Homage to INA martyrs, new Netaji forum announced

Homage was paid to thousands of martyred soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj – who gave their lives for India’s freedom – on the occasion of the Foundation Day of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind in exile, established on October 21, 1943, under the leadership of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Singapore.

Over 200 admirers of Netaji gathered at the Netaji Memorial in Central Kolkata to pay tribute on Friday morning and announced the formation of a new think tank, the Jai Hind Deshpremi Manch.

The programme was organised by INA activists and family members of Bose at the existing memorial of the INA at the Mayo Road-Red Road crossing in Central Kolkata.

Netaji activists also announced the formation of a forum dedicated to propagating the history of Azad Hind’s heroic exploits when they fought the Allied Forces in Manipur in 1944 and even hoisted the national flag there.

“This was the first free Government of India, in exile, founded in Singapore where Bose regrouped the INA under his leadership. Let the present Government of India officially announce this truth which has been kept suppressed by successive Congress governments all these years. History has to be rewritten,” a member of Bose’s family told Millennium Post.

The activists also demanded the setting up of the Azad Hind square in the same place. The Kolkata Police band played songs and a procession marched from the Hazra to Netaji Bhawan in the evening.

Interestingly, the Narendra Modi led Government at the Centre has been declassifying secret files on Bose through 2016.

“We want the nation to remember that this INA fought tooth and nail against the British army in 1944. Had they got support from other political parties, they may also have won the war and forced the British to leave India in 1944. We want the Modi Government to facilitate the revision of the history text books so that the full story of Bose and the INA is told to students”, said an activist.

It is known that about 26,000 soldiers laid down their lives in the Kohima battle in 1944. 

It was also known that in Kohima, activists of Netaji would pay homage at the INA Memorial (70 km from Kohima).

A member of the Bose family will be attending the function at Kohima on Saturday.