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The Indian National Army(INA) has a legacy of patriotism and ambition in Indian history. The Indian National Army was founded in August 1942 with the collaboration of Indian soldiers, expatriates, Prisoners of war and Japanese allies. It was formed in Southeast Asia during the Second World War. The creation of INA had led to apprehension in the British officials regarding the Indian soldiers serving in the British Indian Army. Therefore, this phase saw a lot of restrictive measures that were adopted by the British to keep the soldiers in check.
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army has been the subject of studies in many military histories in the past decades. The Indian National Army had roots in the Indian independent Leagues that were being formed in Southeast Asia by eminent soldiers like Pritam Sigh and Mohan Singh. The beginnings of the Indian National Army coincided with the imperial expansion of Japan in the Pacific during the 1940s. Indian revolutionaries garnered the help of Japanese military personnel and later on, the government in their fight against the British forces since they were the common enemy. The Indian National Army had failed in most of its campaigns in Assam and at Imphal. Though they had provided a valiant stand in Mount Popa in Burma. As the Second World War neared its end, the Japanese influences had petered out and INA successfully stopped the Japanese invasion of India.
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Women’s Regiment of Indian National Army
An interesting facet of the INA was the women’s regiment of the Indian National Army. This unit was led by Lakshmi Sahgal. The unit was named Jhansi ki Rani Regiment and every female soldier here was combat-trained. The recruits to this unit mostly belonged from Malaya and Burma. Lakshmi Sahgal would become a notable figure in Indian politics post-independence.
Role of Indian National Army in Freedom Struggle
The role of the Indian National Army in the Freedom Struggle is:
- The INA inspired many youths in India when knowledge about their activities and motivations were released to the general public.
- The INA and some of its important personnel would go on to impact many facts of Southeast Asian history like Lakshmi Sahgal, John Thivy, and Janaki Athinahappan.
- INA also generated patriotic feelings in the hearts of many national leaders and the masses and caused uprisings in Bombay and Calcutta.
- They have a memorable impact on the culture of India though they were not given the official title of freedom fighters post-Independence.
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Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose had revived the Indian National Army in 1943 after his daring trip to Japan from India with the help of Rash Behari Bose. He had also established a provincial government and was the commander-in-chief of the INA. He is presumed to have died in Taiwan in a plane crash on 1945, August 18th.
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Conclusion
There are debates around the lasting impact of the Indian National Army. Some scholars like Peter Fay opine that INA did not have any major impact on the freedom struggles however scholars like Peter Cohen and Sumit Sarkar have said that the activities of INA did hasten the process of the British leaving India.
