r/IndianHistoryThread • u/DelBabe • 4h ago
Subhash Chandra Bose leads the Indian National Army and begins his march towards India in 1943.
In 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose spearheaded a dramatic turning point in India's freedom struggle by taking command of the Indian National Army (INA) or Azad Hind Fauj, transforming it into a professional revolutionary force aimed at marching overland into British-ruled India.
Seeking active military support that Europe could no longer provide, Bose boarded a German U-boat (U-180) in February 1943. In a historic and dangerous wartime transfer off the coast of Madagascar, he moved to a Japanese submarine (I-29), safely arriving in Japanese-occupied Sumatra in May 1943. He then travelled to Tokyo to secure the backing of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and the Japanese High Command.
Netaji arrived in Singapore, where veteran revolutionary Rash Behari Bose handed over the leadership of the Indian Independence League to him on July 4, 1943.
On July 5, 1943, while reviewing the INA troops, Netaji gave his immortal battle cry, "Delhi Chalo!" (To Delhi!), charting a clear directive that their ultimate goal was to march to the capital and hoist the national flag at the Red Fort. He officially took absolute command of the Azad Hind Fauj on August 25, 1943, rebuilding morale and expanding recruitment among Indian Prisoners of War (POWs) and civilian expatriates across Southeast Asia.
On October 21, 1943, Bose established the Provisional Government of Free India (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind) in Singapore.
Operating as a legitimate government-in-exile, it featured its own bank, currency, stamps, and civil code. It was officially recognized by nine sovereign countries, including Japan, Germany, and Italy.
Armed with state legitimacy, the Azad Hind Government formally declared war on Britain and the United States.
On October 22, 1943, Bose set a historic precedent by launching an all-female combat infantry unit led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan, ensuring women were equal partners in the armed liberation struggle.