, youths and all crossed the Indian border and
reach
radical organisations. Subhas believed Afghanistan. He then went to Ru . eq
ss1a f\.._
in an "uncompromising anti-imperialist 28 March, 1941 he flew from Mo • VQ
scow
struggle for attaining national Berlin (Germany). to
Independence."
After attaining Independence the Free India Centre in Berlin
Forward Bloc would work for the Bose was well received by the G
establishment of a Socialist Society. The leaders. From t~ere he ~t~rted a ;;:an
measures suggested by Subhas Bose propaganda against the Bnhsh imperia _dly
were as follows: (1) State-planning for A Free India Centre was set up in Ber
~e reorganisation of agriculture and November 1941. He became the Ect·t lin_in
1
industry on Socialist lines, (iz) abolition Chief of the English monthly 'Azad ~~-in-
o.~ landlordism, i.e., Zamindari system, Broadcasts were also started in En ~d'.
(m) Social ownership of the means of Hindi, Bengali and other Indian Ian g h,
production (land, factories, etc.) and
from an Azad !find Radio .establis~~g~s
means of distribution (banks and the Berlin. Subhas intense patriotism ins . in
1

transportation system), (iv) Making Indians in a remarkable manner. S~rect

the 'right to work' as a Fundamental Bose founded Free India Centre in Rohas
Right of the citizens, and (v) providing also. 111e
workers several kinds of benefits, such
as the payment of minimum wages and
occupational safety.
Subhas Bose was certain that
Communism would not succeed in India.
0
Neither could Indians agree to an anti-
religious set of beliefs. Therefore, two of
the objectives of the Forward Bloc speak
of (a) Freedom in the matter of religious
worship, and (b) Linguistic and cultural S11bhas Chandra Bose with Hitler in Berlin (Gem,
autonomy for all sections of the Indian in May 1942 any)
community. Forward Bloc's statement of
objectives concluded with these words: Subhas' Motto was "My Enemy's Enemy
Application of the principle of Equality is my Friend." He worked out a plan to
and Social Justice in building up the free his country, met Hitler and in the
New Order in Free India. end travelled to Japan to lead an Army
to fight the British.

SUBHAS BOSE'S ESCAPE

FROM HOUSE-PRISON
The British Government looked upon Bose
as their Enemy Number One. Subhas was
arrested on 2nd July, 1940. While in prison
he decided to go on an indefinite hunger-
strike. On the seventh day of his fast
the Government looked alarmed. They,
therefore, released him on 5 December.
Thereafter Bose was kept in his house at
Kolkata under strict watch. On 17 January,
1941 he left his home in disguise. He went
to Peshawar dressed as a Pathan and then
FORMATION OF THE~°iNi5iAN
NATIONAL ARMY, (INA)
Indian Independence League
In South-East Asia, the Japanese were
getting one success after another against
the British. As a result, a large number
of Indian soldiers fell prisoners into
their hands. After the fall of Singapore
in February 1942 Japan captured some
40,000 Indian soldiers as prisoners of
war. The Japanese handed them over to
 ,,••·······••' ...............................·s~bh·~~· c;.;~·~d~~-B~~~.-·F~~~;d.. ..si~~-~-~d-th ~-j~'di~~· N••• :•••••. ·.· •.............. ·'4Jl •
. . .. . . . .. . . .. . .. ational Army {INA)
.. ..
....
•·····••'
. . .. .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . .. . .. .. . . .. . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . .. .............. .............. .............. ............ .

