Indian National Army: A Documentary Study (In 5 Volumes)

The heritage of the INA remains an inseparable part of the legacy of our national movement. Their uncompromising espousal under the dynamic leadership of Subhash Chandra Bose of secularism and rejection of all caste, communal and regional dimensions are especially worthy of emulation today. The present documentary study on the Indian National Army is in continuation of author’s earlier studies relating to the efforts of the Indian nationalists abroad for the attainment of India’s freedom. The hitherto unpublished documents included in these volumes were collected from India Office Library and records, Public Records Office, Imperial War Museum, London, National Archives of India and other archival repositories in Bangkok, Singapore, and many other places in India and abroad. Besides the official documents, unpublished memoirs of Indians and Japanese who were closely connected with the INA have also been included. These documents throw considerable light on the circumstances leading to the formation of the INA after the defeat of the British forces in Malaya, the activities of the Indian independence league, their relations with the imperial Japanese army, the clash between Rash Behari Bose and Mohan Singh on one hand and the Japanese Army on the other, leading to the dissolution of the INA in 1942. They also deal with the coming of Subhash Chandra Bose from Berlin, and how he reorganized the INA and motivated them to "March on Delhi" alongwith the Japanese forces. Though defeated on the battle front, their impact on the Indian National Movement after their return, cannot be minimized. These documents are a mine of information for the students interested in India’s struggle for freedom and those who witnessed the admiration received by the INA soldiers after their release in 1946.