MOIRANG DAY, 14 April 1944
On 14 April 1944 Colonel Mallick of the Indian National Army had hoisted the national tricolour with the symbolic Springing Tiger at the historic Moirang Kangla (ancient seat of power) in Manipur. It was a very proud moment in India’s struggle for independence – the INA had finally reached the sacred soil of mainland India and held it for a time as a liberated area from British control. The advancing INA and Japanese forces had fought and pushed the British out of Moirang and their camps on the hills of Manipur. The INA was welcomed by the freedom fighters of Manipur which had itself a long history of struggle against the foreign occupiers.
In raising the Tricolour Colonel Mallick said:
“…The Indian National Army with the unstinted support of the Japanese Government has now crossed the Indo-Burmese border and in the course of its struggle for the liberation of the people of India from the British yoke we have now reached Moirang, the ancient citadel of Manipur. Our commitment is to march to Delhi and unfurl the Tri-Colour flag there at Lal Killa. Many had died on our way to reach here (Moirang) and many would die on our way to Delhi. However, expulsion of the enemy from the sacred soil of India is a compulsion for us. We shall fight and the people of Manipur would provide supplies to us….Freedom of India is very near; near at hand and we shall win it …”
Moirang remained the ‘advance Headquarters of the INA’ for about three months and the Provisional Government of Azad Hind administered all the liberated areas of Manipur during this time. The people of Manipur from its hills and valleys extended all types of support and cooperation to the INA including food, donations and other materials. Even a couple of hundred Manipuris joined the INA movement.
Moirang remained the ‘advance Headquarters of the INA’ for about three months and the Provisional Government of Azad Hind administered all the liberated areas of Manipur during this time. The people of Manipur from its hills and valleys extended all types of support and cooperation to the INA including food, donations and other materials. Even a couple of hundred Manipuris joined the INA movement.
Today at the scared site where Colonel Mallick had hoisted the Indian flag stands the INA Memorial. I had the privilege of visiting Moirang in April 1993 on the invitation of the Manipur Government. A few miscreants had damaged Netaji’s statue and the Manipur Government had installed a new statue. On this auspicious occasion, many Manipuris were present and it was an emotional experience for me to see how much the local people respected and revered their leader- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Not much is known about the role of the INA and its remarkable entry into India in early 1944 and its success in liberating a part of that region, though it was short-lived. The Netaji Subhas Foundation could encourage and support research and documentation of this glorious phase of INA history.
( This article was taken from Chandra Kumar Bose
14 April 2012)
14 April 2012)
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