.. ' captain Mohan Singh, who had earlier Conference at Bangkok to consolidate
urrendered to them after the Japanese these decisions.
5 attacked Malaya. Britain's defeats

-
forces The Bangkok Conference: The INA
great hopes among Indian
,ouse. drs They were ready to t.ake action, was now formally established
ol die •
5 •ch led to the formation of the Indian The Bangkok Conference was held from
"'~ endence League. The Organiser 15 June to 23 June. More than 150 delegates
: :'e League was Rash Be_hari Bose, from Malaya (Malaysia), Singapore, Burma
Id revolutionary who had fled to (Myanmar), Thailand, Hongkong, Manila
all
O
in 1915. The League aimed at and Java attended the Conference. It passed
Japan ilising the members of the Indian
• many resolutions, including one which
JllOb f • stated that "Shri Subhas Chandra Bose
unity for the purpose o secunng
coinrn be invited to come from Europe to lead
Indian independence. this movement". Thousands of Indian .
soldiers joined the INA (Azad Hind Fauz),
The Tokyo Conference which was formally established on 1st
Indian officers, both military and September, 1942. The Flag of the INA was
. ii proceeded to Tokyo to meet the
similar to that of the Congress Tricolour. It
;;~ese High Command. At the Tokyo bore the symbol of a roaring lion.
Conference (28 March to 31 March, 1942), A Council of Action was formed under
th following decisions were taken:
the Presidentship of Rash Behari Bose.
(t) eto expand and strengthen the Indian Mohan Singh took over as the Commander-
Independence League, (iz) to form under in-Chief of the Indian National Army.
the overall command of the League an Japanese Government supplied the arms,
Indian National Army (INA), i.e., an Army
ships and aeroplanes to the INA.
of Indian Liberation, and (iiz) to hold a
 ......•• •s.•;ti~~ 8:~ist~i·•······················· ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Subhas had accepted the invitation of the
Bangkok Conference. He left Germany in
I; a German U-Boat and reached Japan on
I I 13 June, 1943. He arrived at Singapore
I
I on 2nd July, 1943. Rash Behari happily
:t?
surrendered all his powers to him. On 5th
July Subhas took the salute of the INA. He
was greeted. ~s N:l•~e
INA'S OBJECTIVES
INA's objectives, as stated by Subhas
himse_lf, were as follO\A'.S;/.
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 11
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
( On 21 October, 1943 he announced the
of Free India.
4. To go on fighting till the last Britisher '-formation of the Provisional Government
is either cast in prison or thrown out , of Free India and declared War on the
of the country.
From the very outset, Subhas ·gave great
importance to recruit women for the INA.
He was, indeed, fortunate to recruit in
his ranks a thirty-year old young Tamil
doctor, Laxmi Swaminathan (later known
as Laxmi Sehgal).
Silver replicas of tlte one rupee coin that the
Provisional government had issued.
On 26 August 1943 Subhas offi .
. ciau
took charge of tl1e Indian National A. Y
and became its Supreme Command rrny
addressed the armymen in these ;r. lie
0 rd
"The Azad Hind Fauz has to be 1.k s:
• l ea
steamroller. Let us continue to fight .
the National Flag flies over the Vic hll
House m. New Delh'1.,, eroy's
What Subhas had failed to get from Bit1
. J , p. er
and Mussolin1, apan s nme Minist
• was persuaded to give
TOJO • i.e.,
• the fighter
Planes, war tanks, artillery and lornes.er
used to transport food, equipment d
soldiers to the front line. an
The slogans-}ai Hind (Victory t
India) and Delhi Chalo (March t:
Delhi)-became the battle cry of the
INA. As INA's Supreme Leader Subhas'
achievements were as follows:
Formation of the Provisional
Government of Free India
Allies)Nine countries including Japan,
Germany, Italy, Burma (Myanmar)
and Thailand gave recognition to the
Provisional Government. From Singapore
Netaji flew back to Tokyo where he was
received with full honours due to the
Head of the Government of Free India.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
renamed as Shahid and Swaraj
Islands
( On 8 November, 1943 Japan handed _
over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
lo" the Provisional Government of
.l~dia.~ In the last week of December
Subhas paid a visit to these islands an~
renamed them as Shahid and SwaraJ
Islands respectively.)
 .....•·····••.. •.. ••.. •••••••........ ••.... ••..·s~bh
........ " .. •..
•...... •.. •.... •.... •..
·~~- ch~~d~~·
' orwar B oc and the IndIan
.... •..... ... •·.... ..... ..... ..... .
.. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. ..
·F··.... ·.d.... ,.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..... .... Nati
ona IA rmy INA) ....

............................................ ..
(
.. .. . II/
N~~~J:;.... ~~f·t.....R
••.•.•. ·····~·l·ft·;ng the Headquarters of
the
angoon for : Bangkok;
S•• t Thereafter he flew to Tokyo. While
on wa
rovisional Gov~~nmen fatal
Prov1s1o~al Gove:1'111ent's ~o. T~kyo he is said to have received
P t944 the plane crash . The Japanese
JJt dquarters we re shifted. from Sm
gapore m1.une. s in
f{ea
,Rangoon (Yangon). This change was
to tegic importance because
My anm
of
ar
offic1al version was that Subhas
died on 18 August, 1945. Whatev
no mo
er
re.
B
ti:~ I
---1
tier happened, Net aji was see n
stra the gateway to Ind ia's eastern fron
;:ss ubh as' liberation army.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
struggle for India's Freedom and STRUGGLE OF INA AND
v;dories won by INA
y
SUBHAS, THE BRAVE SON
""- INA along wit h the Jap ane se annast OF INDIA
\tJLe ma ny territories in Souhth-E
ve of
ove. rran
In 1944 the y adv anc ed.up to t eve ry Although INA failed in its objecti
d K h' yoke, its
J\,s1a.
frontier of India. They besiege
o ima liberating India from the colonial
ggle is
nd contribution to India's freedom stru
and reached Imphal (now i~ Na ~~a ey unforgettable.
d Manipur States respecbvely);l\Th aji
and th good fortune of planting Tri colour First, the INA and their leader Net
Kh im ) from the ir
ha e rated soil of India (near o a received great honours
on the libe against
t ens ued . country for their heroic struggle
on 19 March 1944. A severe figh the tria l of the
and the the British Ra j.~ 1945
After a prolonged battle the INA n, G.S.
bac k from INA off ice rs-S hah Nawaz Kha
J anese forces had to dra w the Red
ir food Dhillon and Prem Seh gal -at
::h im a on 7 June 1944, because the hy of the
For t in Delhi evoked the sympat
and weapons' supply ran short. up their
entire nat ion .J[h e Congress took
hai Desa~
are cause. Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulab
"I have no son of my own-but you and Tej Bah adu r Sap ru fought
the case
-be cau se
to me, more than my own son on beh alf of the INA officers:(?
tudents
se,
you have dedicated your life to the cau por t of
goal everywhere dem ons trat ed in sup
which is the one and the only one viewed
BHA RAT MAT A." the INA off ice r~T he Government
in my life, FREEDOM OF The INA
these dev elo pm ent s wit h alarm.
- Subhas' Address to the INA'S
Tokyo Cadets officers ?J e ultimately set free.
g
Secon the INA spi rit sta rted affectin
y. The
the arme forces of the countr
Mu mb ai
The Defeat of Japan sealed the Fat
e Ind ian Na vy rose in revolt at
gs took
of the INA in Feb rua ry 1946Tsimilar upr isin
Karachi
The INA's victories were sho
rt-lived. place at Ko lk~ Ch en na i and
the ver y
Monsoon started before the fall of
Imphal also. The nav al revolts sho ok
Em pir e
and by the end of May 1944 the
Jap anese foundation on wh ich the British
the n the res ted .']
forces star ted their retreat. Even Indian
Japanese and alo ng wit h the m the INA Third, the INA proved that the
ted onl y
me n con tinu ed to hol d on to
Burma soldier was not the one interes
wil lin g
(Myanmar) for almost a year. Aft er tha t in the money; he was a volunteer
tic son
things jus t we nt from bad to
worse. to lay down his life as a patrio
d by the of the Motherland. Sha h Nawa
z
Rangoon (Yangon) was recapture
'tish early in May, 1945. INA me n were Co mm and er of one of the INA 's B •
and made prisoners of war. The wrote "W hile the IN A
apa n on Au gus t 15 sealed offensive, the re wa s no
A also.
 ············· .. ····························································································································~
Section 8: History ........... •· · · · · · · · · •••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••·· · ·•... •
............................................ ' •••••••••• • • • • • • • • • •••••

