What factors led to the INA's formation under Bose, and its government?

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Direct Answer

The formation of the Indian National Army (INA) and the Provisional Government of Free India (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind) under Subhas Chandra Bose was the culmination of several converging factors. Primarily, it was driven by Bose's unwavering belief in securing independence through armed struggle, the strategic opportunity provided by World War II, the availability of a large, trained pool of Indian Prisoners of War (POWs) in Southeast Asia, and the initial groundwork laid by leaders like Rash Behari Bose and Captain Mohan Singh. Bose's charismatic leadership transformed a faltering military unit into a potent symbol of national liberation, complete with its own government, which sought international legitimacy and aimed to spearhead an invasion of British India.

Background

The idea of leveraging a foreign power's help to oust the British was not new; it was a recurring theme in the Indian revolutionary movement. The Ghadar Party, for instance, had attempted this during World War I with German assistance. With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, this opportunity re-emerged.

Subhas Chandra Bose, who had been the President of the Indian National Congress (1938, 1939), fundamentally disagreed with Mahatma Gandhi's strategy of non-violent struggle. He believed that Britain's difficulty was India's opportunity and that independence could only be won through a direct military confrontation. After his dramatic escape from house arrest in Calcutta in January 1941, he travelled to Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In Germany, he established the Free India Centre and began radio broadcasts, but he soon realised that the war's main theatre of action against the British Empire was in Asia.

Core Explanation

The genesis and consolidation of the INA under Bose can be explained through three main factors:

1. The Pre-existing INA (First Phase): Following the fall of Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, Major Fujiwara Kikan, a Japanese intelligence officer, persuaded Captain Mohan Singh, an officer of the 1/14th Punjab Regiment in the British Indian Army, to form an army from the approximately 40,000 Indian POWs captured. The first INA was formally declared in September 1942. However, deep disagreements arose between Mohan Singh and the Japanese over the INA's role and autonomy. Mohan Singh wanted it to be a sovereign Indian army, not a Japanese puppet, leading to its dissolution by December 1942.

2. Bose's Arrival and Leadership: The Japanese, recognising the failure of the first INA, sought a more influential leader. At their invitation, Bose undertook a perilous submarine journey from Germany to Japan, arriving in Tokyo in May 1943. He then travelled to Singapore, where he formally took command of the INA from the veteran revolutionary Rash Behari Bose on 4 July 1943. His famous call, "Dilli Chalo" (On to Delhi), electrified the soldiers and the Indian expatriate community in Southeast Asia.

3. Formation of the Provisional Government: To give the struggle political legitimacy and to deal with the Axis powers on an equal footing, Bose established the Provisional Government of Free India (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind) in Singapore on 21 October 1943.

   • Structure: Bose was the Head of State, Prime Minister, and Minister for War and Foreign Affairs. Other key members included A.C. Chatterji (Finance), S.A. Ayer (Publicity), and Lakshmi Swaminathan (Women's Organisation, leading the Rani of Jhansi Regiment).
   • Recognition: This government was immediately recognised by nine Axis-aligned nations, including Japan, Germany, Italy, and puppet states like Manchukuo.
   • Function: It declared war on Britain and the USA, managed territories (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renamed Shaheed and Swaraj respectively), and mobilised resources (men, money, and material) from the Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia.

The INA, now revitalised under Bose, participated in the Japanese offensive against India. The Imphal-Kohima campaign (March-July 1944) was the INA's most significant military engagement. Despite initial successes and the hoisting of the Indian tricolour in Moirang, Manipur, the campaign ultimately failed due to poor logistical support from the Japanese, the onset of a harsh monsoon, and stiff Allied resistance.

Comparative: INA under Mohan Singh vs. INA under Bose

Why It Matters

Though the INA failed in its military objective, its impact was profound. The British decision to hold public trials of INA officers (Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon) at the Red Fort in November 1945 backfired spectacularly. It ignited widespread nationalist outrage across India, leading to mass demonstrations and, most critically, mutinies within the British Indian armed forces, such as the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) mutiny of February 1946. This erosion of loyalty in the very pillars of the British Raj—the army and navy—convinced the British government that their hold on India was no longer tenable, significantly accelerating the process of independence.

Related Concepts

• Timeline of Key Events:

  1. January 1941: Bose escapes from house arrest in Calcutta.
  2. 15 February 1942: Fall of Singapore; thousands of Indian soldiers become POWs.
  3. September 1942: First INA formally established under Captain Mohan Singh.
  4. December 1942: Mohan Singh dissolves the first INA.
  5. 4 July 1943: Bose takes command of the INA in Singapore.
  6. 21 October 1943: Bose proclaims the Provisional Government of Free India.
  7. March 1944: INA launches the Imphal-Kohima campaign.
  8. November 1945: Red Fort Trials begin, sparking nationwide protests.
  9. February 1946: Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny.

• Revolutionary Nationalism: The INA represents the armed struggle strand of the freedom movement, contrasting with the mainstream non-violent struggle of the Indian National Congress.

• Role of World Events in Indian Independence: Demonstrates how international conflicts (like WWII) created opportunities that were exploited by Indian nationalists.

UPSC Angle

For the UPSC Civil Services Examination, examiners look for a nuanced understanding beyond a simple narrative.

• Analysis over Facts: Don't just list events. Explain the causal links: