The Status of I.N.A.

Subhas Bose in the East - formation of Provisional Govt. of Azad Hind

Subhas Bose sent a Radio message from Germany to the members of the Bangkok Conference accepting their invitation to join them. This did not, however, prove an easy job. The sea was guarded by the British ships and the only possible way was to risk a submarine voyage.
Subhas Bose was received by the Japanese Premier Tojo on the day after his arrival.He encouraged Bose's project of forming a Provisional Govt. which would take control of Indian Territory as the Japanese force moved on.Tojo made a declaration about India to the following effect;
1. Japan is firmly resolved to extend all means in order to help India to expel the Anglo-Saxon influences. Subhas Bose spoke from Tokyo over the Radio, of his determination to launch an armed fight against the British from India's eastern borders. When Bose arrived in Singapore on 2 July 1943, he was welcomed with tumultuous enthusiasm by an immense surging crowd who instinctively felt that at last  the Man of Destiny had come to lead them on as victors to liberate their own motherland. Subhas Bose took over the Presidentship of the Indian Independence League. Subhas Bose ghave a War cry of " Chalo Delhi" (on to Delhi.and Total Mobilisation.
The Recruitment and Training Departments were hard put to it to give practical effects to these ideas also engaged his attention. The civil side of the Provisional Govt.
1. Health and Social Welfare, 2. Women's affairs; 3. National Education and Culture, 4. Reconstruction, 5. Supply, 6. Overseas, 7. Housing and Transport;
Netaji held a public meeting at Cathay Hall on 21 October, 1943.
On 23 rd Oct the Provisional Govt. decided at a cabinet meeting to declare war on Britain and USA
The declaration was broadcast over Radio by Bose himself and San Francisco Radio communjcated it to the World.
In a few days , nine World powers  - Japan, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Burma, Thailand, Nationalist China, the Philipines, and Manchuria - accorded their recognition to the Provisional Govt. of Azad Hind .
On 28th of Oct Netaji flew to Tokyo where he attended the Greater East Asia Conference in the first week of Nov, and was received by the Japanese Emperor with all honours due to the Head of the State and the Provisional Govt of Free India.
At the Greater East India Conference , Premier Tojo announced on the 6th Nov , 1943, that Japan had decided to hand over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the Provisional Govt. of Azad Hind . Thus the Provisional Govt. acquired its first stretch of territory in Free India.
Returning to Singapore towards the end of Dec , after visiting China and the Philipines en route. Netaji left for the Andamans where set foot on the first Free India territory on the 31st Dec 1943. It was decided to rename the Andaman and Nicobar , Shahid and Swaraj Islands respectively.

Other public administration ministers of the Provisional Government of Free India included:

• Mr. S. A. Ayer - the Minister of Broadcasting and Publicity
• Lt. Col. A. C. Chatterji - the Minister of Finance

The Indian National Army was represented by Armed Forces ministers, including:

• Lt. Col. Aziz Ahmed ^[16][17]
• Lt. Col. N. S. Bhagat
• Lt. Col. J. K. Bhonsle
• Lt. Colonel Guizara Singh
• Lt. Col. M.Z. Kiani
• Lt. Col. A. D. Loganathan
• Lt. Col. Ehsan Qadir
• Lt. Col. Shahnawaz Khan

The Provisional Government was also constituted and administered by a number of Secretaries and Advisors to Subhas Chandra Bose, including:

• A.N. Sahay - Secretary
• Karim Ghani
• Debnath Das
• D.M. Khan
• A. Yellapa
• J. Thivy
• Sirdar Isher Singh
• A. N. Sarkar - the government's official Legal Advisor