And finally, the formation of the

on which our forces were defeated on the set a powerful example of "corn INA.
battlefield." harmony and brotherhood amongllluna1
Fourth, INA's struggle was ..an . ,, st th
people of Ind 1a. e
important factor which led the Bntish
to quit India.
.................... . ( ' . , , . . .

~············· ············1~ ~ ············:

: 23 January 1897-ln 1920 he pas d :
: Subhas Chandra Bose: Subhas was born on . d' ' se the :
: Indian Civil Service examination and a year later resigne • :
Ideas of Subhas Bose: In 1923 Subhas became a SwarajiSt-A political reali 5t-Aggressive :
• fighter for Swaraj. . ·:.
} Rift with Gandhi: President of the Congress in 1938-Re-elected Pre~ident against Gandhi's :
: wishes in 1939-Resigned the Chairmanship of the Party on 29 April, 1939. :
: Irreconcilable Differences between Gandhi and Subhas: Subhas was well.-known for his :
: revolutionary beliefs-He said tact and diplomacy had_ to be em~l~yed while ~ealing With :
: the opponents-Subhas believed that England's nec~ss1ty was India s opportunity.
; Formation of Forward Bloc: Formation of Forward' Bloc in M~y 1939-lmmedi~t~ objective :
: was liberation of India-His Party would wor~ for the ~stabhshment. of a Soc1~hst Society :
: by means of (i) State Planning for reorganisation of agriculture and industry, {11) Abolitio :
• of Zamindari system, (iii) Social ownership of n:1eans of pro?~ction and distribution, an~ :
: (iv) Making 'right to· work' as a Fundamental Right of the citizens. Above all, application :
: of the principle of Equality and Social Justice in building up the New Order in Free India :
..
: Subhas Bose's Escape from House-Prison: On 17 January, 1941 Subhas left his home :
: in disguise-Reached Afghanistan-Then went to Russia-In March 1941 he flew from:
.
. Moscow to Berlin.
: Form~tion of the Indian National Army: In South-East Asia Indian soldiers fell prisoners :
into Japanese hands-Formation of the Indian Independence League by Rash Behari Bose :
an old revolutionary who was then living in Japan-At Tokyo Conference a decision w~ :
taken to form an Indian National Army-The Bangkok Conference in June, 1942 endorsed :
e decisions taken at Tokyo-A decision to invite Subhas to lead the Movement-lNA :
· ly established ori 1st September, 1942. . :
~omes the Supreme leader of the INA: Subhas reached Japan on 13 June :
0

ILed at Singapore in July 1943-Took charge of the Indian Independence Leagu~:

Ne ·~Becomes .supreme Commander of INA on 26 August, 1943. •
• (i) Io lead Indian people to regain their lost freedom, {ii) An armed :
• ize a Provisional Government of Free India, and {iv) To go on fighting:
,n I aia is either imprisoned or thrown out of the country. :
Successes and Achievements: Formation of the Provisional:
Gtober 1943-Japan handed over the Andaman and:
ment; which were. renamed as Shahid and Swara; :
v.icrtories won by INA-The INA o·verran many :
1 fl reached lmphal-lNA planted Tricolour:
8 March .1944-INA's military vehicles :
mn r,ted before the fall of Imphal-:

e INA also. .
. (i) INA and Subhas :
m (ii) Naval revolts :
' . .
• he British Empire :
Motherland, :
ggle was an:
.
....
.