The provisional Government of Azad Hind Organisation and leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
|
Dr Budha Kamei
Contd from previous issue
Programs consisted of news and news commentaries, talks by prominent leaders from military as well as the civil side, dialogues, Indian music and important announcements, statements, communiqués and declarations, and the receiving and transmitting of personal messages from and to the people of India. Thus, the Azad Hind Radio played a crucial role in Netaji's struggle for freedom in Europe.
To every unit of the INA was attached a propaganda squad. These squads consisted of announcers in different languages, scripts, writers and radio operators and mechanics. They underwent a course in military training and discipline. Touring propaganda officers of each territory, and the members-in-charge of the propaganda departments of the League Branches, received a course of instructions on their work.
A sphere of activities, which needed a good deal of thoughtful planning, was that of the proper education of Indian children. The movement decided to popularize Hindustani as the lingua franca of India. The question of script was a thorny one to settle. The Roman script was adopted. In order to popularize this, newspapers and other publications in the Hindustani language, used the Roman script, as also the books for the use of students. His call to the students is: ‘Be man’ and truly National in mind. He interprets the aim of National education not only as the reading of some books, but building of National character. For National integration through education he says, “No scheme of National education could be considered complete which does not have the active teaching of patriotism and Nationalism as one of the subjects in its regular course of study”
There was a large contingent of Health and Social Welfare workers attached to this department. They had worked in the jungles between Thailand and Burma, to open up roadways and railways. They saw Indian soldiers use the very ways that they had built, to go and fight for their country and for them. In the early months of real pioneering work they suffered great hardships and many lost their lives. After sometime, they saw a Commission of Indian welfare workers inspect the conditions under which they toiled and lived. Soon after that, they were surprised to note that doctors moved about them, that medicines were available, and food, clothing and housing conditions improved. Again, they came to know that it was this great Indian Movement that had helped to better their conditions.
The work of the Women’s Department deserves special mention and unqualified praise. The Independence movement brought Indian women out of their seclusion to brave all difficulties, trials and dangers of an open fight for Indian Independence, on an equal footing and to an equal measure, with their men folk. They began to realize that the peace and security of their homes could never be guaranteed, until their larger home, India, was swept clean of all foreign control and influence.
Women addressed meetings and spoke to the world over the radio, wrote articles in papers and composed songs and popularized National songs. Regarding Health and Social Welfare, women ministered to the sick and needy. They visited neighboring estates and labor lines and showed the way to better health, cleanliness and sanitation.
The Supply Department had to perform tasks like (1) a titanic war was on (2) the scattered nature of territories to be administered, (3) no single territory in East Asia was really self-sufficient in food, raw materials and manufactures, (4) large-standing and moving armies were in need of supplies, (5) demand was invariably greater than supplies. Demands from Army Camps, Training Camps, Hospitals, Relief Centres, and above all moving troops, were constant and varied.
Regarding the mobilization of money and materials, IIL Fund Committees were set up in the branches and sub-branches, with a Central Board of Management to control and direct them, and to issue final receipts to contributors.
All the essential conditions or pre-requisites for the formation of a government were fulfilled by this Govt-territory, international recognition, habitual obedience of the people, financial resources, organized government, existence of state machinery and a code of law etc.
This is why the INA movement, as Bhula-bhai Desai, the Defense Counsel in the INA trial, pointed out, with reference to facts and figures, was not an insurgency, and constituted no war crime against the British Government. It was a national war of independence for India under a National Sovereign State or Government, against the British Colonial Raj. This was the true significance of the INA movement and the exact relevance and importance of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Contd from previous issue
Programs consisted of news and news commentaries, talks by prominent leaders from military as well as the civil side, dialogues, Indian music and important announcements, statements, communiqués and declarations, and the receiving and transmitting of personal messages from and to the people of India. Thus, the Azad Hind Radio played a crucial role in Netaji's struggle for freedom in Europe.
To every unit of the INA was attached a propaganda squad. These squads consisted of announcers in different languages, scripts, writers and radio operators and mechanics. They underwent a course in military training and discipline. Touring propaganda officers of each territory, and the members-in-charge of the propaganda departments of the League Branches, received a course of instructions on their work.
A sphere of activities, which needed a good deal of thoughtful planning, was that of the proper education of Indian children. The movement decided to popularize Hindustani as the lingua franca of India. The question of script was a thorny one to settle. The Roman script was adopted. In order to popularize this, newspapers and other publications in the Hindustani language, used the Roman script, as also the books for the use of students. His call to the students is: ‘Be man’ and truly National in mind. He interprets the aim of National education not only as the reading of some books, but building of National character. For National integration through education he says, “No scheme of National education could be considered complete which does not have the active teaching of patriotism and Nationalism as one of the subjects in its regular course of study”
There was a large contingent of Health and Social Welfare workers attached to this department. They had worked in the jungles between Thailand and Burma, to open up roadways and railways. They saw Indian soldiers use the very ways that they had built, to go and fight for their country and for them. In the early months of real pioneering work they suffered great hardships and many lost their lives. After sometime, they saw a Commission of Indian welfare workers inspect the conditions under which they toiled and lived. Soon after that, they were surprised to note that doctors moved about them, that medicines were available, and food, clothing and housing conditions improved. Again, they came to know that it was this great Indian Movement that had helped to better their conditions.
The work of the Women’s Department deserves special mention and unqualified praise. The Independence movement brought Indian women out of their seclusion to brave all difficulties, trials and dangers of an open fight for Indian Independence, on an equal footing and to an equal measure, with their men folk. They began to realize that the peace and security of their homes could never be guaranteed, until their larger home, India, was swept clean of all foreign control and influence.
Women addressed meetings and spoke to the world over the radio, wrote articles in papers and composed songs and popularized National songs. Regarding Health and Social Welfare, women ministered to the sick and needy. They visited neighboring estates and labor lines and showed the way to better health, cleanliness and sanitation.
The Supply Department had to perform tasks like (1) a titanic war was on (2) the scattered nature of territories to be administered, (3) no single territory in East Asia was really self-sufficient in food, raw materials and manufactures, (4) large-standing and moving armies were in need of supplies, (5) demand was invariably greater than supplies. Demands from Army Camps, Training Camps, Hospitals, Relief Centres, and above all moving troops, were constant and varied.
Regarding the mobilization of money and materials, IIL Fund Committees were set up in the branches and sub-branches, with a Central Board of Management to control and direct them, and to issue final receipts to contributors.
All the essential conditions or pre-requisites for the formation of a government were fulfilled by this Govt-territory, international recognition, habitual obedience of the people, financial resources, organized government, existence of state machinery and a code of law etc.
This is why the INA movement, as Bhula-bhai Desai, the Defense Counsel in the INA trial, pointed out, with reference to facts and figures, was not an insurgency, and constituted no war crime against the British Government. It was a national war of independence for India under a National Sovereign State or Government, against the British Colonial Raj. This was the true significance of the INA movement and the exact relevance and importance of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.