All of these Secretaries and Advisory officials held Ministerial rank in the Provisional Government. The extent of the Provisional Government's day-to-day management of affairs for Azad Hind is not entirely well-documented, so their specific functions as government officials for the state outside of their positions as support ministers for Subhas Chandra Bose is not entirely certain.
Azad Hind was recognised as a legitimate state by only a small number of countries, limited almost solely to Axis powers and their affiliate states and puppet regimes. Azad Hind had diplomatic relations with nine countries: Nazi Germany, the Empire of Japan, Fascist Italy, the Independent State of Croatia, Wang Jingwei's Government in Nanjing, Thailand, the State of Burma, Manchukuo and the Second Philippine Republic. On the declaration of its formation in Singapore the Taoiseach of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, sent a note of congratulations to Bose. Vichy France, however, although being an Axis collaborator, never gave formal political recognition to Azad Hind. This government participated as an observer in the Greater East Asia Conference in November 1943.

Greater East Asia Conference in November 1943, participants left to right: Ba Maw, Zhang Jinghui, Wang Jingwei, Hideki Tojo, Wan Waithayakon, José P. Laurel, Subhas Chandra Bose

Government administration and World War II

The same night that Bose declared the existence of Azad Hind, the government took action to declare war against the United States and Britain. The government consisted of a Cabinet ministry acting as an advisory board to Subhas Bose, who was given the title "Netaji" (translating roughly to "leader"^{[citation needed]}) and was no doubt the dominant figure in the Provisional Government. He exercised virtual authoritarian control over the government and the army. With regards to the go

vernment's first issuances of war declarations, the "Cabinet had not been unanimous about the inclusion of the U.S.A. Bose had shown impatience and displeasure – there was never any question then or later of his absolute authority: the Cabinet had no responsibility and could only tender advice..."

At the end of October 1943, Bose flew to Tokyo to participate in the Greater East Asia Conference as an observer to Japan'sGreater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere; it could not function as a delegate because India had technically fallen outside the jurisdiction of Japan's definition of "Greater East Asia", but Bose gave speeches in opposition to Western colonialism and imperialism at the conference. By the end of the conference, Azad Hind had been given a limited form of governmental jurisdiction over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which had been captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy early on in the war.

Unreleased postage stamps of the Azad Hind Government.

Once under the jurisdiction of Azad Hind, the islands formed the government's first claims to territory. The islands themselves were renamed "Shaheed" and "Swaraj", meaning "martyr" and "self-rule" respectively. Bose placed the islands under the governorship of Lt Col A. D Loganathan, and had limited involvement with the official governorship of the territory, instead involving himself in plans to expand the Indian National Army, ensure adequate men and materiel, and formulate its course of actions and the administrations and relations of the Indian population in south east Asia and determining Japanese designs in India and his provisional government. In theory the government itself had the power to levy taxes on the local populace, and to make and enforce laws: in practice they were enforced by the police force under Japanese control. Indians were willing to pay these taxes at first, but became less inclined to do so towards the end of the war when the Provisional Government enacted legislation for higher war-time taxes to fund the INA. During his interrogation after the war Loganathan admitted that he had only had full control over the islands' vestigial education department, as the Japanese had retained full control over the police force, and in protest he had refused to accept responsibility for any other areas of Government. He was powerless to prevent the Homfreyganj massacre of the 30 January 1944, where forty-four Indian civilians were shot by the Japanese on suspicion of spying. Many of them were members of the Indian Independence League, whose leader in Port Blair, Dr. Diwan Singh, had already been tortured to death in the Cellular Jail after doing his best to protect the islanders from Japanese atrocities during the first two years of the occupation.

Azad Hind's military forces in the form of the INA saw some successes against the British, and moved with the Japanese army to lay siege to the town of Imphal in eastern India. Plans to march towards Delhi, gaining support and fresh recruits along the way, stalled both with the onset of monsoon season and the failure to capture Imphal. British bombing seriously reduced morale, and the Japanese along with the INA forces began their withdrawal from India.

In addition to these setbacks, the INA was faced with a formidable challenge when the troops were left to defend Rangoon without the assistance of the Japanese in the winter of 1944–1945. Loganathan was relocated from the Andaman Islands to act as field commander. With the INA garrison about 6,000 strong, he manned the Burmese capital in the absence of any other police force or troops during the period between the departure of the Japanese and the arrival of the British. He was successful in maintaining law and order to the extent that there was not a single case of dacoity or of loot during the period from 24 April to 4 May 1945.

Indian areas under the Administration of the Provisional Government

Almost all of the territory of the Provisional Government lay in the Andaman Islands, although the Provisional Government was allowed some authority over Indian enclaves in Japanese-occupied territories. Provisional Government civil authority was never enacted in areas occupied by the INA; instead, Japanese military authority prevailed and responsibility for administration of occupied areas of India was shared between the Japanese and the Indian forces.     

Indians in South-East Asia in WWII

The out break of World War II  in East in 1941 was started by the declaration of War by Great Britain and America on 8 Dec 1941 against Japan in response to the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbour on 7 Dec 1941. This incident caused a great stirring among the Indians in these regions. On the other hand Germany and Italy declared war against America on 10-11 Dec 1941. On 25th Dec 1941, Hong Kong surrendered to the Axis. On 10th Jan 1942, Japan attacked archipelago occupied by Dutch in SE Asia On 15 February, 1942, Singapore , on 10th March Rangoon, on 9th April Batan, 1st May Mandalay surrendered to Japan.
Those Indians living in territories freed from European domination organised themselves into associations with the main objects of contributing their quota to the liberation of India from the British yoke and serving the interests of the overseas Indians during the critical period of transition.Such organisations were established in a large number of towns as well as in villages, and attained great popularity . But of these associations was born the idea of an Indian Independence League, of which they regarded themselves as branches. A definite shape was given to this idea by the great Indian revolutionary Rash Bihari Bosewhose early activities in India and flight to Japan have been referred to above .

Rash Bihari settled in Japan , married a Japanese girl and became a Japanese citizen. But he never ceased to work for his mother land and it was mainly due to his inspiration and efforts that a conference was held at Tokyo on 28-30 March, 1942, for the discussion of political issues. 
The Tokyo Conference passed a resolution to form an Indian National Army under the direct command of Indian officers who would conduct the campaign for the liberation of India. An Indian Independence League of overseas Indians was provisionally established throughout Japanese Asia , and it was decided to hold a fully representative Conference of Indians at Bangkok in June . This conference was held in Bangkok from 15th to 23rd June, 1942. It was attended by 100 delegates from Burma, Malaya, Thailand, Indo-China, Philipines, Japan, China, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Hong Kong, and Andamans.Rash Bihari Bose was elected as Chairman.
The tricolour flag of India was raised by Rash Bihari Bose and the Conference formally inaugurated the Indian Independence League with a definite constitution. The object of the league was defined to be the attainment of complete and immediate independence of vIndia. The conference passed altogether 35 resolutions, including one inviting Subhas Bose to East Asia. The delegates after returning from the conference held mass meetings in their respective localities and explained the discussions and decisions of the conference.This created tremendous enthusiasm among the Indians who started the local branches of the Indian Independence League. There were already two hundred members of the league in Malaya.
The conference at Bangkok was also attended by the representatives of the soldiers surrendered at the hands of the Japanese. In December 1941, when the Japanese invaded north Malaya and defeated the British forces there, Captain Mohan Singh of the First Battalion, 14th Punjab regiment together with another Indian officer, a British Colonel . The two Indian officers Giani Pritam Singh and Major Fuzihara , a Jsapanese officer, tried to induce Mohan Singh work for the Independence of India. After a great deal of discussion Mohan Singh yielded to their persuasions. After the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 Col.Hunt on behalf of the British Govt. handed over the Indian prisoners of War to        Major fuzihara.Mohan Singh asked the soldiers to join INA, Indian National Army ( Azad Hind Fauz) . The net result was INA had added a number of 25000 volunteers.

South East Asia - Subhas and Rashbihari Bose

Southeast Asia was under Indian influence starting around 200 BC until around the 15th century, when Hindu-Buddhist influence was absorbed by local polities. India had established trade, cultural and political relations with Southeast Asian kingdoms in Burma, Thailand,Indonesia, Malay Peninsula, Cambodia and, to a lesser extent, Vietnam.

Country	Religions
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Predominantly Hinduism, with significant Muslim, Christian, and Sikh minorities.
Brunei	Islam (67%), Buddhism, Christianity, others (indigenous beliefs, etc.)
Burma	Buddhism (89%), Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Animism, others
Cambodia	Buddhism (97%), Islam, Christianity, Animism, others
Christmas Island	Buddhism, Islam, Christianity
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Islam (80%), others
East Timor	Roman Catholicism (90%), Islam, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism
Indonesia	Islam (87.18%), Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, others[45]
Laos	Buddhism (67%), Animism, Christianity, others
Malaysia	Islam (60.4%), Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Animism
Philippines	Roman Catholicism (80%), Islam (11%),[46] Protestantism (6%), Evangelical (2.8%), Iglesia ni Cristo (2.2%), Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church) (2%), other Christian denominations (3%), Buddhism (1.5%),[47] Animism (1.25%) others (Hinduism, Baha'i, Judaism, etc.)
Singapore	Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, others
South China Sea Islands	unknown
Thailand	Buddhism (95%), Islam (4.6%), others (0.8%)
Vietnam	Vietnamese folk religion (45.3%), Buddhism (16.4%), Christianity (8.2%), Muslim (0.2%), Other (0.4%), Unaffiliated

The peoples of maritime Southeast Asia — present day Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines — are thought to have migrated southwards from southern China sometime between 2500 and 1500 BC. The influence of the civilization of India gradually became predominant among them, and among the peoples of the Southeast Asian mainland. Indian traders, adventurers, teachers and priests continued to be the dominating influence in Southeast Asia until about 1500 CE, and Indians often ruled the earliest states in these regions. Hinduism and Buddhism both spread to these states from India and for many centuries existed there with mutual toleration. Eventually the states of the mainland became mainly Buddhist.

• Maritime Southeast Asia, comprising Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore,Philippines, East Timor, Brunei, andChristmas Island.
• Mainland Southeast Asia, also known asIndochina, comprising Cambodia, Laos,Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, and West Malaysia;

The territories of mainland southeast Asia comprise the following:

• Cambodia
• Laos
• Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia only)
• Myanmar (formerly Burma; part of British Indiauntil 1937)
• Thailand (formerly Siam)
• Vietnam

In June 1943rash Bihari Bose , President of the IIL met Subhas Bosein the Imperial hoteland briefed him about the situation and requested himto take up leadership of the Indian Independence movement in th far east. Rash Bihari escaped to japan under the name Tagore after he had thrown a bomb at Lord Hardinge , the then Viceroy and Governor General of India , in 1912, and since then had been staying in Japan, as its citizen , marrying a Japanese woman. earlier, for several years he was protected by Prof. Toyama, of the Black Society of Japan.
The day after Japan entered World War II, the IIL, was officially inaugurated at Bangkok in December 1941, under the leadership of Baba Amar Singh , assisted by Giani Pritam Singh, two young Indian revolutionaries who had escaped in Dec 1940 from Hong Kong prison, where they were imprisoned for their anti-British movement and sought asylum under the Japanese government.
Rash Bihari Bose handed over his Presidentship of IIL to Subhas Bose.

Role of Japan in WWII (contd-2)

Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbor on the island ofOahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of theUnited States Pacific Fleet. The U.S. government first obtained exclusive use of the inlet and the right to maintain a repair and coaling station for ships here in 1887. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941 was the immediate cause of the United States' entry into World War II.